Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
40 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1989 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Tires:Tread/Belt is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 40 complaints (15.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Braking behavior
10
25.0%
Steering behavior
4
10.0%
Fuel system concerns
3
7.5%
Electrical and battery issues
2
5.0%
Engine operation
1
2.5%
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.
Tires:Tread/Belt
6
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
4
Electrical System:Ignition
3
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch
3
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components
3
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
2
Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch
2
Component breakdown data
Category
Count
Tires:Tread/Belt
6
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
4
Electrical System:Ignition
3
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch
3
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components
3
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
2
Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch
2
Tires:Tread/Belt: 6; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 4; Electrical System:Ignition: 3; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 3; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys: 2; Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 40 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.
Tires:Tread/Belt leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 3 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 503173 · 1996-04-11 (April 11, 1996)
REAR WHEEL GREASE RETAINER SEALS FAILED SIX TIMES, CAUSING OIL TO LEAK ON REAR BRAKE SHOES.
ALTERNATOR BELT IS TOO LONG AND FLOPS AROUND, HITTING THE AIR PUMP AND EVENTUALLY IS CUT IN HALF, WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE BRAKES FAIL WITH. THE OWNER HAS REPLACED THE COMPONENT EIGHT TIMES IN THE SIX YEARS OF OWNERSHIP.
THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED AFTER THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED DURING A RECALL. FORD CONTINUES TO SCREW ITS CUSTOMERS AND THE GOVERNMENT BY NOT COMING UP WITH A FIX. FOR THE STEERING COLUMN TO GET SO HOT HIGH AMPS. MUST BE SENT TO THE STEERING COLUMN. IS THERE A DEFECT IN THE WIRE HARNESS? I HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS THAT FORD REPAIRS ARE UNRELIABLE AND LEAVE THE CUSTOMER WITH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. *AK
I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM PHOENIX. I WAS TRANSITIONING FROM THE 101 FREEWAY,TO THE 60 EASTBOUND. ALMOST WHERE THE CONCRETE BARRIERS COME TO A POINT AND END, MY LEFT FRONT TIRE CUT LOOSE OF IT'S TREAD. I BRIEFLY SAW THAT IT WENT TOWARDS, AND IN BETWEEN THE CONCRETE BARRIERS. THE TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT. WHEN THE TREAD LEFT, IT TORE UP THE INNER FENDER PLASTIC, BENT THE QUARTER PANEL RIGHT BEHIND THE WHEEL WELL, DESTROYED THE FOOTSTEP BOLTED ON UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS DOOR. THE VEHICLE IS A 1989 F350 4-DOOR LONGBED 4-WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK. THIS E…
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
40 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
0.0%Usable mileage0 / 40 records
77.5%Valid incident date31 / 40 records
100.0%Valid filing date40 / 40 records
77.5%Ordered incident and filing dates31 / 40 records
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 complaint heatmap
Component
2005
2006
2007
2008
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
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 failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
No usable records for this analysis.
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
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
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.
2007: 0 complaints · 2008: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2007
0
0
0
2008
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
2007
0
0
0
2008
0
0
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 co-occurrence matrix
Component
Tires:Tread/Belt
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Electrical System:Ignition
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch
Tires:Tread/Belt
—
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
0
—
0
0
0
0
0
0
Electrical System:Ignition
0
0
—
0
0
0
0
0
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch
0
0
0
—
0
1ODI 801607
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND THE TRUCK STARTED TO SMOKE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK *SLC
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
0
0
0
0
0
0
—
0
Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch
0
0
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.
3 patterns with matching reports.
Brake response concerns
3 mentions · 7.5% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
ODI 520735
ALTERNATOR BELT IS TOO LONG AND FLOPS AROUND, HITTING THE AIR PUMP AND EVENTUALLY IS CUT IN HALF, WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE BRAKES FAIL WITH. THE OWNER HAS REPLACED THE COMPONENT EIGHT TIMES IN THE SIX YEARS OF OWNERSHIP.
ALTERNATOR AND WATER PUMP ARE DESIGNED TOO FAR APART; THIS CAUSES THE BELT TO MOVE UP AND DOWN, HITTING THE AIR PUMP AND WEARING THE BELT AWAY. WHEN IT BREAKS, IT TANGLES IN OTHER BELTS, CAUSING THEM TO JUMP OFF AND SHRED THEMSELVES. VEHICLE LOSES POWER STEERING/BRAKES AND WATER PUMP. *AK