Ford F Series (light) Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 120 owner complaints across 20 model years of the Ford F Series (light) (1973–2002). The most-complained-about year is 1994.

Pick your Ford F Series (light) model year

• 1973
• 1978
• 1980
• 1986
• 1987
• 1988
• 1989
• 1990
• 1991
• 1992
• 1993
• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999
• 2000
• 2001
• 2002

What Ford F Series (light) owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 120 complaints with NHTSA. The 1994 model year has the most, with 16.

• Service brakes, hydraulic: rotor8
• Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components6
• Engine6
• Engine and engine cooling: engine6
• Engine and engine cooling6
• Engine and engine cooling: radiator assembly5
• Electrical system5
• Fuel system, gasoline5

All Ford F Series (light) recalls (4)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Ford F Series (light), most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

1. Springs (vehicle speed control)

   NHTSA 87V059000 Reported April 27, 1987 2,060 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Diesel engine goveernor lever assemblies may have been improperly assembled so that one or more of three retaining prongs may not be engaged in the governor lever pivot shafts.

   Remedy: Replace governor lever assemblies.

   Model years: 1987

2. Hubcap/cover (wheels)

   NHTSA 80V072000 Reported June 9, 1980 12,500 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Certain vehicles were produced with wheel assemblies that may have cracks near the bolt holes in the wheel disc. During vehicle use, the cracks could gradually increase and result in partial or complete separation of the wheel and tire assembly from the vehicle.

   Remedy: Dealer will inspect the wheel disc date code and replace those wheels indicating an october 18, 1979 date of manufacture.

   Model years: 1980

3. Exhaust system (engine and engine cooling)

   NHTSA 80V032000 Reported March 24, 1980 8,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Certain vehicles may have been assembled without the specified exhaust system heat shields. The absence of these shields could cause high floor pan temperatures and smoldering of the floor coverings under certain driving or engine malfunction conditions.

   Remedy: Dealer will install the necessary heat shield without charge to owner.

   Model years: 1980

4. Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)

   NHTSA 80V033000 Reported March 24, 1980 13,332 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain vehicles, the pinch bolt and nut used to attach the intermediate steeriing shaft to the steering column were omitted during assembly. This could result in separation of the steering shaft from the steering column.

   Remedy: Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, tighten existing bolt-nut assemblies or install them, if missing.

   Model years: 1980

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.