Ford Econoline Reliability
1,152 NHTSA complaints (1982–2019). Complaint rate: 782.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1992–1999 Ford Econoline (63 crash-related complaints). The 2016–2017 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
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 Econoline Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 93 | 14.0% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 84 | 11.9% |
| TIRES | 46 | 4.3% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 44 | 0.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 42 | 0.0% |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 35 | 8.6% |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 29 | 3.4% |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 28 | 3.6% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 26 | 3.8% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 23 | 4.3% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1983View→ |
| 1984GOOD | — | 10 | 1 | 2 | View 1984View→ |
| 1985GOOD | — | 15 | 1 | 4 | View 1985View→ |
| 1986GOOD | — | 7 | 1 | 3 | View 1986View→ |
| 1987GOOD | — | 19 | 0 | 2 | View 1987View→ |
| 1988 | — | 33 | 1 | 4 | View 1988View→ |
| 1989 | — | 41 | 0 | 4 | View 1989View→ |
| 1990 | — | 38 | 2 | 6 | View 1990View→ |
| 1991 | — | 37 | 11 | 1 | View 1991View→ |
| 1992AVOID | — | 113 | 13 | 12 | View 1992View→ |
| 1993AVOID | — | 71 | 4 | 7 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994AVOID | — | 164 | 10 | 14 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995AVOID | — | 98 | 3 | 7 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996AVOID | — | 96 | 8 | 13 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997AVOID | — | 100 | 12 | 2 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998AVOID | — | 61 | 0 | 1 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 102 | 13 | 5 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000 | — | 46 | 4 | 5 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001 | — | 31 | 1 | 2 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002 | — | 25 | 0 | 3 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 27 | 0 | 3 | View 2003View→ |
| 2012GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 2012View→ |
| 2016GOOD | — | 3 | 0 | — | View 2016View→ |
| 2017GOOD | — | 7 | 1 | — | View 2017View→ |
See also: Ford Econolineaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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