1996 Ford Motor Home Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 Ford Motor Home, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance325.0%
- Fuel system325.0%
- Tires & wheels325.0%
- Brakes18.3%
- Exterior lighting18.3%
- Suspension18.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
1996 FORD ECONOLINE MOTORHOME WITH A RECALL FOR FUSED JUMPER CABLE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALER TOLD HIM THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE REQUESTED REPAIR PART AND TO CALL BACK. HE STATES THAT THE RECALL STATES THAT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. *KB THE RECALL STATED AN INCOMPATIBLE FUSED JUMPER CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN VEHICLES AND IF THE PROPER FUSED JUMPER CABLE WAS NOT AVAILABLE, A NEW MATING ELECTRICAL SWITCH WOULD BE ITS REPLACEMENT. *JB
1996 FORD MOTORHOME WITH SPEED CONTROL RECALL. CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. HE STATES THAT HE HAS CALLED SINCE THEN TO GET THE REPAIR DONE AND THEY STILL DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS. *KB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
THIS MOTORHOME ONLY HAS 17,000 MILES ON IT AND IT HAS HAD 4 FUEL PUMPS ON IT AND IS GETTING READY TO HAVE THE 5TH ONE. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN ORIGINAL FORD PARTS COSTING $450 EACH. IT IS A FAULTY DESIGN AND FORD KNOWS IT! THIS IS A 36 FT CHASSIS AND THE STYLE OF TUBING AND PUMP CANNOT KEEP UP, THEY KEEP BURNING UP. FORD CHANGED THE STYLE OF FUEL PUMP THAT REQUIRES A JUMPER HARNESS KIT TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING BUT DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL ON ANY OF THESE. NOW THAT I AM AGAIN HAVING ISSUES WITH THIS FUEL PUMP I FEEL IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT FORD FIX THIS ISSUE. I HAVE A MOTORHOME WITH ONLY 17,000 MILES ON IT THAT HAS $2000 JUST IN FUEL PUMPS ALONE NOT COUNTING ANY LABOR AND THEY WANT TO SAY IT'S NOT A DESIGN ISSUE WHEN ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND EVEN THEIR FORUMS' IT CLEARLY IS AND HAS BEEN A PROBLEM. LOOK AT ARTICLE NO. 97-23-9 THAT IS JUST ONE! I CAN'T EVEN TRAVEL OVER AN HOUR IN THIS MOTORHOME WITHOUT LETTING IT SIT FOR THIRTY MINUTES FOR THE GAS TO COOL BACK DOWN. FORD WANTS TO TELL ME IT'S BECAUSE IT ONLY HAS 17,000 MILES ON IT. BELIEVE ME IF I COULD DRIVE IT MORE I WOULD. YOU CAN'T TRUST THIS THING AND YOU NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO. IT HAS BEEN KEPT IN A CLIMATE CONTROLLED GARAGE SO IT HAS NOT BE ABUSED IN ANY WAY. IT IS US, THE CONSUMER THAT HAS BEEN ABUSED BY FORD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD E-350 CALLISTA MOTOR HOME (NA). THE CONTACT NOTICED PROPANE LEAKING, A CRACKED FUEL LINE, AND THE CHASSIS WAS UNSTABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PROPANE REGULATOR, TIE ROD, BALL JOINT, AND DRIVE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REAR RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPERARATED WHILE DRIVING AND 500 MILES LATER THE TIRE ON THE LEFT SIDE HAD TREAD SEPERATION. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, 25K MILES, MOUNTED ON A MOTOR HOME FORD CHASIS. 225/75R16. *JB *SCC
FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S TIRES (P225 75 R16) EXPERIENCED 4 TREAD SEPARATIONS, WHICH ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THAT THE REMAINING TIRES BE REPLACED AND THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE MOTORHOME BE FIXED. *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKE CALIPER CONTINUALLY LOCKING UP AND CAUSING OVERHEATING/BURNING ODOR, REPLACED CALIPER HOWEVER CONTINUED LOCK UP. MJS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
GULF STREAM RV MANIFACTORYING. BUILT THE CLASS C RV ON FORD E-350 CUT A WAY CHASSIS. THE FORD CHASSIS MANUAL STATES THAT IT IS SUPPLIED W/ 2 HAZARD AND TURN LIGHTS ON FRONT AND 2 ON THE BACK (TOTAL OF 4 LIGHTS) AND A FLASHER FOR 2 BULB AND 4 BULB MAX FLASHER #SF-602 THIS IS THE ONLY FLASHER THAT FORD HAS. GULF STREAM ADDED ANOTHER TURN/ HAZARD BULB ON EACH SIDE ON REAR. PLUS TWO TRAILOR LIGHTS. THE FORD REFERENCE MANUEL PAGE 19 TABLE H STATES THAT IF MORE LIGHTS ARE ADDED THEY ARE TO CHANGE THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER. WITH ONE HAVING THE CORRECT LAMP RAREING. GULF STREAM DIDN'T DO THIS THEY LEFT THE ONE THAT FORD PUT ON AT THE FACTORY. WHEN YOU TURN THE HAZARD FLASHER LIGHT ON IT OVER LOADS THE FLASHER OUT ($38.00 EA) THEN YOU DON'T HAVE FLASHERS. I HAVE BURNT OUT 2 SO FAR. I HAVE CONTACTED GULF STREAM RV ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY GIVE ME THE RUN AROUND ON THIS. THEY SAID I AM THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM. ONLY THE 1996 FORD E-350 USES THIS FLASHER. I CAN'T FIND ANOTHER ONE ANY WHERE THAT WILL WORK IN THE E-350. FORD TOLD ME THAT IS THE ONLY FLASHER THAT WILL WORK AND THAT IT IS A GULF STREAM PROBLEM AND THEY DENY THE PROBLEM. THIS AFFECTS ALL 1996 FORD E350 VANS. DT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD E-350 CALLISTA MOTOR HOME (NA). THE CONTACT NOTICED PROPANE LEAKING, A CRACKED FUEL LINE, AND THE CHASSIS WAS UNSTABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PROPANE REGULATOR, TIE ROD, BALL JOINT, AND DRIVE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .