Total Complaints
1 filings
FORD SUPER DUTY F SERIES · model year
1996 FORD SUPER DUTY F SERIES
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996FORDSUPER DUTY F SERIES carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 1996 SUPER DUTY F SERIES is electrical system with 1 filings. 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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1996 SUPER DUTY F SERIES, and 8 remain open. 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.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110218FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AT APPROXIMATELY 3:20 A.M. MY FAMILY AND I WOKE UP TO THE SOUND OF A CAR ALARM GOING OFF. EVERYONE IMMEDIATELY GOT UP TO WALK TOWARDS A WINDOW TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. WE SAW OUR 1996 FORD TRUCK IN FLAMES FROM THE FRONT. IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ENGINE PART WAS ON FIRE. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED 9-1-1 BECAUSE THE FLAMES WERE SEVERAL FEET HIGH AND VERY CLOSE TO OUR FENCE AND WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT OUT OURSELVES. IT LOOKED LIKE THE TRUCK WAS GOING TO EXPLODE ANY SECOND. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP WITHIN MINUTES. THEY TOOK OUT THE FIRE AND PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION OF THE VEHICLE. THEY INDICATED THE FIRE STARTED BECAUSE OF AN ELECTRICAL/MECHANICAL DEFECT AND IT STARTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK, BELOW THE ENGINE, AND REACHED ITS WAY TO THE TOP. IT HAD BEEN RAINING QUITE HARD DURING THIS INCIDENT. THE SAME DAY WE HAD COAST AUTO SUPPLIES PICK UP THE TRUCK BECAUSE IT COULDN'T BE LEFT WHERE IT WAS PARKED, IN A CITY STREET IN FRONT OUR HOME. REPO
Mileage: 206,000
Compare 1996FORDSUPER DUTY F SERIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 FORD SUPER DUTY F SERIES have?▼
The 1996 FORD SUPER DUTY F SERIES has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 FORD SUPER DUTY F SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 FORD SUPER DUTY F SERIES is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1996 FORD SUPER DUTY F SERIES 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.