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1990 Ford BroncoProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 56 owner complaints about the 1990 Ford Bronco, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

58
CarFlaw IndexSolid year28% below the Bronco median · #10 of 17 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints5618 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage140kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 7, 2017. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 Ford Bronco has problems

56 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 system1810
Seats90
Service brakes, hydraulic91
Structure72
Fuel system, gasoline61
Vehicle speed control43
Power train41
Suspension40
Tires40
2 other systems41

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

1 recall

1990 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

1990 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
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1990 Ford Bronco, and the recalls they led to.

  1. FRONT SEAT BACK FAILUREEA92029 · closed Oct 29, 1993
    No recall
  2. FUEL EXPULSIONEA93001 · closed Aug 20, 1993
    Led to recall 93V-125
  3. FLOORBOARD FRACTUREPE90036 · closed Jul 26, 1990
    No recall
  4. FORD TRUCK INCONSISTENT VEHICLE CONTROL.PE91017 · closed Apr 17, 1991
    No recall
  5. FNT RECLNING SEAT BCK FAILPE92042 · closed Aug 27, 1992
    No recall
  6. FUEL EXPULSIONPE92077 · closed Jan 7, 1993
    No recall
In owners' words

What Bronco owners report

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

1990 FORD BRONCO IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. (SAFETY RECALL #96V071000 OF NOV95) FORD DEALER SAID NO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE AND CHARGED ME $476.00. I CHECKED THE FORD WEBSITE AND THEY ONLY LIST RECALLS FROM JAN96, IS THERE A STAUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON SAFTEY RECALLS AND HOW LONG?
Complaint 10068083 · Apr 29, 2004
1990 FORD BRONCO I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN TO JIM DOYLE FORD ON DELAWARE AVENUE IN KENMORE N.Y, LAST WEEK. THE IGNITION SWITCH BROKE, AND WAS TO BE REPLACED VIA RECALL. THE IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED, AND I SMELLED FIRE.SAW SMOKE. TURNED KEY OFF TO NO AVAIL, IMMEDIATELY RAN IN THE HOUSE, GRABBED…
Complaint 10053151 · Jan 14, 2004 · 102,540 miles
1990 FORD BRONCO DESTROYED IN FIRE. SPONTANEOUS FIRE ORGINATED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR UNDER DASH INSIDE VEHICLE WHILE PARKED ON STREET. VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS.
Complaint 10000930 · Jan 10, 2003 · 140,000 miles

Own a 1990 Bronco?

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