1989 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 1989 Ford E-350 filed 26 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 26
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 46% of all complaints
2 Structure 19% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 15% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 8% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
7 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
8 Steering 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 12 complaints (46% of all).
Structure: 5 complaints (19% of all).
Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (15% of all).
Fuel system: 2 complaints (8% of all).
Powertrain: 2 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 26 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

brake failure5 · 19%
overheating, coolant loss4 · 15%
stalls while driving2 · 8%
steering or power steering problems2 · 8%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 4%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 4%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 4%
rust, corrosion1 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	12	0
Structure	5	0
Engine and cooling	4	0
Fuel system	2	0
Powertrain	2	1
Electrical system	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	1
Steering	1	0
Tires	1	0
Other	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The contact stated that while exiting from the wheel chair ramp that was attached to the vehicle in a wheel chair, the vehicle independently rolled away and crashed into a gate. The contact was not injured. Additionally, the contact was driving 70 mph and smelled an abnormal and persistent gasoline odor.
Powertrain · crash · 2014-04-04 · NHTSA complaint #10577404
Intermittently vehicle loses brake power when the brake pedal is depressed, brake pedal goes to the floor and fails to stop the truck. The emergency brakes had to be engaged to stop the vehicle. Master brake cylinder was replaced, but the failure occurred with in 400 miles.
Service brakes · 2004-06-21 · NHTSA complaint #10079553
When repairs were completed, the primary fault was identified as extremely rusty front brake calipers. One did not release completely after a brake application, causing sufficient heat buildup to boil the brake fluid.
Service brakes · 2002-01-28 · NHTSA complaint #757383
While driving fuel will spill out from tank onto ground, recall #93s68. The consumer's vehicle was not included in the recall eventhough the problelm is identical to that stated in recall # 93s68.
Fuel system · 2001-03-12 · NHTSA complaint #882770
I noticed that my fuel gauge was showing only half full on the rear tank when I had just filled the van. I then noticed I was trailing fuel down the street. I stopped the vehicle and noticed it was pouring fuel from the fill cap for the front tank. I switched to the front tank and the fuel spill stopped.
Fuel system · 2001-02-15 · NHTSA complaint #740788
While climbing hills on very warm days, the vehicle has experienced stalling, on one occasion, the vehicle stalled and there was a loss of power steering and brakes, the problem was with the tfi ignition module and distributor.
Engine and cooling · 2001-01-23 · NHTSA complaint #558383
Brakes experiencing overheating, replacement of the defective rear brake cylinders did not rectify overheating.
Service brakes · 1998-10-14 · NHTSA complaint #509676
Hand rail failed on bus number 138. (fifth vehicle on 503019)
Structure · 1996-04-25 · NHTSA complaint #601360

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19954
19969
19972
19983
19991
20001
20013
20021
20041
20141

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 7,316 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 26, about average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1989 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, structure, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 26. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (19%), overheating, coolant loss (15%), stalls while driving (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Ford E-350?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1989 Ford E-350 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1989 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.