1994 Ford F-250: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 156 complaints
156
Total Complaints
114,581mi
Median Mileage
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Top Issue
7
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
76,250
25th Percentile
114,581
Median Mileage
140,750
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
13
Front
9
Automatic Transmission
8
Cruise Control
8
Gasoline
7
Rotor
6
Clutch Assembly
5
Electrical System
5
Vehicle Speed Control
5
Engine
5
Severity Assessment
7
Crashes
28
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN IN PARK GOES INTO REVERSE. TT________ | REVERSE. TT"
"FRONT BRAKE LOCK UP AND PULL TO THE SIDE THAT LOCKUP, ABS BRAKE SYSTEM, REPLACE PADS/ROTOR. TT"
"SERPENTINE BELT BROKE AT 14,000 MILES, DESTROYING OIL NBOOLER LINES THAT PASS BELOW THE ENGINE. *AK"
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Cruise Control
8 complaints
25th: 88,000 mi
Median: 100,000 mi
75th: 138,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
CA: 25
NY: 15
WA: 13
TX: 8
MA: 6
MI: 6
CO: 5
OR: 5
FL: 4
LA: 4
Who Files Complaints?
29.5%
Original Owners
70.5%
Second+ Owners
Ford F-250 — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (10)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 06E049000 | 24/05/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
Vehicle Speed Control
Campaign 06V286000 | 01/08/2006
OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE OR BURN AND AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
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)
Vehicle Speed Control
Campaign 05V388000 | 07/09/2005
A FIRE AT THE SWITCH COULD OCCUR.
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
Tread/Belt
Campaign 01X001000 | 22/05/2001
SHOULD THE TREAD SEPARATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.
THE REPLACEMENT/REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN EXPIRED ON MARCH 31, 2002. HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT FORD AT 1-877-917-3673 OR GO ON-LINE TO WWW.FORD.COM FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE.
Air Bags
Campaign 93V155000 | 24/09/1993
INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG CAN RESULT ININJURY TO THE DRIVER.
INSTALL A REDESIGNED AIR BAG DIAGNOSTIC MONITOR.
Seats
Campaign 96V064000 | 16/04/1996
CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: OVER HEATING OF THE SUPPORT WIRES COULD RESULT, AND MELTING, SMOKE, OR POSSIBLE IGNTION OF THE SURROUNDING MATERIALS COULD OCCUR.
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SEATS ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. IF NO DAMAGE IS FOUND, THE DRIVER SEAT WIRE HARNESS WILL BE COVERED WITH A PROTECTIVE CONVOLUTE TUBING, WRAPPED WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE AND THE HARNESS WILL BE REROUTED. IF DAMAGE IS FOUND, THE WIRE HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED.
Bumpers
Campaign 94V018000 | 02/01/1994
IF ONE OF THE U-CLIP NUTS FRACTURES, THE BUMPER WILL LOOSEN AND RATTLE CAUSING FRACTURE OF THE REMAINING U-CLIP NUTS, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE BUMPER FROM THE VEHICLE. IF THE BUMPER WERE TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE IT IS BEING DRIVEN, A VEHICLE COLLISION COULD RESULT.
INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF THE FOUR U-CLIP NUTS AND THE ASSOCIATED BOLTS.
Air Bags
Campaign 93V184000 | 10/11/1993
THE AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT AND THE AIR BAGWARNING LIGHT WILL NOT FUNCTION. THIS COULD RESULT IN REDUCED OCCUPANTPROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION THAT SHOULD ACTIVATE THE AIR BAGSUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM.
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL THE CORRECT AIR BAG DIAGNOSTIC MODULE.
Conventional
Campaign 94V169001 | 07/09/1994
WHEN THE ABOVE OCCURS, IT CAN RESULT IN PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM INEFFECTIVENESS. THE PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL FREELY, IF THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT LEFT IN GEAR.
A WEDGE WILL BE INSTALLED WHICH WILL SERVE TO LOCK THE PARKING BRAKE SELF-ADJUST MECHANISM PAWL INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RACHET. ALSO, OWNERS WILL BE ADVISED TO RELEASE AND REAPPLY THE PARKING BRAKE WHENEVER TOOTH SKIP OCCURS AND WILL BE REMINDED TO ALWAYS TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND LEAVE THE VEHICLE I
Module
Campaign 94V101000 | 25/05/1994
THIS CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROL MODULE.
Extend Your Brake Life
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Replace brake pads before they wear to the metal — rotors cost 3x more
- Flush brake fluid every 2-3 years regardless of mileage
- Don't ride the brakes downhill — use engine braking
- Address any grinding, pulsing, or pulling immediately
- Have brakes inspected during every tire rotation
Vehicle Rankings
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28