1996 Ford F-250: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 1996 Ford F-250. The newest campaign is 06V286000. NHTSA received the report on 1 Aug 2006. The NHTSA record gives the component Vehicle Speed Control. NHTSA has 176 complaints on file for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 06V286000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on august 7, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 05v388)

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

4 campaigns, newest first. 5,834,970 units in total.

06V2860001 Aug 2006Vehicle Speed Control
05V3880007 Sep 2005Vehicle Speed Control
96V16100029 Aug 1996Equipment / Other / Labels
96V1460001 Aug 1996Structure / Frame and Members

06V286000Received 1 Aug 2006. 1,200,000 units.
Vehicle Speed Control
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Overheating could result in smoke or burn and an underhood fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on august 7, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 05v388)
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 05S28. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 7 Aug 2006.
05V388000Received 7 Sep 2005. 4,500,000 units.
Vehicle Speed Control
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A fire at the switch could occur.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
By letter dated september 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in february 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in february 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significant risk of fire. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 06v286)
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 05S28. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 12 Sep 2005.
96V161000Received 29 Aug 1996. 134,770 units.
Equipment / Other / Labels
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The certification labels on the involved vehicles has incorrect rear tire inflation pressure designations. This does not comply with FMVSS no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Incorrect inflation pressures could cause premature wear of the rear tires. .
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Owners will be provided with correct certification labels and instructions for installing these labels. Dealers can install this label if the owner so desires.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 11 Dec 1996.
96V146000Received 1 Aug 1996. 200 units.
Structure / Frame and Members
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The crossmember frame gussets were installed with undersized threaded fasteners following a breakdown of the production rivet gun that is generally used. This gusset is the attachment point for the rear strap of the mid-ship fuel tank.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The subject fasteners can separate causing in the rear strap of the affected fuel tank to become disconnected. A loose or disconnected rear strap allows the fuel tank to possibly contact the road surface increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the crossmember gusset fasteners with the specified alternative fasteners (bolts).
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 2 Oct 1996.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

176 complaints, 212 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

1996 Ford F-250
All 1996 vehicles

1996 Ford F-250: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	1996 F-250	All 1996 vehicles	F-250, all years	Mentions
Tires	184	37.2	90.2	39
Engine and Engine Cooling	136.8	140.9	86.3	29
Power Train	99.1	97.9	74.5	21
Steering	84.9	48.9	147.6	18
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	80.2	120.9	77.8	17
Vehicle Speed Control	75.5	42	36.8	16
Suspension	66	55	140.9	14
Electrical System	66	84	54.9	14
Fuel System, Gasoline	42.5	51.5	44.1	9
Structure	28.3	39.5	25.3	6

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 20.

Complaints that report a crash: 10
Complaints that report a fire: 25
Injuries in the complaints: 3
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 9 Sep 2023

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1996 Ford F-250, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2000, with 31 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1996 Ford F-250
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
EA05005	Engineering analysis	ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES	Electrical System	22 Mar 2005	2 Aug 2006	05V388000
PE96052	Preliminary evaluation	SEPARATED FRONT SUSPENSION	Suspension	23 Aug 1996	27 Jan 1997

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1996 Ford F-250The recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1996 Ford F-250: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/ford/f-250/1996/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: FORD MOTOR COMPANY

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1996 Ford F-250?: 5,834,970 units in 4 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Ford F-250 have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 54 recall campaigns for the Ford F-250, model years 1979 to 2014. 4 of them name the 1996 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1996 Ford F-250 name most often?: Tires: 39 of 212 component mentions, or 184 per 1,000. For all 1996 vehicles the figure is 37.2 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1996 Ford F-250 open?: No. Each of the 2 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.