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1988 Ford BroncoProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 52 owner complaints about the 1988 Ford Bronco, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

53
CarFlaw IndexSolid year13% below the Bronco median · #9 of 17 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints5230 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem19Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 16, 2004. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1988 Ford Bronco has problems

52 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system1915
Engine and engine cooling125
Fuel system, gasoline51
Tires53
Service brakes, hydraulic40
Structure30
Seat belts22
Steering21
Power train20
1 other systems10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1988 Ford Bronco recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 96V-071 · Apr 25, 1996 · 7,900,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1988 vs. every other Bronco year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Bronco median. How we score

'67'69'70'71'72'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1988 Ford Bronco, and the recalls they led to.

  1. FORD TRUCK INCONSISTENT VEHICLE CONTROL.PE91017 · closed Apr 17, 1991
    No recall
In owners' words

What Bronco owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, AND FROM THE VENTS. CONSUMER PULLED OVER. THEN, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK
Complaint 10104965 · Dec 16, 2004
DROVE VEHICLE TO HOTEL, WENT UP TO ROOM, NOTICED NO SMELL OR SMOKE, HOTEL ATTENDANT NOTICE VEHICLE ON FIRE AND INFORMED RESIDENT ABOUT IT. *AK *JB
Complaint 985962 · Jun 19, 1996
UPON PULLING TRUCK FROM DRIVEWAY TO STREET MINUTES LATER TRUCK WAS IN FLAMES. OWNER RECEIVED RECALL LATER THAT AFTERNOON 96V071000. *AK
Complaint 985895 · Jun 20, 1996

Own a 1988 Bronco?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.