Ford E-250 Reliability by Year
421 NHTSA complaints (1990–2022). Complaint rate: 382.7 per 1,000 vehicles.
Ford E-250 reliability varies significantly by model year. Based on 421 NHTSA complaints (1990–2022). Better choices include 2016, 2017, 2014, which show significantly fewer reported problems.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1996–2000 Ford E-250. The 2016–2017 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: TIRES.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Ford E-250 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| TIRES | 20 | 5.0% |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 19 | 5.3% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 15 | 13.3% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 15 | 6.7% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 14 | 7.1% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 13 | 61.5% |
| ENGINE | 13 | 0.0% |
| SUSPENSION | 11 | 0.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 11 | 0.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 11 | 0.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | — | 11 | 0 | — | View → |
| 1992AVOID | — | 30 | 1 | 1 | View → |
| 1993GOOD | — | 7 | 1 | 1 | View → |
| 1994 | — | 14 | 1 | — | View → |
| 1995 | — | 19 | 5 | 1 | View → |
| 1996AVOID | — | 24 | 3 | — | View → |
| 1997AVOID | — | 31 | 0 | 5 | View → |
| 1998AVOID | — | 30 | 1 | — | View → |
| 1999AVOID | — | 56 | 2 | 2 | View → |
| 2000AVOID | — | 21 | 4 | 2 | View → |
| 2001 | — | 18 | 1 | 3 | View → |
| 2002 | — | 18 | 3 | 2 | View → |
| 2003AVOID | — | 22 | 4 | 2 | View → |
| 2004 | — | 14 | 1 | — | View → |
| 2005 | — | 12 | 3 | 1 | View → |
| 2006 | — | 14 | 2 | — | View → |
| 2007GOOD | — | 7 | 0 | 1 | View → |
| 2008 | — | 10 | 4 | — | View → |
| 2009GOOD | — | 2 | 1 | — | View → |
| 2010 | — | 12 | 5 | 1 | View → |
| 2011 | — | 9 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2012 | — | 13 | 3 | 2 | View → |
| 2013 | — | 13 | 1 | — | View → |
| 2014GOOD | — | 7 | 1 | — | View → |
| 2016GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2017GOOD | — | 3 | 0 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
See also: Ford E-250accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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