U.S. public vehicle records

1989 Ford E250: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

7 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

41,000 mi median reported failure mileage

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

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 7 complaints (28.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Fuel system concerns	2	28.6%
Braking behavior	1	14.3%
Electrical and battery issues	1	14.3%
Steering behavior	1	14.3%

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:Switch

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

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Seats

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	2
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	1
Seats	1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings	1

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Seats: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings: 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: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 6 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

2008

1995: 1; 1996: 4; 1997: 1; 2008: 1

Pattern summary

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 2 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 10231337 · 2008-06-17 (June 17, 2008)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD E250. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE CONTACT ALSO SMELLED GASOLINE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE CALLED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 91V146000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILIARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES) AND WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT FORD DOES NOT KEEP ANY RECALL INFORMATION FROM THE PAST TEN YEARS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 41,000. UPDATE…

Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10231337 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 512351 · 1996-12-06 (December 6, 1996)

SEAT TRACKS BENT IN ACCIDENT, CAUSING SEAT TO DISLODGE FROM TRACKS.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 512351 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 812528 · 1997-05-27 (May 27, 1997)

SMELL OF FUEL WHILE DRIVING, FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING FUEL TO POUR OUT THROUGH FUEL FILLER CAP,COULD CAUSE FIRE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 812528 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 972940 · 1995-10-04 (October 4, 1995)

RIGHT BRAKE CALIPER HOSE COLLAPSED, HEATING UP THE BRAKE FLUID UP, RESULTING IN THE BRAKE FAILURE, HOSE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 972940 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 978264 · 1996-01-26 (January 26, 1996)

THE OIL PAN RUSTED FROM THE VEHICLE. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 978264 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 983141 · 1996-04-19 (April 19, 1996)

INTERIOR VEHICLE FIRE WHICH TOTALLY MELTED DASHBOARD, STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 983141 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 983409 · 1996-04-24 (April 24, 1996)

ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE HEAD LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS TURN ON. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 983409 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

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

14.3%Usable mileage1 / 7 records

71.4%Valid incident date5 / 7 records

100.0%Valid filing date7 / 7 records

71.4%Ordered incident and filing dates5 / 7 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	2002	2003	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
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.	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.	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	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.	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	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.	1100.0% ODI 10654652 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD E250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATER SWITCH MELTED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT OWNS A FLEET OF VEHICLES WITH THE SAME FAILURE. Look up ODI 10654652 at NHTSA ↗	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	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.	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:Interior/Under Dash	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.	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:Belts And Associated Pulleys	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.	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.	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:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	Too few reports for a range	41,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10231337 · 41,000 mi TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD E250. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE CONTACT ALSO SMELLED GASOLINE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE CALLED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 91V146000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILIARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES) AND WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT FORD DOES NOT KEEP ANY RECALL INFORMATION FROM THE PAST TEN YEARS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 41,000. UPDATE… Look up ODI 10231337 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:Switch	Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	Seats	Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	—	0	0	0	0
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	0	—	0	0	0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	0	0	—	0	0
Seats	0	0	0	—	0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings	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.

Brake response concerns

1 mentions · 14.3% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 972940

RIGHT BRAKE CALIPER HOSE COLLAPSED, HEATING UP THE BRAKE FLUID UP, RESULTING IN THE BRAKE FAILURE, HOSE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT

Look up ODI 972940 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

Fuel smell or leak mentions

1 mentions · 14.3% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 812528

SMELL OF FUEL WHILE DRIVING, FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING FUEL TO POUR OUT THROUGH FUEL FILLER CAP,COULD CAUSE FIRE. *AK

Look up ODI 812528 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

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