Total Complaints
8 filings
FORD LTD · model year
1988 FORD LTD
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988FORDLTD carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 6 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1988 LTD is electrical system:ignition:switch with 4 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (2) and vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 1988 LTD, and 6 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
8
Complaints
1
Crashes
6
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19981001POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
TRANSMISSION LINKAGE GROMMET DETERIORATED, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER TO TRANSMISSION THIRD AND OVERDRIVE GEARS, WHICH LEAVES NO HIGH SPEED SHIFTING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK
19960919CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, WENT FROM PARK TO INTO DRIVE, ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN AN OPEN POSITION, RPMS UNKNOWN IMPACT 1:00 POSITION. *AK
19960809FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
CONSUMER CUT CAR OFF IN DRIVEWAY AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE, DEALER CHECK IT OUT AND SAID IT CAME FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH . PLEASE DESCRIBE.*AK
19960801FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE PARKED, OWNER HEARD HORN, WENT TO CHECK, SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD, THEN NOTICE FLAMES, FIRE DEPT ARRIVED, PUT OUT FLAMES, COULD NOT LIFT HOOD.*AK
19960429FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CAUSED BY THE IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960429FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CAUSED BY THE IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960220FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN STEERING COLUMN WHILE PARKED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
19960220FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN STEERING COLUMN WHILE PARKED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Compare 1988FORDLTD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 6 Open
EA26004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP26004Defect PetitionOpen
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionClosed
Underbody shields detachment
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 FORD LTD have?▼
The 1988 FORD LTD has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 6 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 FORD LTD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 FORD LTD is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Is the 1988 FORD LTD safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1988 FORD LTD; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.