no report yet
Electrical system: ignition
Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
1988 Ford F-150Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 139 owner complaints about the 1988 Ford F-150, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 31, 2011. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1988 Ford F-150 has problems
139 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
49Electrical system34 crash/fire/injury
27Fuel system, gasoline6 crash/fire/injury
11Engine and engine cooling6 crash/fire/injury
9Seat belts
9Structure
8Service brakes, hydraulic
8Power train
8Visibility
5Tires
198 other systems4 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 49 | 34 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 27 | 6 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 11 | 6 |
| Seat belts | 9 | 1 |
| Structure | 9 | 0 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 8 | 0 |
| Power train | 8 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 0 |
| 8 other systems | 19 | 4 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
1988 Ford F-150 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
Visibility: glass, side/rear
Risk. A FRACTURED WINDOW MAY CONTAIN FRAGMENTS THAT ARE LARGERTHAN THE 425 GRAMS ALLOWED.
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 F-150 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 F-150 median. How we score
01034232510152861911392242753044705866766263242,7581,3811,0441,0761,2368214242,0291,1125854883693248432,1951,7842,9941,5421,7562,1011,4692,3371,3517471,058608423198111150
'73'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
6 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1988 Ford F-150, and the recalls they led to.
- F-SERIES FUEL TANK FIRESNo recall
- LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENESLed to recall 92V-026
- STEERING COLUMN DROPSNo recall
- FIRESNo recall
- FORD TRUCK INCONSISTENT VEHICLE CONTROL.No recall
- LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENESNo recall
In owners' words
What F-150 owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HESITANT TO START AND WOULD SPORADICALLY OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEIR RECORDS ONLY WENT BACK AS FAR AS TEN YEARS AND THEY COULD NOT VERIFY WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED…
2ND WIRE HARNESS FIRE ON THIS VEHICLE. 1ST WAS UNDER THE HOOD THE SECOND WAS UNDER THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS AT THE DEALER IN NEW PORT RICHEY FLORIDA. *JB
TRUCK WAS PARKED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE.*AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 20 MINUTES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT BEGAN TO SMOKE, FIRE WAS CONCENTRATED ON DRIVER'S SIDE INTERIOR, CONSUMER WAS RECENTLY INFORMED THAT MANUFACTURER THAT TERE WAS A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH AND THEY WOULD REPLACE…
Own a 1988 F-150?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.