INCREASE IN ENGINE RPM'S
Opened Mar 5, 1990
Closed May 5, 1990
There is no summary currently available
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1988 Ford Ford Truck
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.
7
Latest Dec 10, 2001
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.
2
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
Overview
Our database contains 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Ford Ford Truck, most frequently naming the electrical, brakes and fuel system categories. 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 3 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
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| Jan 1996 | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 1996 | 1 | 3 |
| Feb 1999 | 1 | 4 |
| Apr 2000 | 2 | 6 |
| Dec 2001 | 1 | 7 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical342.9%
- Brakes228.6%
- Fuel system114.3%
- Steering114.3%
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.
THROTTLE PLATE JAMS OPEN
Opened Dec 1, 1988
Closed Apr 5, 1989
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VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Electrical
Filed Dec 10, 2001
Fire reported
IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED CAUSING A FIRE UNDER THE DASH, RESULTED IN DAMAGE WIRING, SAME PROBLEM IS EXISTING AGAIN.
- NHTSA ID
- 9003635
- Incident
- Nov 1, 1993
Brakes
Filed Apr 8, 2000
SUMMARY: ZERO BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS, BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE OKAY, SUDDEN SUSTAINED ABSOLUTE LOSS OF STOPPING ABILITY. YOUR RECALL CAMPAIGN 96V071000 MAY BE MISSING A MECHANISM FOR CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE ON THE FORD TRUCK. MY 1988 F250HD SUPERCAB 4X4 HAS EXHIBITED THREE DIFFERENT MECHANISMS FOR BRAKE LOSS. WHEN <1 YEAR OLD WITH <10K MILES ON IT, WE DROVE A DIRT ROAD WHICH AFTER LEVEL TRAVEL (I.E. ABSOLUTELY NOT OVERHEATED FROM MOUNTAIN DRIVING) WINDS DOWN A CLIFF. THE HAIRPIN SWITCH-BACKS REQUIRED ME TO JOCKEY THE LONG SUPERCAB AROUND THE CORNERS WITH REPEATED BRAKE APPLICATION, BUT ALL AT NEAR 0 MPH AND OVER ABOUT 15 MINUTES TIME. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIFF @<10MPH TOWARD A CREEK I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN. THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPED AT THE NORMAL POINT BUT THERE WAS NO BRAKING FORCE. THERE WAS A DOWNWARD SLOPE (LESS THAN 10 DEGREES PITCH). PUMPING THE BRAKES DID NOT HELP. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MAXIMUM FORCE WITH BOTH LEGS! AND COULD NOT EVEN SLOW THE VEHICLE! (THE VEHICLE HAD A FIBERGLASS TOPPER INSTALLED SO PAYLOAD EST. ~1,500 LBS). SUBSTANTIAL FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL! IF WE HAD BEEN KILLED, THE BRAKES WOULD HAVE CHECKED OUT FINE AFTER THE FACT. I BELIEVE THERE PROBABLY HAVE BEEN OTHER INSTANCES THAT HAVE GONE UNREPORTED OR WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS AND/OR DEATHS IN WHICH THIS BRAKING PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. BELTS AND BRAKE FLUID WERE NOMINAL. THE FRONT DISKS AND REAR AXLES WERE NOT HOT TO THE TOUCH. MY WIFE APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE I INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND NO ABNORMAL SOUNDS OR OTHER CUES TO THE CAUSE COULD BE OBSERVED. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF ANDRESTARTED A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH NO EFFECT. THIS PERSISTED >45 MINUTES WHILE WE TRIED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. ON THE UPPER SIDE OF THE BRAKE BOOST CANISTER THERE IS A GROMMET/FITTING FOR THE VACUUM HOSE ATTACHMENT. I ROTATED THIS FITTING TO TENSION THE HOSE FLEXURE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND THE BRAKES STARTED OPERATING. I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED A REPEAT OF THE SYMPTOMS.
- NHTSA ID
- 721171
- Incident
- Jun 15, 1988
Electrical
Filed Apr 3, 2000
Fire reported
AT 3:56 AM MY BROTHER CALLED FROM NEXT DOOR TO TELL ME A VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. I WENT OUT SIDE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. MY MOM CALLED THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT THEY ARRIVED AT 4:06 AM. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 720934
- Incident
- Apr 3, 2000
Steering
Filed Feb 9, 1999
TILT STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK IN PLACE, MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT.
- NHTSA ID
- 703103
- Incident
- Feb 8, 1999
Electrical
Filed Jul 26, 1996
Fire reported
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE PRIOR TO RECALL.
- NHTSA ID
- 506749
- Incident
- Jul 15, 1996
Fuel system
Filed Jan 22, 1996
Fire reported
FUEL LINE FIRE. *SD
- NHTSA ID
- 501101
- Incident
- Jan 22, 1996
Brakes
Filed May 17, 1995
BRAKES OVERHEATED, CAUSING DIFFICULTY PULLING TRAILER. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 479631) *AW
- NHTSA ID
- 486028
- Incident
- May 17, 1995
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
BC0141970201
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
VERIFY THE TRANSAXLE INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE IS THE CORRECT MODEL AND MODEL YEAR FOR THE VEHICLE. *JD
BC0845961001
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
CLARIFIED TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAFETY RECALL - RCL/96S54 (ATTACHMENT III, DEALER LETTER). *TT
BC0846961001
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
INFORMATION ON PART NUMBER FOR THE ROTUNDA TOOL THAT IS STATED IN SAFETY RECALL RCL/96S48-RCL/96S99. *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.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 40.4 |
| 2002 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 36.7 |
| 2001 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 36.0 |
| 2000 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 40.6 |
| 1999 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 |
| 1998 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 38.8 |
| 1997 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 41.2 |
| 1996 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 36.3 |
| 1995 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 34.7 |
| 1994 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 41.5 |
| 1993 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 42.1 |
| 1991 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 8 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1989 | 6 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1988Viewing | 7 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1987 | 2 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1986 | 2 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1985 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1984 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | 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.