Your vehicle report
1990 Ford F150
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 254
- Received Jan 1995 to Mar 2011
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline65 complaints · 26% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring26 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Fuel pump fails and engine stalls17 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #96V071000The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
- Recall #93V125000A malfunctioning check valve within the fuel pump assembly causes a portion of the unused fuel from one tank to be returned to the second tank. When this occurs, the capacity of the second tank can be exceeded, causing fuel spillage.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 8 crashes, 30 fires, 11 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 12 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 27 |
| 1996 | 52 |
| 1997 | 29 |
| 1998 | 14 |
| 1999 | 26 |
| 2000 | 38 |
| 2001 | 21 |
| 2002 | 14 |
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 254 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 65 | 26% | – | NHTSA recall #93V125000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 26 | 10% | – | NHTSA recall #96V071000 |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 17 | 6.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 16 | 6.3% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 9 | 3.5% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 2.0% | – | |
| Ford F-150 transmission unexpectedly downshifts or jerks | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Tie rod ends break or come loose | 4 | 1.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 1.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #96V071000April 25, 19967,900,000 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
This condition could cause overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in the steering column area of the vehicle.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
NHTSA recall #93V125000August 2, 19931,131,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
A malfunctioning check valve within the fuel pump assembly causes a portion of the unused fuel from one tank to be returned to the second tank. When this occurs, the capacity of the second tank Can be exceeded, causing fuel spillage.
Spilled fuel Can result in a fire when exposed to asource of ignition.
Remedy
Replacement of the fuel pressure regulator and installation of redundant check valves.
NHTSA recall #90V101000June 1, 1990111,000 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
Under certain conditions, the snap ring that locates the park gear on the output shaft of the transmission may fracture.
When the gear is placed in park, the park gear would notengage, allowing the truck to roll freely if the parking brake is not properlyset. This could result in an accident.
Remedy
Install improved snap ring and revised transmission extension housing.
NHTSA recall #89V141000August 15, 19891,100 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: auxillary tank: selector devices
Incorrectly installed fuel line connectors have fuel supply and return lines crossed.
Fuel could be transferred from one tank to the other,possibly resulting in fuel overflow and spillage, in presence of an ignitionsource, a fire could occur.
Remedy
Replace fuel line assembly.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1990 Ford F150.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN