U.S. public vehicle records

1989 Ford ECONOLINE: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

32 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1989 model year. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 32 complaints (12.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	6	18.8%
Fuel system concerns	5	15.6%
Electrical and battery issues	3	9.4%
Engine operation	2	6.3%
Transmission and shifting	1	3.1%
Steering behavior	1	3.1%

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Catalytic Convertor

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	4
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	3
Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner	3
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	3
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components	3
Vehicle Speed Control	3
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Catalytic Convertor	2
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap	2

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 4; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 3; Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner: 3; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices: 3; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components: 3; Vehicle Speed Control: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Catalytic Convertor: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap: 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: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

No usable failure mileage is recorded. 32 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

2001

2002

1995: 5; 1996: 6; 1997: 5; 1998: 3; 1999: 3; 2000: 6; 2001: 3; 2002: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 5 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 482590 · 1995-03-25 (March 25, 1995)

SEAT BACK BOLTS TOO LONG, PIERCING GAS TANK, CAUSING GAS TO LEAK INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *AW

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 482590 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 483394 · 1995-08-28 (August 28, 1995)

AUXILIARY TANK LEAKED FUEL AND EMMITED FUMES DUE TO INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF FUEL TANK. THE FUMES MADE DRIVER /PASSENGER NAUSEATED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 483394 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 504055 · 1996-05-09 (May 9, 1996)

IGNITION SWITCH FIRE.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 504055 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 509255 · 1996-09-30 (September 30, 1996)

BRAKES FAILED FOUR TIMES.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 509255 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 512352 · 1996-12-06 (December 6, 1996)

SEAT TRACK FAILURE, SEAT BECAME DISLODGED FROM THE SEAT TRACKS AND THE SEAT TRACKS WERE DEFORMED AS A RESULT OF AN IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. (PLUM POLICE REPORT)

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 512352 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 515442 · 1997-03-10 (March 10, 1997)

BRAKE FLUID OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FAIL.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 515442 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 522915 · 1997-08-26 (August 26, 1997)

CATALYTIC CONVERTER BECAME PLUGGED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO ENGINE STOPPED AND OVERHEATED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 522915 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 550596 · 2000-01-28 (January 28, 2000)

POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN ENGINE FIRE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 550596 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

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

0.0%Usable mileage0 / 32 records

81.3%Valid incident date26 / 32 records

100.0%Valid filing date32 / 32 records

81.3%Ordered incident and filing dates26 / 32 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	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2026
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.
Vehicle Speed Control	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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.
Tires	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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components	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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.
Tires:Tread/Belt	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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly	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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% 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.

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
2024-11	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

2018: 0 complaints · 2019: 1 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2018	0	0	0
2019	1	1	1

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
2018	0	0	0
2019	1	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	Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner	Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components	Vehicle Speed Control	Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Catalytic Convertor	Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	—	0	0	0	0	0	1 ODI 522915 CATALYTIC CONVERTER BECAME PLUGGED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO ENGINE STOPPED AND OVERHEATED. *AK Look up ODI 522915 at NHTSA ↗	0
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	0	—	1 ODI 824617 WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE DEFECT WITHIN IGNITION SWITCH WILL CAUSE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. AK SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE OR WILL NOT WANT TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. AIR CONDITONER FAILED. POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONS. BRAKE LIGHT INOPERABLE. CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS. YH Look up ODI 824617 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	1 ODI 824617 WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE DEFECT WITHIN IGNITION SWITCH WILL CAUSE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. AK SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE OR WILL NOT WANT TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. AIR CONDITONER FAILED. POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONS. BRAKE LIGHT INOPERABLE. CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS. YH Look up ODI 824617 at NHTSA ↗	0	0
Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner	0	1 ODI 824617 WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE DEFECT WITHIN IGNITION SWITCH WILL CAUSE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. AK SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE OR WILL NOT WANT TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. AIR CONDITONER FAILED. POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONS. BRAKE LIGHT INOPERABLE. CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS. YH Look up ODI 824617 at NHTSA ↗	—	0	0	1 ODI 824617 WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE DEFECT WITHIN IGNITION SWITCH WILL CAUSE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. AK SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE OR WILL NOT WANT TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. AIR CONDITONER FAILED. POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONS. BRAKE LIGHT INOPERABLE. CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS. YH Look up ODI 824617 at NHTSA ↗	0	0
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices	0	0	0	—	0	0	0	0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components	0	0	0	0	—	0	0	0
Vehicle Speed Control	0	1 ODI 824617 WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE DEFECT WITHIN IGNITION SWITCH WILL CAUSE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. AK SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE OR WILL NOT WANT TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. AIR CONDITONER FAILED. POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONS. BRAKE LIGHT INOPERABLE. CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS. YH Look up ODI 824617 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 824617 WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE DEFECT WITHIN IGNITION SWITCH WILL CAUSE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THIS IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. AK SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE OR WILL NOT WANT TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. AIR CONDITONER FAILED. POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTIONS. BRAKE LIGHT INOPERABLE. CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS. YH Look up ODI 824617 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	—	0	0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Catalytic Convertor	1 ODI 522915 CATALYTIC CONVERTER BECAME PLUGGED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO ENGINE STOPPED AND OVERHEATED. *AK Look up ODI 522915 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap	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

2 mentions · 6.3% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 556115

THE VEHICLE STALLS SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER, THE DEALER HAS REPLACED MANY CONPONENTS (AIR AND FUEL FILTER, TFI MODULE, VAPOR SEPARATOR AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER)BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STALL. NLM

Look up ODI 556115 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 730562

THIS VEHICLE HAS A SERIOUS DRIVEABILITY PROBLEM (THE ENGINE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING REPEATEDLY) AND FORD EITHER DOES NOT KNOW HOW OR DOES NOT CARE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MANY YEARS NOW AND FINALLY A JUDGE IN CALIFORNIA IS PREPARED TO DEMAND A RECALL. NOW WHY HAVEN'T YOU ALREADY DONE SO? IS IT BECAUSE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED YET? OR HAVEN'T YOU RECEIVED ENOUGH LETTERS OR COMPLAINTS? THERE HAVE BEEN MANY PROBLEMS THAT I AM AWARE OF FROM MY SUBSCRIPTION TO MOTORHOME MAGAZINE. I AM SENDING YOU A LETTER IN THE…

Look up ODI 730562 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

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

Brake response concerns

1 mentions · 3.1% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 509255

BRAKES FAILED FOUR TIMES.

Look up ODI 509255 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule