Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 16 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Ford F Series, most frequently naming the electrical, fuel system and driver assistance categories. 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 88 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.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2003 | 1 | 1 |
| Jan 2004 | 1 | 2 |
| Feb 2005 | 1 | 3 |
| Mar 2005 | 1 | 4 |
| Jun 2005 | 1 | 5 |
| Aug 2005 | 1 | 6 |
| Sep 2005 | 2 | 8 |
| Nov 2007 | 1 | 9 |
| Apr 2009 | 1 | 10 |
| Mar 2010 | 1 | 11 |
| Aug 2011 | 1 | 12 |
| Nov 2011 | 1 | 13 |
| Sep 2013 | 1 | 14 |
| Jun 2014 | 1 | 15 |
| Sep 2015 | 1 | 16 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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.
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
PINCHED WIRING HARNESSES
wiring harnesses routed along left and/or right frame rails may become pinched between frame and cab.pinched harnesses may suffer loss of insulation integrity which results in a short to ground with the potential for vehicle fire.
VEHICLE ELECTRICAL FIRE
ENGINE WIRING HARNESSBECOMES PINCHED BETWEEN THE VEHICLE CAB AND CHASSIS LEADING TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND FIRE.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TRUCK WAS DRIVEN THEN PARKED, 15 MINUTES LATER WHILE MOWING THE GRASS, I LOOKED OVER AT THE PARKED TRUCKAND IT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED AT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS.
OPENED REAR TANK CAP AND FUEL SPURTED OUT AND WOULD NOT STOP HAD TO PUT CAP BACK ON, I NEVER USE THIS TANK ONLY REFUEL IN THE FRONT TANK. *TR
I HAVE TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO REPLACE MY DOOR HANDLES FROM THE INSIDE OF MY TRUCK. THEY KEEP BREAKING, AND NOW I AM DRIVING A TRUCK THAT I CAN ONLY OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE AFTER ROLLING MY WINDOWS DOWN. I HAVE TALKED TO FORD ABOUT THIS DEFECT, WHICH I CONSIDER A HIGH SAFETY ISSUE IN AN EMERGENCY. THEY SAY THEY HAVE A BETTER DESIGN BUT WILL COST ME $250 EACH TO REPLACE. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM SO WHY ISN'T IT SOMETHING THAT FORD SHOULD REPLACE FREE? MEANWHILE.. I CAN'T AFFORD $500 FOR TWO DOOR HANDLES, PLUS LABOR, ONTOP OF THE COST OF THE ONES I HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT, AND TRIED REPLACING MYSELF. *TR
GASOLINE IS LEAKING OUT OF THE FRONT FUEL CAP OF MY 1996 FORD F-150 TRUCK. MY TRUCK HAS DUAL TANKS. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE A FIRE OR EXPLOSION. MY RESEARCH ONLINE FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 91V146000. THIS IS THE PROBLEM MY TRUCK IS HAVING BUT IT IS NOT CURRENTLY COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. I AM WRITING THIS SUNDAY EVENING SO I AM WAITING TILL MORNING TO CONTACT FORD AND REPORT THIS PROBLEM TO THEM. THE RECALL THAT I FOUND CALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE ON 1989 FORD F-150'S. BUT SINCE I AM HAVING THE EXACT SAME DEFECT AND THE EFFECT OF SUCH AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE IS LIFE THREATENING I BELIEVE THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL FORD VEHICLES THAT HAVE DUAL FUEL TANKS. *TR
A MALFUNCTIONING CHECK VALVE WITHIN THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY CAUSES A PORTION OF THE UNUSED FUEL FROM ONE TANK TO BE RETURNED TO THE SECOND TANK. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE CAPACITY OF THE SECOND TANK CAN BE EXCEEDED, CAUSING FUEL SPILLAGE. *KB
CRUISE CONTROL REFUSES TO DISENGAGE WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. ISSUE REPORTED TO FORD DLR. IN 2002 AND DLR. REFUSED TO REPAIR AS NOT UNDER WARRANTY RECALL AND UNIT OUT OF WARRANTY. I DO NOT TRY TO USE CRUISE CONTROL AS VEHICLE ACCELERATES WITH CONTROL ON AND WILL NOT DISENGAGE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD NEEDS TO CORRECT AT NO CHARGE TO ME. *TR
THE REAR FUEL TANK DRAINS FUEL FROM THE FRONT FUEL TANK AND CAUSES FUEL TO OUT PAST THE FILL CAP. *TR
1996 FORD F 150 AUTO TRANS W/ OVERDRIVE CRUISE & TILT, THE PROBLEM IS STEERING COLUMN FAILURE FIRST TIME WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO AND AGAIN NOW 11/30/2007. THE 1ST TIME AT ABOUT 78,000 MI. AND THE MILEAGE NOW IS 179,000 MI THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FAILURE STARTS AS POPPING SOUNDS ALONG WITH THE SOUNDS OF A RUSTY SCREEN DOOR SPRING THEN IT GETS WORSE TO THE POINT THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HANGS AND IT TAKES BOTH HANDS TO FREE IT. (TRUST ME THIS WILL SCARE THE HECK OUT OF YOU TURNING IN A BUSY INTERSECTION) EVENTUALLY IT WILL LOCK UP COMPLETELY. *TR
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
JERR-DAN: ANTI STALL FEATURE FOR FORD F SERIES LIGHT DUTY CHASSIS WITH V10 GAS ENGINE AND AN ENGINE DRIVE CLUTCH PUMP. MODEL YEARS UNKNOWN. *PE
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ROUGH IDLE, MISS AND VARIOUS OTHER DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS ON VEHICLES WITH 7.3L DIT ENGINE. THIS MAY BE RELATED TO INJECTOR BORE SCUFFING CAUSED BY FUEL QUALITY ISSUES. *TT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
NEW SERVICE PART - NUMBER 5 NEEDLE BEARING AND RACE KIT - 4R70W TRANSMISSION - SERVICE TIP. *TT
SUSPENSION
SUBJECT REGARDING VEHICLE LEAN CORRECTION PROCEDURE DEVELOPED FOR DIAGNOSING AND CORRECTING VEHICLE LEAN. *TT
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CONDITION OF OIL CONTAMINATION IN COOLING SYSTEM. *TT
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.
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 |
| 1996Viewing | 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 | — |
| 1987 | 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.