U.S. public vehicle records

1989 Ford E150: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

30 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

94,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1989 model year. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 3 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System:Ignition is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 30 complaints (10.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Fuel system concerns	6	20.0%
Engine operation	4	13.3%
Electrical and battery issues	3	10.0%
Steering behavior	2	6.7%
Braking behavior	1	3.3%

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

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices

Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe

Fuel System, Gasoline

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System:Ignition	3
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	3
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	2
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	2
Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash	2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe	2
Fuel System, Gasoline	2

Electrical System:Ignition: 3; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices: 3; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 2; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 2; Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline: 2

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: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 27 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

1998

1999

2000

2003

2008

1995: 8; 1996: 8; 1997: 4; 1998: 2; 1999: 2; 2000: 3; 2003: 1; 2008: 2

Pattern summary

Electrical System:Ignition leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 6 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 4 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 10024474 · 2003-07-10 (July 10, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING, THE TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION AND DAMAGED THE FRONT FENDER. *AK THE VALVE STEM WAS ALSO REPLACED. *PH *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 61,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10024474 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10225733 · 2008-04-25 (April 25, 2008)

VAN DIED,TOWED TO MECHANICS SHOP,WAS TOLD SWITCH VALVE BETWEEN TANKS WAS PROBLEM, LOOKED ON NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT RECALLS. FORD VAN 89 E-150 WITH DUEL GAS TANKS. FORD SAFETY RECALL NUMBER IS 91S39 WENT TO FORD WEB SITE,CALLED THEM ON PHONE, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LOCAL DEALERSHIP. BOTH SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY VAN. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 138,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10225733 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10232970 · 2008-07-01 (July 1, 2008)

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 91V146000 REFERS TO A SAFETY RECALL FOR A FAULTY DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE IN FORD ECONOLINE VANS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL FUEL TANKS BUILT BETWEEN 1989 AND 1991 AND OTHER SIMILAR MODELS . I HAVE CONTACTED FORD TO INVESTIGATE , BUT THERE ARE NO RECORDS THAT CONFIRM OR DISAFFIRM MY VEHICLE'S INCLUSION IN THIS RECALL. BASICALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF MY VAN WAS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL AND IF ANY RECALL SERVICES WERE PERFORMED. I AM EXPERIENCING A FAULT IN THE DUAL FUEL TANK SYSTEM. IT SEEMS THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WILL NOT SWITCH …

Owner-reported narrative. 94,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10232970 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 502967 · 1996-03-20 (March 20, 1996)

MANUFACTURER USES IMPROPER 'O' RING IN AIR CONDITIONER, CAUSING AIR CONDITIONER TO LEAK. *DSH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 502967 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 504914 · 1996-05-24 (May 24, 1996)

IGNITION SHORTED OUT/FAILED. *DH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 504914 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 504981 · 1996-05-28 (May 28, 1996)

IGNITION SWITCH SHORT DUE TO LOOSENESS. *DH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 504981 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 506365 · 1996-07-12 (July 12, 1996)

CLIMATE CONTROL FAN SWITCH MELTED/BURNED. *SD

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 506365 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 522278 · 1997-09-22 (September 22, 1997)

BUMPER ASSEMBLY MISSING PARTS THAT ARE ON ASSEMBLY DRAWING, POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE STEP BUMPER OF THE VAN TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE FRAME WHILE TOWING.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 522278 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

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

90V101000 · Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl)

Reported: 1990-06-01 (June 1, 1990)

UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THE SNAP RING THAT LOCATES THE PARK GEAR ON THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF THE TRANSMISSION MAY FRACTURE.

Consequence: WHEN THE GEAR IS PLACED IN PARK, THE PARK GEAR WOULD NOTENGAGE, ALLOWING THE TRUCK TO ROLL FREELY IF THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT PROPERLYSET. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy: INSTALL IMPROVED SNAP RING AND REVISED TRANSMISSION EXTENSION HOUSING.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

91V146000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices

Reported: 1991-09-04 (September 4, 1991)

THE DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE MAY MALFUNCTION AND CAUSE AN OVERFILL CONDITION IN ONE OF THE FUEL TANKS, RESULTING IN AN OVERFLOW OF FUEL PAST THE FILLER CAP.

Consequence: THE OVERFLOW OF FUEL PAST THE FILLER CAP CAUSES A FUELLEAKAGE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy: REPLACE THE DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

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

Data completeness

30 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

10.0%Usable mileage3 / 30 records

80.0%Valid incident date24 / 30 records

100.0%Valid filing date30 / 30 records

80.0%Ordered incident and filing dates24 / 30 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
Fuel System, Gasoline	Too few reports for a range	116,000 mi	2 (sparse)	ODI 10225733 · 138,000 mi VAN DIED,TOWED TO MECHANICS SHOP,WAS TOLD SWITCH VALVE BETWEEN TANKS WAS PROBLEM, LOOKED ON NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT RECALLS. FORD VAN 89 E-150 WITH DUEL GAS TANKS. FORD SAFETY RECALL NUMBER IS 91S39 WENT TO FORD WEB SITE,CALLED THEM ON PHONE, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LOCAL DEALERSHIP. BOTH SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY VAN. *TR Look up ODI 10225733 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10232970 · 94,000 mi NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 91V146000 REFERS TO A SAFETY RECALL FOR A FAULTY DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE IN FORD ECONOLINE VANS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL FUEL TANKS BUILT BETWEEN 1989 AND 1991 AND OTHER SIMILAR MODELS . I HAVE CONTACTED FORD TO INVESTIGATE , BUT THERE ARE NO RECORDS THAT CONFIRM OR DISAFFIRM MY VEHICLE'S INCLUSION IN THIS RECALL. BASICALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF MY VAN WAS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL AND IF ANY RECALL SERVICES WERE PERFORMED. I AM EXPERIENCING A FAULT IN THE DUAL FUEL TANK SYSTEM. IT SEEMS THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WILL NOT SWITCH … Look up ODI 10232970 at NHTSA ↗

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
2024-11	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	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (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	Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash	Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe	Fuel System, Gasoline
Electrical System:Ignition	—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	0	—	0	0	0	0	0	0
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	0	0	—	0	0	0	0	0
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	0	0	0	—	0	0	0	0
Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash	0	0	0	0	—	0	0	0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	0	0	0	0	0	—	0	0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
Fuel System, Gasoline	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

2 patterns with matching reports.

Stalling or loss of power

4 mentions · 13.3% of complaints

Median mileage: 94,000 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 10232970 · 94,000 mi

Look up ODI 10232970 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 528527

ENGINE STALLS.

Look up ODI 528527 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 734638

BEGAN HAVING SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH STALLING APPROX. 2 MOS AGO , STALLED WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND WHILE CROSSING INTERSECTIONS , ENDANGERING THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY , WHICH CONSISTS OF MYSELF ,MY WIFE , AND OUR FOUR SMALL CHILDREN. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURED 7 TIMES. I HAVE REPAIRED IT TWICE. RECENTLY I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. AND AT FIRST THEY DENIED AND PROBLEM AND THE RECENT RECALL IN CALIFORNIA. IHAVE DONE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH REGARDING THIS PROBLEM INCLUDING MEETING WITH A REGIONAL FORD DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER…

Look up ODI 734638 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b

Fuel smell or leak mentions

1 mentions · 3.3% of complaints

Median mileage: 94,000 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 10232970 · 94,000 mi

Look up ODI 10232970 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(fuel leak\w*|gas leak\w*|gas(?:oline)? smell|smell\w* (?:of )?(?:fuel|gas))\b