1988 FORD F250 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
85
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
3
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 1988 FORD F250
The 1988 FORD F250 has received a total of 85 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:SHOES/LININGS, VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR. 3 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slip (6 complaints), Electrical Systemignitionswitch (5 complaints), and Electrical Systemignition (4 complaints).
Recalls for the 1988 FORD F250
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 1988 FORD F250, potentially affecting up to 8,424,400 vehicles.
Recall 96V071000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
| 7,900,000 vehicles affected
Defect: THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
View full details →Recall 92V026000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:SHOES/LININGS
| 467,000 vehicles affected
Defect: A REVISED BRAKE LINING NOISE INSULATOR RESULTED IN A DECREASE IN THE THERMAL INSULATION BETWEEN THE BRAKE LINING AND THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER PISTON. THIS CAUSED GREATER HEAT TRANSFER TO THE CALIPER PISTONS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO OVERHEAT THE BRAKE FLUID AND DIMINISH BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS DURING SEVERE BRAKING CONDITIONS.
Consequence: INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES AND INABLILITY TO HOLDVEHICLES ON A STEEP GRADE RESULTS IN INCREASED RISK OF ACCIDENT IN THE EVENT OFA SUDDEN STOP OR WHEN CONSTANT BRAKING IS NEEDED TO MANEUVER THROUGH AREAS WITHSTEEP GRADES.
Remedy: ADD SNAP-IN INSULATORS THAT ATTACH TO EACH OF THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER PISTONS. IN ADDITION, VEHICLES WITH 7.5 L ENGINES WILL HAVE INSULATION ADDED TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BRAKE LINES.
View full details →Recall 88V146000 — VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
| 57,400 vehicles affected
Defect: SLIDING REAR WINDOW MAY CONTAIN GLAZING PANELS WHICH DO NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 205.
Consequence: A FRACTURED WINDOW MAY CONTAIN FRAGMENTS THAT ARE LARGERTHAN THE 425 GRAMS ALLOWED.
Remedy: REPLACE SUSPECT WINDOW PANELS.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 1988 FORD F250
85 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1988 FORD F250. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
1988 FORD F-250'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TS WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONSUMER PULLED THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER. THAT'S WHEN THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. *NM
1988 FORD F-250'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TS WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONSUMER PULLED THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER. THAT'S WHEN THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. *NM
WHILE DRIVING,THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR, THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE FUEL TANK EXPLODED. NO INJURIES. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TRANSFER THE FUEL TO THE SECOND TANK AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB THE VEHICLES ENGINE DIED AS A RESULT OF THE EXPLOSION. THE CONSUMER SWITCHED TANKS AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE. THE GARAGE REMOVED THE GAS TANK. TANK WAS THREE TIMES THE NORMAL SIZE. WHEN TANK EXPLODED IT BENT THE VROSS MEMBER IN FRONT OF THE TANK CAUSING THE BED OF THE TRUCK TO NOW BE BOWED WHERE THE TANK WAS. *TC
WHILE DRIVING, TIRE TREAD WORE OFF THE TIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THE FIRST TIRE BUBBLED AIR UNDER THE TREAD AND WAS ADJUSTED AT 11K MILES. THE SECOND AND THIRD TIRES ALSO HAD AIR BUBBLES UNDER THE TREAD AND HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CASING AT 14K MILES. *SCC *JB
IT TOOK NUMEROUS TRIES TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START. *JB
View all Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slip complaints →
Safety Rating for the 1988 FORD F250
NHTSA has not yet tested the 1988 FORD F250 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 1988 FORD F250
Ford Motor Company has issued 3 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 1988 FORD F250. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
00189 — VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
CONCERNS WITH THE SIGNAL MIRROR REFLECTIVE SURFACE DETERIORATING OVER TIME, DEVELOPING DARK SPOTS DUE TO CHROME PLATING DELAMINATION. *JB
98158 — SUSPENSION:FRONT
FRONT END SHIMMY MAY OCCUR AT VARIOUS DRIVING SPEEDS AND IS USUALLY INDUCED WHEN HITTING BUMPS, SUCH AS LARGE POTHOLES OR ROUGH RAILROAD CROSSINGS. SHIMMY IS NOT ALWAYS VERIFIED DURING ROAD TEST. *AK
BC2681950503 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
LACK OF POWER OR NO START CONDITION MAY BE DUE TO EXHAUST RESTRICTION CAUSED BY A PLUGGED CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND/OR MUFFLER. *TW
NHTSA Investigations for the 1988 FORD F250
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD F250
- 1983 FORD F250 — 2 complaints
- 1984 FORD F250 — 11 complaints
- 1985 FORD F250 — 33 complaints
- 1986 FORD F250 — 42 complaints
- 1987 FORD F250 — 51 complaints
- 1988 FORD F250 (current)
- 1989 FORD F250 — 127 complaints
- 1990 FORD F250 — 129 complaints
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD EXPLORER — 42,140 total complaints
- FORD ESCAPE — 34,654 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD TAURUS — 23,867 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints