1988 Ford F250 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 1988 Ford F250, and owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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3 safety recalls for the 1988 Ford F250

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

1. Ignition (electrical system)

   NHTSA 96V071000 Reported April 25, 1996 7,900,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the ignition switch.

2. Shoes/linings (service brakes)

   NHTSA 92V026000 Reported March 3, 1992 467,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   A revised brake lining noise insulator resulted in a decrease in the thermal insulation between the brake lining and the front brake caliper piston. This caused greater heat transfer to the caliper pistons with the potential to overheat the brake fluid and diminish brake effectiveness during severe braking conditions.

   Remedy: Add snap-in insulators that attach to each of the front brake caliper pistons. In addition, vehicles with 7.5 l engines will have insulation added to the engine compartment brake lines.

3. Glass, side/rear (visibility)

   NHTSA 88V146000 Reported September 2, 1988 57,400 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Sliding rear window may contain glazing panels which do not meet requirements of FMVSS 205.

   Remedy: Replace suspect window panels.

62 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1988 Ford F250 have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA; 2 describe a crash and 9 describe a fire. Reports cite 3 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 144,000 miles. Complaints peaked in 1996 with 17 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip6
• Electrical system: switch5
• Electrical system: ignition4
• Service brakes, hydraulic: disc4
• Structure: body4
• Electrical system: interior/under dash3
• Engine and engine cooling: gasoline3
• Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system3

What owners are reporting

“1988 ford f-250's engine compartment caught on fire. *ts while driving the consumer noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The consumer pulled the vehicle onto the shoulder. That's when the”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 1, 2006 · Electrical system

“While driving,the consumer heard a loud noise coming from the rear, the consumer was able to pull over. The consumer noticed that the fuel tank exploded. No injuries. The consumer was able to transfer”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 12, 2004 · Fuel system, gasoline

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1988 Ford F250 (F250 Pickup 2WD, F250 Pickup 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Compare Ford F250 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford F250 model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 1988 Ford F250

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.