1988 Ford E-350Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 11 owner complaints about the 1988 Ford E-350, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls1Free fix at dealers Owner complaints117 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage72kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 21, 2015. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1988 Ford E-350 has problems

11 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

3Electrical system2 crash/fire/injury

2Service brakes, hydraulic

2Suspension1 crash/fire/injury

2Vehicle speed control

1Fuel system, gasoline1 crash/fire/injury

1Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury

1Fuel/propulsion system1 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Electrical system	3	2
Service brakes, hydraulic	2	0
Suspension	2	1
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Fuel system, gasoline	1	1
Engine and engine cooling	1	1
Fuel/propulsion system	1	1

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

1 recall

1988 Ford E-350 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: wiring

Recall 89V-062 · Apr 17, 1989 · 228 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHICH COULDRESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

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 E-350 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 E-350 median. How we score

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 2 11 14 11 26 23 19 41 43 51 69 50 79 63 72 59 52 53 46 46 55 53 18 39 10 17 19 16 13 17 7 5 13 3 3 2 25 17 3 2 2 0 0

'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1988 Ford E-350, and the recalls they led to.

Oct 30, 1991
LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENESEA91044 · closed Oct 30, 1992
Led to recall 92V-026
Jun 4, 1993
ALTERNATOR BELT FAILUREEA93014 · closed Jul 29, 1994
No recall
May 23, 1991
LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENESPE91077 · closed Oct 31, 1991
No recall
Feb 10, 1999
FRONT BRAKE FADESQ99005 · closed Sep 21, 2001
No recall

In owners' words

What E-350 owners report

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

I PURCHASED THIS 28' SHASTA CLASS C MOTORHOME FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. ALL RECEIPTS FROM WORK HISTORY WERE INCLUDED. UPON THE FIRST TIME OUT, TOWING MY 1200 LB BOAT TO LAKE MEAD ( NO SIGNIFICANT HILLS AS I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS ), THE MOTORHOME RAN BEAUTIFUL, EVEN UP TO THE POINT OF PARKING. I CAME OUT…
Complaint 10689757 · Feb 21, 2015 · 72,000 miles

IGNITION DOES NOT TURN EASILY, STICKS IN START OR ACCESSORY POSITION, ALSO, ACCESSORIES FAIL WHEN STUCK IN ACCESSORY POSITION. *DSH
Complaint 503734 · Apr 22, 1996

Own a 1988 E-350?

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