RoadVitals

1996 Ford Club Wagon Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
17
Latest Sep 23, 2008
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
4
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jul 11, 1996

What this page shows

Our database holds 17 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Ford Club Wagon. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–17 of 17

Fuel system
Filed Sep 23, 2008

FUEL FILLER PIPE ON THIS VEHICLE HAS FAILED THREE TIMES (FIRST FAILURE MILEAGE IS LISTED BELOW). EACH TIME THE FIRST SYMPTOM IS THE SMELL OF FUEL OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING, WHEN THE PROBLEM WORSENS, AT TIME OF FILL-UP GAS SPILLS ON THE GROUND. *TR

NHTSA ID
10243263
Incident
Sep 22, 2008
Mileage
30,532 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 4, 2005
Fire reported

DT: CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A FIRE ON THE MASTER CYLINDER ON A 1996 FORD CLUB WAGON. THIS VEHICLE WAS OWNED BY HIS EMPLOYER. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DROVE APPROXIMATELY 8 HOURS BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10131516
Incident
Aug 1, 2005
Electrical
Filed May 20, 2004
Fire reported

WHEN THE FAN SWITCH WAS TURNED TO THE FAST POSITION AND THE A/C WAS TURNED ON THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. AFTER A FEW SECONDS ALOT OF SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE DASH AND A/C AREA. THE CONSUMER REMOVED THE KNOB AND SAW FLAMES. THE CONSUMER TURNED OFF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND REMOVED THE CABLE. NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID
10067100
Incident
Apr 9, 2004
Mileage
139,000 mi
Heating & air conditioningEngine
Filed Mar 6, 2003

ENGINE STALLS OCCASIONALLY WHEN IN DRIVE AND AT A STOP, AND SOMETIMES INSTEAD OF JUST DYING IT TRIES TO STAY RUNNING BY FLOORING THE ACCELERATOR CAUSING ME TO HIT CURBS AND MY GARAGE WALL. I CAN AVOID THIS BY PLACING IT IN NEUTRAL TEMPORARILY. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FORD ABOUT THREE TIMES FOR THIS ALONE, BUT THEY CANNOT FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE IT IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WHICH THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE. ALSO THE REAR BLEND DOOR FLAP FOR REAR A/C DETERIORATES EVERY YEAR AND NEEDS REPLACING TO STAY COOL IN PHOENIX, AZ. *JB

NHTSA ID
10008491
Incident
Jun 15, 2000
Mileage
40,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Feb 23, 2001

WHILE FUELING GAS CAME OUT FROM UNDER VAN, NOT AT THE FILL NECK. *AK

NHTSA ID
741397
Incident
Sep 23, 2000
Engine
Filed Jul 17, 2000

RUSTING OUT OILPAN WITH ONLY 38K MILES ON IT. HAVE BEEN TOLD IT'S A REACURING PROBLEM, LOOKING FOR A RECALL NOTICE. *AK

NHTSA ID
725569
Incident
Jul 17, 2000
Brakes
Filed Oct 29, 1999

FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WORN PREMATURELY. NLM

NHTSA ID
549299
Incident
Mar 9, 1998
Airbags
Filed Sep 21, 1999
Crash reported

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 50 MPH ON WET PAVEMENT, AND VEHICLE STARTED SLIDING, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND HIT A GUARDRAIL HEAD ON. THEN VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN A HILL. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ID
848262
Incident
Sep 12, 1999
Brakes
Filed Jan 21, 1999

EXPERIENCING ONGOING BRAKE FAILURE. WHENEVER VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN WET CONDITIONS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, NO MATTER WHAT THE SPEED MAY BE. VEHICLE HAVE BEEN INSPECTED/REPAIRED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, BUT CONDITION STILL OCCURS. DEALER/MFR. WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID
833836
Incident
Jul 15, 1997
Brakes
Filed Oct 22, 1998

ABS BRAKE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
781518
Seat belts
Filed Jun 8, 1998

THE SHOULDER BELTS ARE HOOKED TO THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE BELTS TO GO ACROSS THE NECK, IRRITATING THE DRIVER. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN THE BELT CROSSES THE BODY, IT IS AGAINST WHERE SAFETY REGULATIONS SAY SHOULDER BELT SHOULD GO. *SLC

NHTSA ID
824020
Brakes
Filed Nov 10, 1997

ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; AT LOW VEHICLE SPEED, ON ANY SLIPPERY SURFACE, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE ABS SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED WHICH RELEASES THE LINE PRESSURE, AND THE VEHICLE KEEPS RIGHT ON GOING. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO DETECT PROBLEM WITH THE WAGON. *AK

NHTSA ID
818695
Incident
Oct 10, 1996
Interior & seats
Filed Oct 27, 1997

BUTTON LATCH ON PASSENGER SEAT FAILED.

NHTSA ID
604720
Incident
Nov 1, 1996
AirbagsOther / unspecified
Filed May 30, 1997
Crash reported

MADE A LEFT HAND TURN INTO A VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE REAR SEAT BELTS, THAT LOCK DOWN THE WHEEL CHAIRS, CAME UNLATCHED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
812603
Incident
May 3, 1997
Brakes
Filed Sep 9, 1996

BRAKE PROBLEMS UNABLE TO BE REMEDIED.

NHTSA ID
508407
Brakes
Filed Aug 8, 1996

FAILURE OF THE BRAKES AND BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN YOU APPPLY FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE.*AK ABS LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE, DEALER CAN NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *SLC

NHTSA ID
800634
Incident
Apr 4, 1996
SteeringSuspension
Filed Jul 11, 1996

VEHICLE WANDERS FROM SIDE TO SIDE AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED. ATTEMPTING TO REMEDY THE WANDERING CAUSES AT TIMES A SERIOUS OVERSTEER PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
985495
Incident
Nov 1, 1995

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .