Ford CARGO problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
6 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
98,210 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1990 to 1996 model years. Data updated: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 6 complaints (16.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 1 | 16.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 |
| Steering | 1 |
| Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields | 1 |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 1; Steering: 1; Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields: 1; Tires:Tread/Belt: 1; Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 3 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
2000: 2; 2003: 2; 2007: 1; 2010: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10353305 · 2010-09-01 (September 1, 2010)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD CARGO VAN TRUCK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH HE ENGAGED THE BRAKES AND THEY FAILED CAUSING HIM TO CRASH INTO THE REAR END OF A POLICE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, BACK, SHOULDERS AND HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER CHECKED BY A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A BROKEN BRAKE PAD. THE OTHER THREE WHEELS FAILED TO WORK BECAUSE OF THE BROKEN BRAKE PAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,895.
Owner-reported narrative. 100,895 miles reported. Look up ODI 10353305 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 |
| 1994 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 |
1990: 0; 1994: 0; 1995: 0; 1996: 0
Year-by-year records
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
6 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1990 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1100.0%ODI 736687HEAD GASKETS HAVE FAILED ME TWICE IN TWO YEARS; NOW THE REPAIR HAS BEEN MADE INCORRECTLY - AND PROBLEMS REMAIN WITH BOTH THE DEALER AND THE CREDIT CARD AGENCY... | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10353305 · 100,895 miTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD CARGO VAN TRUCK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH HE ENGAGED THE BRAKES AND THEY FAILED CAUSING HIM TO CRASH INTO THE REAR END OF A POLICE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, BACK, SHOULDERS AND HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER CHECKED BY A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A BROKEN BRAKE PAD. THE OTHER THREE WHEELS FAILED TO WORK BECAUSE OF THE BROKEN BRAKE PAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,895. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Steering | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 9001850FORD TRUCK WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHICHED DESTROYED A NUMBER OF FRONT END PARTS. |
| Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10001863WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY HE NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL OF THE FRAME IS CRACKED LOCATED ON THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE FILL IN ADDATIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10026753 · 44,000 miTHE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. SIZE#LT22575R16 . DOT NO. WAS UNAVAILABLE. *AK THE TIRE WAS AN M/S LOAD RANGE E. *SCC *JB |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10198615 · 98,210 miSPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH HAS BEEN LEAKING ON MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR VAN. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Too few reports for a range | 100,895 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10353305 · 100,895 miTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD CARGO VAN TRUCK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH HE ENGAGED THE BRAKES AND THEY FAILED CAUSING HIM TO CRASH INTO THE REAR END OF A POLICE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, BACK, SHOULDERS AND HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER CHECKED BY A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A BROKEN BRAKE PAD. THE OTHER THREE WHEELS FAILED TO WORK BECAUSE OF THE BROKEN BRAKE PAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,895. |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | Too few reports for a range | 44,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10026753 · 44,000 miTHE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. SIZE#LT22575R16 . DOT NO. WAS UNAVAILABLE. *AK THE TIRE WAS AN M/S LOAD RANGE E. *SCC *JB |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control | Too few reports for a range | 98,210 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10198615 · 98,210 miSPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH HAS BEEN LEAKING ON MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR VAN. *TR |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1995: 0 complaints · 1996: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Steering | Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields | Tires:Tread/Belt | Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.