Total Complaints
6 filings
FORD PICKUP · model year
1990 FORD PICKUP
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990FORDPICKUP carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 PICKUP is engine and engine cooling:engine with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:gas recirculation valve (egr valve) (1) and steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion) (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 1990 PICKUP. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | 1 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010103TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00 020, CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 45MPH HIGHWAY AND HEARD NOISE. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDERS OF ROAD, AND NOTICED THAT RIGHT FRONT TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM RIM. FIRESTONE, LT, P23585R16M/F, DOT VDOR1W4. FIRESTONE WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
20000926TIRES:SIDEWALL
PE00-020; TIRESIZE P23575R15 AND DOT # W2HL1PY408, NOT FROM THE VD PLANT, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON 1990, FORD PICKUP. ON 2 OF THE 4 TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED A RIPPLE OR INDENTATION IN THE SIDEWALL WITH ONLY 5000-6000 MILES WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO PULSATE.*AK TWO TIRES HAVE RIPPLE ON THE SIDE WALLS WHEN THE CUSTOMER INSPECTED THE TIRES AFETER HEARING THE PUBLICITY ON FIRESTONE DEFECTIVE TIRES. *YH
19990303STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
STEERING GEAR BOX VERY LOOSE DUE TO STRIPPED BOLTS.
19990303ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION SYSTEM RECALL WORK WAS FOUND TO HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED, DUE TO DEALER PROBLEM, PRIOR TO SALE OF VEHICLE.
19990224ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PVC SYSTEM WAS FAULTY, CAUSING ABNORMAL TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE BUILDUP WHICH CAUSES EXCESSIVE STRESS ON THE PISTON ROD AND ROD BEARINGS. TIME CONSUMED CAUSES PISTON AND ROD BEARING FAILURES TO OCCUR. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS BECAUSE OF NO MFR. RECALL. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION *AK
19990224ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
PVC SYSTEM WAS FAULTY, CAUSING ABNORMAL TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE BUILDUP WHICH CAUSES EXCESSIVE STRESS ON THE PISTON ROD AND ROD BEARINGS. TIME CONSUMED CAUSES PISTON AND ROD BEARING FAILURES TO OCCUR. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS BECAUSE OF NO MFR. RECALL. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION *AK
Compare 1990FORDPICKUP to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 FORD PICKUP have?▼
The 1990 FORD PICKUP has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 FORD PICKUP?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 FORD PICKUP is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) and STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION).
Is the 1990 FORD PICKUP 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.