U.S. public vehicle records

1986 Ford E150: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

9 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1986 model year. Data updated: 2026-09-30 (September 30, 2026). 0 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

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch 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
Electrical and battery issues	4	44.4%
Braking behavior	2	22.2%
Steering behavior	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.

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood

Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers

Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash

Steering:Linkages

Tires

Tires:Tread/Belt

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	2
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	1
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood	1
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers	1
Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash	1
Steering:Linkages	1
Tires	1
Tires:Tread/Belt	1

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 2; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 1; Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood: 1; Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 1; Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash: 1; Steering:Linkages: 1; Tires: 1; Tires:Tread/Belt: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

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. 9 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.

1995

1996

1997

2000

2003

1995: 1; 1996: 4; 1997: 1; 2000: 1; 2003: 2

Pattern summary

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 4 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Steering 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.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10007321 · 2003-03-07 (March 7, 2003)

THE THROTTLE STUCK, WHICH CAUSED UNWANTED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. ON ONE OCCASION THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DIRTY AND ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON, THE VACUUM LINE MALFUNCTIONED. IN EITHER CASE, PRESSING DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE WAS TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION. *TT *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007321 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009086 · 2003-02-28 (February 28, 2003)

THE CRUISE CONTROL VACUUM LINE HAD KINKED WHILE THR CRUISE WAS ON, THE THROTTLE BODY HAD STUCK, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE. SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10009086 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 483489 · 1995-09-14 (September 14, 1995)

WORN BUSHINGS, CAUSING STEERING TO BECOME LOOSE. *DSH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 483489 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 507580 · 1996-08-15 (August 15, 1996)

WIRING HARNESSES BURNT OUT.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 507580 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 508143 · 1996-08-30 (August 30, 1996)

IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE, BURNING WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE HOOD.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 508143 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 520746 · 1997-08-20 (August 20, 1997)

RIGHT REAR WHEEL FELL OFF, DAMAGING VEHICLE.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 520746 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 732891 · 2000-09-29 (September 29, 2000)

DURING TEXAS TRIP, 1 TIRE WENT FLAT. UPON INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE WAS TREAD SEPARATION. FOLLOWING SUMMER, OTHER TIRES WERE SHOWING SIMILAR BREAKDOWN (NOTELABLY DEEP CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALLS). I WENT BACK TO THE TIRE DEALER THAT HAD SOLD ME THE FIRESTONES AND BOUGHT NEW TIRES (NOT FIRESTONES). I ASKED THE DEALER TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE CRACKS WITH A FIRESTONE REP. I WAS NEVER APPRAISED AS TO THE REPS. ANSWER BUT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT NEXT TIME I NEEDED TIRES I WOULD GET A GOOD DEAL ON THEM. SEEING AS …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 732891 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 982987 · 1996-04-18 (April 18, 1996)

AFTER PARKING CAR, NOTICED WHITE SMOKING COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR, THEN NOTICED FIRE, POSSIBILE ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 982987 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

9 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.

0.0%Usable mileage0 / 9 records

77.8%Valid incident date7 / 9 records

100.0%Valid filing date9 / 9 records

77.8%Ordered incident and filing dates7 / 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.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	1999	2000	2004	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Tires:Tread/Belt	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.	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.
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.	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.
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.	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.
Electrical System:Ignition	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.	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.
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.	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.
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.	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.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.	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.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.	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.

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.

ComponentPeriod

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	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09 (partial)	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.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

2012: 0 complaints · 2013: 0 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2012	0	0	0
2013	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
2012	0	0	0
2013	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	Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood	Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers	Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash	Steering:Linkages	Tires	Tires:Tread/Belt
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	—	0	0	1 ODI 508143 IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE, BURNING WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE HOOD. Look up ODI 508143 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	0	—	0	0	0	0	0	0
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood	0	0	—	0	1 ODI 507580 WIRING HARNESSES BURNT OUT. Look up ODI 507580 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers	1 ODI 508143 IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE, BURNING WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE HOOD. Look up ODI 508143 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	—	0	0	0	0
Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash	0	0	1 ODI 507580 WIRING HARNESSES BURNT OUT. Look up ODI 507580 at NHTSA ↗	0	—	0	0	0
Steering:Linkages	0	0	0	0	0	—	0	0
Tires	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
Tires:Tread/Belt	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.

Search patterns

1 patterns with matching reports.

Brake response concerns

2 mentions · 22.2% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 10007321

Look up ODI 10007321 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 10009086

THE CRUISE CONTROL VACUUM LINE HAD KINKED WHILE THR CRUISE WAS ON, THE THROTTLE BODY HAD STUCK, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE. SCC *JB

Look up ODI 10009086 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule