Ford F250 Reliability
481 NHTSA complaints (1981–1990). Complaint rate: 1052.5 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 1988–1990 Ford F250. The 1983–1984 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH.
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 F250 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 36 | 0.0% |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 29 | 10.3% |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES | 23 | 0.0% |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 22 | 0.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 21 | 0.0% |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 21 | 9.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 18 | 0.0% |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 16 | 0.0% |
| TIRES | 15 | 0.0% |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 14 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1983View→ |
| 1984GOOD | — | 11 | 0 | 7 | View 1984View→ |
| 1985 | — | 33 | 1 | 9 | View 1985View→ |
| 1986 | — | 42 | 0 | 19 | View 1986View→ |
| 1987 | — | 51 | 2 | 14 | View 1987View→ |
| 1988AVOID | — | 85 | 2 | 16 | View 1988View→ |
| 1989AVOID | — | 127 | 4 | 17 | View 1989View→ |
| 1990AVOID | — | 129 | 6 | 14 | View 1990View→ |
See also: Ford F250accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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