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1996 Ford F-150Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 324 owner complaints about the 1996 Ford F-150, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

68
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years54% below the F-150 median · #31 of 42 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints324113 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage100kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 11, 2024. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1996 Ford F-150 has problems

324 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 system5641
Fuel system, gasoline422
Vehicle speed control3627
Service brakes, hydraulic325
Power train263
Air bags2317
Engine and engine cooling237
Tires210
Suspension210
14 other systems746

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

2 recalls

1996 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.

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.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

100kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 23 electrical system complaints. 43% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 36% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
0under 30k miles10under 100k miles13100k miles or more
Best & worst years

1996 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

'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
NHTSA crash tests

1996 Ford F-150 safety ratings

1996 Ford F-150 in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1996 Ford F-150, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA05005 · closed Aug 2, 2006
    Led to recall 05V-388
  2. TIE ROD END FAILURESPE98024 · closed Jul 21, 1998
    No recall
In owners' words

What F-150 owners report

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

The contact owns a 1996 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the speedometer became inoperable. The driver was unable to accurately determine the speed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…
Complaint 11581863 · Apr 9, 2024 · 218,000 miles
I am unsure of what happened. This truck was sitting in my driveway and caught fire. While on fire it kept trying to start even though no one was in it and the keys were no where near it. The fire truck was called out due to the trucks proximity to the home and the fire was put out. There has not…
Complaint 11540910 · Aug 26, 2023
The brake fluid pressure sensor is leaking on to the electrical main computer wires its also leaking from the electrical harness coming from the brake fluid pressure sensor causing the brake tail lights to fail intermittently during vehicle operation
Complaint 11431682 · Sep 3, 2021

Own a 1996 F-150?

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