1985 Ford E350 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

10 safety recalls list the 1985 Ford E350, and owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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10 safety recalls for the 1985 Ford E350

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

1. Heater core (visibility)

   NHTSA 89V139000 Reported August 15, 1989 500 vehicles potentially affected BRAUN INDUSTRIES

   Heater hose may be incorrectly routed.

   Remedy: Reroute and repair hose, as necessary.

2. Heater core (visibility)

   NHTSA 89V140000 Reported August 15, 1989 2,700 vehicles potentially affected WHEELED COACH INDUSTRIES

   Heater hose may be incorrectly routed.

   Remedy: Reroute and repair hose as necessary.

3. Electrical system: wiring

   NHTSA 89V062000 Reported April 17, 1989 228 vehicles potentially affected SENTINEL VEHICLES LIMITED

   Nylon ties that support the main wiring harness to the chassis could wear and break due to excessive vibration. Thus, wiring harness could fall on engine components and short circuit.

   Remedy: Install retrofit rit of plastic-coated metal clamps, loom for positive battery cables and re-route wiring.

4. Hoses/lines/piping/fittings (engine and engine cooling)

   NHTSA 88V133000 Reported August 9, 1988 14,975 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Extreme operating conditions could cause premature deterioration of the engine compartment heater hoses or engine bypass hoses.

   Remedy: Replace hoses and radiator caps; install high heat resistance aluminized stainless steel mufflers.

5. Emission control (engine and engine cooling)

   NHTSA 87V144000 Reported September 9, 1987 188,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicles are subject to excessive underhood temperatures and fuel system pressures in severe duty applications.

   Remedy: Install modification kits to minimize possibility of fuel expulsion and to shield underbody components from exhaust system heat.

6. Emission control (engine and engine cooling)

   NHTSA 87V113000 Reported July 21, 1987 16,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Expulsion of fuel due to overpressurization.

   Remedy: Modification of the base fuel venting and emission control system to reduce operating temperatures and fuel system pressures.

7. Mounting (fuel system)

   NHTSA 87V111000 Reported July 16, 1987 250 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Fuel leak at the top of the front fuel tank in the area of the vapor valve grommet. Grommet may split due to compressive load when installed in the fuel tank.

   Remedy: Installation of a newly designed vapor valve grommet.

8. Connection (steering)

   NHTSA 86V094000 Reported July 15, 1986 70,125 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The rubber that encases ball stud and socket joint (connects steering drag link and pitman arm) may deteriorate, causing metal to metal contact, and may eventually result in complete separation. Consequence of defect: complete separation of the drag link to pitman arm connection results in loss of steering control which may lead to an…

   Remedy: Install new drag link assemblies with steel ball and socket joints at the pitman arm connections.

9. Driveshaft (power train)

   NHTSA 86V092000 Reported July 14, 1986 2,100 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Composite graphite driveshafts are subject to overheating while idling, which may result in the driveshaft twisting and shortening causing the slip yoke to disconnect from the transmission. Consequence of defect: if the driveshaft disconnects from the transmission the vehicle would become immobile without warning.

   Remedy: Install metal driveshaft.

10. Fuel system, diesel

    NHTSA 85V061000 Reported May 14, 1985 8,500 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    When frontally impacted into a fixed barrier at 30 MPH, as specified in federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) no. 301, the left frame rails of such vehicles may displace inboard, pinching the fuel/water separator canister between the frame rail and engine sufficiently to displace the fuel/water separator drain rod, allowing the…

    Remedy: Install a canister shield, a revised design drain rod shield, and modify fuel/water separator mounting bracket.

2 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1985 Ford E350 have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 5,000 miles. Complaints peaked in 1996 with 1 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Electrical system: switch2
• Tires: tread/belt1

What owners are reporting

“Electrical short, smoke was coming under the dash and vent and vehicle would not shut off. *ak”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 30, 1996 · Electrical system

Compare Ford E350 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford E350 model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 1985 Ford E350

Other Ford models

• F-15037,961 complaints
• Explorer34,566 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Taurus18,159 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.