UNDER DASH FIRES
Opened Apr 25, 1994
Closed Aug 31, 1994
There is no summary currently available
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1987 Ford F Series
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.
3
Latest Jun 27, 2011
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 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1987 Ford F Series, most frequently naming the electrical, brakes and exterior lighting categories. 4 NHTSA investigations name it; and 6 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 — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical250.0%
- Brakes125.0%
- Exterior lighting125.0%
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.
DEFECTIVE WIRING
Opened Mar 10, 1994
Closed Apr 25, 1994
DEFECTIVE WIRING
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:INTERCONNECTING ASSEMBLY(WIRING)
FIRE IN HEATER/AC PLENUM
Opened Dec 5, 1989
Closed Mar 1, 1990
There is no summary currently available
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
FIREWALL FRACTURE
Opened Jun 15, 1989
Closed Nov 17, 1989
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POWER TRAIN
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Electrical
Filed Jun 27, 2011
FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECALLED 7.5 MILLION TRUCKS WITH DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCHES MADE FROM 1988-1996. THEIR LOGIC WAS THAT THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCHES BEGAN BEING USED IN 5/87, THUS NOT RECALLING 83-87 MODELS. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I HAVE A LATE MODEL 87 PRODUCED 6/87, WHICH BY FORD'S OWN LOGIC, HAS A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH, BUT NO RECALL ON 87 MODELS. I WOULD LIKE FOR THE NHTSA TO PETITION FORD TO STEP UP AND RECALL LATE MODEL 87 TRUCKS TO REPLACE THIS IGNITION SWITCH. MY TRUCK HASN'T CAUGHT FIRE YET, BUT IT HAS SMOKED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN ONCE BEFORE AND I DON'T SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT KNOWING I MIGHT WAKE UP TO A FLAMING TRUCK. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10409016
- Incident
- Jun 27, 2011
- Mileage
- 86,500 mi
BrakesExterior lighting
Filed Aug 25, 2003
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, HAVE BROUGHT UP SOME SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH MY EMPLOYER AND THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT IT'LL BE "OK"TO LEAVE THESE VEHICLES IN SERVICE.BUCKET TRUCKS IN SERVICE IN THE BRISTOL,VIRGINIA AREA.*AK EDWARDS TELECOMMUNICATIONS INC.BASED OUT OF CHESTER,SC. IS A SUBCONTRACTOR OF BRISTOL VIRGINIA UTILITY BOARD. SOME OF OUR CONCERNS ARE STROBE LIGHTS NOT WORKING,BUCKETS NOT GREASED,FLUIDS LEAKING OUT OF TRUCKS,BRAKES GOING TO THE FLOOR AT STOPLIGHTS. THERE SEEMS TO BE A GENERAL LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE EMPLOYEES SAFETY,WHICH IS WHY I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
- NHTSA ID
- 10033489
- Incident
- Jan 1, 2003
Electrical
Filed Feb 19, 1997
Fire reported
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE.
- NHTSA ID
- 514960
- Incident
- Feb 6, 1996
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
99222
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
SUBJECT ON A WIRE HARNESS TERMINAL REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRING ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESSES. *TT
99196
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE SAFETY, AND PERFORMANCE CONCERNS IF INSTALLED IN FORD A/C SYSTEMS. *TT
98246
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS RELEASED A NEW ELECTRICAL GREASE ( F8AZ - 19G208-AA ) TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF MOISTURE CORROSION AT THE TERMINALS. *YC
9852
TIRES
INFORMATION ON TIRE COMPANY TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. *YC
9848
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
ANNOUNCING THE FORD OEM AIR CONDITIONING RETROFIT KIT AVAILABILITY. *YC
96246
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WIRING - ELECTRICAL DIODE IDENTIFICATION AND SERVICE REPLACEMENTS. *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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2002 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 42.4 |
| 2001 | 44 | 1 | 4 | 57.3 |
| 2000 | 40 | 1 | 4 | 53.6 |
| 1999 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 45.7 |
| 1998 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 32.0 |
| 1997 | 47 | 0 | 2 | 48.9 |
| 1996 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 52.6 |
| 1995 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 52.3 |
| 1994 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1993 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1992 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1991 | 6 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1990 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1989 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1988 | 6 | 1 | 4 | — |
| 1987Viewing | 3 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 1984 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 1 | 1 | 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.