Ford FORD TRUCK AND VAN problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
9 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
48,432 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1957 to 1989 model years. Data updated: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Tires is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 9 complaints (22.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Steering behavior
4
44.4%
Electrical and battery issues
1
11.1%
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 leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH ON DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND HAD STEERING PROBLEMS. THE CONTACT HAD THE BALL JOINTS AND TIRES REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS AND A POWER STEERING REBUILD SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR BOX WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A RACK AND PINION SYSTEM, AND REPLACED THE GEAR HEAD STEERING BOX, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE GEAR HEAD STEERING BOX APART AND NOTICED THE 3 TEETH WERE DEFEC…
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1962 FORD GALAXY 500 EXCEL CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PURCHASED A POWER STEERING BOX TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL. THE PURCHASE WAS SUPPOSEDLY AN UPDATE OF THE ORIGINAL BOX, HOWEVER IT TURNED OUT TO BE A MODIFIED STEERING BOX. HE STATED THAT THE BOX IS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT AUTOMATICALLY TURNS TO THE RIGHT WHEN DRIVING OR WHILE THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF. THE PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, AND CORRECT VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
9 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
44.4%Usable mileage4 / 9 records
88.9%Valid incident date8 / 9 records
100.0%Valid filing date9 / 9 records
88.9%Ordered incident and filing dates8 / 9 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
1979
1983
1989
Tires
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
150.0%ODI 751115
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
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
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
Too few reports for a range
16,864 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 10358800 · 16,864 mi
WAS DRIVING TO KMART EXITED K MARK DROVE TO PARKING LOT AT HOME PARK THE VAN GOT OUT GOT BACK INTO THE VAN PUT THE VAN IN GEAR NO REVERSE NO DRIVE NO FIRST HAVE SECOND GEAR ONLY DIDN'T GIVE ANY INDICATION THE TRANS WAS GOING. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH ON DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND HAD STEERING PROBLEMS. THE CONTACT HAD THE BALL JOINTS AND TIRES REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS AND A POWER STEERING REBUILD SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR BOX WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A RACK AND PINION SYSTEM, AND REPLACED THE GEAR HEAD STEERING BOX, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE GEAR HEAD STEERING BOX APART AND NOTICED THE 3 TEETH WERE DEFEC…
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.
1983: 0 complaints · 1989: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
1983
0
0
0
1989
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
1983
0
1
0
1989
2
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.
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
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.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Steering assistance concerns
2 mentions · 22.2% of complaints
Median mileage: 42,498 mi (2 usable records).
ODI 10172860 · 4,995 mi
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH ON DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND HAD STEERING PROBLEMS. THE CONTACT HAD THE BALL JOINTS AND TIRES REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS AND A POWER STEERING REBUILD SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR BOX WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A RACK AND PINION SYSTEM, AND REPLACED THE GEAR HEAD STEERING BOX, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE GEAR HEAD STEERING BOX APART AND NOTICED THE 3 TEETH WERE DEFEC…
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1962 FORD GALAXY 500 EXCEL CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PURCHASED A POWER STEERING BOX TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL. THE PURCHASE WAS SUPPOSEDLY AN UPDATE OF THE ORIGINAL BOX, HOWEVER IT TURNED OUT TO BE A MODIFIED STEERING BOX. HE STATED THAT THE BOX IS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT AUTOMATICALLY TURNS TO THE RIGHT WHEN DRIVING OR WHILE THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF. THE PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, AND CORRECT VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.