ALTERNATOR BELT FAILURE
Opened Jun 4, 1993
Closed Jul 29, 1994
There is no summary currently available
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1988 Ford E-250
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
2
Latest Jan 9, 1997
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
4
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.
1
Overview
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Ford E-250, most frequently naming the electrical and engine categories. 4 NHTSA investigations name it; and 4 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical150.0%
- Engine150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENES
Opened Oct 30, 1991
Closed Oct 30, 1992
===
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICLed to recall 92V026000
LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENES
Opened May 23, 1991
Closed Oct 31, 1991
There is no summary currently available
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
LOSS OF POWER BRAKE
Opened Jan 30, 1990
Closed May 22, 1990
There is no summary currently available
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Engine
Filed Jan 9, 1997
OIL PAN LEAKS.
- NHTSA ID
- 527960
- Incident
- Jun 1, 1995
Electrical
Filed Sep 9, 1996
Fire reported
EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IN VEHICLE. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 801984
- Incident
- Sep 8, 1996
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
985A29
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL, IRREGULAR FRONT LINING WEAR, AND BRAKE PULL. *YC
985A38
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
FRONT CALIPER PISTON BOOTS DAMAGED. *YC
BC2893950401
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
UNKNOWN
95524
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THERE MAY BE A CONCERN OF POOR PERFORMANCE, COOLANT IN THE OIL AND ENGINE KNOCKING AND/OR HYDRAULIC LOCK ON SOME VEHICLES. *TW
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 7 | 11 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 49.1 |
| 2012 | 8 | 12 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 6 | 18 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 9 | 13 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 19 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 6 | 22 | 1 | — |
| 2007 | 6 | 27 | 1 | — |
| 2006 | 12 | 31 | 1 | 60.4 |
| 2005 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 61.1 |
| 2004 | 8 | 18 | 2 | — |
| 2003 | 17 | 8 | 2 | 65.8 |
| 2002 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 61.4 |
| 2001 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 62.3 |
| 2000 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 63.2 |
| 1999 | 31 | 6 | 2 | 58.8 |
| 1998 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 53.0 |
| 1997 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 62.4 |
| 1996 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 48.6 |
| 1995 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 55.1 |
| 1994 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 51.4 |
| 1993 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1992 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 61.2 |
| 1991 | 8 | 1 | 5 | — |
| 1990 | 4 | 2 | 6 | — |
| 1989 | 7 | 2 | 5 | — |
| 1988Viewing | 2 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | 2 | 3 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | 3 | 4 | — |
| 1985 | 2 | 5 | 4 | — |
| 1984 | 2 | 6 | 3 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1980 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1979 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — |
| 1978 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.