Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 Ford F-250 problems

Owners filed 187 complaints about the 1996 Ford F-250 with NHTSA between May 1996 and Sep 2023. The most-cited component is tires (36).

Complaints
187
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
27
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Tires36
  2. Engine and engine cooling32
  3. Power train18
  4. Vehicle speed control17
  5. Steering17
  6. Service brakes, hydraulic14
  7. Suspension13
  8. Electrical system10
  9. Fuel system, gasoline9
  10. Fuel/propulsion system5
  11. Seat belts5
  12. Seats3
  13. Structure3
  14. Wheels3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199611
199717
199814
199913
200031
200121
200215
20034
20042
20058
200611
20076
20087
20095
20102
20113
20122
20133
20145
20152
20161
20171
20180
20191
20200
20210
20221
20231

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Tires

36 reports3 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD F-250 EQUIPPED WITH UNIROYAL LAREDO TIRES, SIZE: 265/75R16 (NA). WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE RUPTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TREAD SEPARATED AND THE TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 19, 2015TiresODI 10794901

Engine and engine cooling

32 reports4 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD F250. HIS VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE HE WAS MAKING REPAIRS TO THE ENGINE. THE FIRE SPREAD TO THE WIRING HARNESS AND BURNED THE HIGH PRESSURE OIL LINE. HE HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERIES. THE FORD MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. FORDS LEGAL DEPARTMENT SENT A LETTER DENYING RESPONSIBILITY , BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED BY A FORD DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 210,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 10, 2009Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10295252

Power train

18 reports3 crashes
“UNIT WAS PARKED AND SHIFTER PLACED IN THE "PARK" POSITION. THE TRUCK ROLLED BACK ACROSS THE PARKING LOT AND CAME INTO CONTACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. WITNESSES ON THE SCENE VERIFIED THAT THE SHIFTER WAS IN PARK BUT THAT TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGED IN THAT POSITION. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, IT WAS DETERMINED, BY EXPERIMENT, THAT THE INDICATOR ON THE SHIFTER DID NOT SHOW THE ACTUAL GEAR. WHEN IN "PARK" THE TRUCK WAS ACTUALLY IN EITHER REVERSE OR NEUTRAL. ACCORDING TO OTHER SOURCES, THIS PROBLEM, OF EITHER JUMPING OUT OF PARK OR NOT BEING IN THE GEAR INDICATED, HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH FORD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS IN THE PAST.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 5, 2002Power trainCrash reportedODI 762674

Vehicle speed control

17 reports14 fires3 related recalls
“Cruise control switch began smoking, disconnected it and took it to Awesome Ford of Chehalis, WA for recall service sometime in June or July. Service tech found that brake fluid had wicked its way up electrical harness into cruise control servo, necessitating replacement in order to complete recall service. FoMoCo has been unable/unwilling to replace cruise control servo and is instead requiring that I pull one from a wrecking yard in order to complete recall service.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 9, 2023Vehicle speed controlFire reportedODI 11543544

Steering

17 reports1 crash
“THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT BUT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT I HAVE FOUND TO BE PART OF THE PROBLEM ON THE STEERING NOT RETURNING AFTER A TURN. THE STEERING COLUMN BEARING IN THE TOP OF THE COLUMN IS BAD. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE AT LEAST 20 OF THESE FOR THIS COMPLAINT AND FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE LOCKING OF THE STEERING WHEN BREAKING IS A HYDROBOOST PROBLEM NOT A STEERING PROBLEM. FORD NEED TO RESEARCH THIS AND CORRECT IT BEFORE THERE IS A DEATH BECAUSE OF IT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 25, 2014SteeringODI 10668218

Service brakes, hydraulic

14 reports2 crashes1 fire
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD F-250. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH DOWN A HILL, THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DROVE THROUGH A RED LIGHT AND COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE FINALLY COASTED TO A HALT. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT WORK EITHER DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE BOAT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE VACUUM PUMP. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 29, 2008Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10219703
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.