1993 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 1993 Ford E-350 filed 43 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 43
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Fuel system 19% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 19% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
4 Tires 14% of all complaints
5 Vehicle speed control 12% of all complaints
6 Parking brake 9% of all complaints
7 Suspension 7% of all complaints
8 Electrical system 5% of all complaints

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

Fuel system: 8 complaints (19% of all).
Service brakes: 8 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (16% of all).
Tires: 6 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 5 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 43 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 12%
vibration3 · 7%
brake failure2 · 5%
fuel system, fuel smell2 · 5%
loss of power / limp mode2 · 5%
rollaway, parking brake2 · 5%
rust, corrosion2 · 5%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 5%
A/C or heater1 · 2%
steering or power steering problems1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Fuel system	8	0
Service brakes	8	1
Engine and cooling	7	0
Tires	6	1
Vehicle speed control	5	1
Parking brake	4	0
Suspension	3	0
Electrical system	2	0
Equipment	2	0
Powertrain	2	0
Steering	2	0
Visibility	2	0

What owners report

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

1993 ford e-350 tire blew out causing the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. When he lost control he drove off the roadway and hit the median wall. (ohio crash traffic crash report)
Tires · crash · 2007-11-15 · NHTSA complaint #10209425
During brake application rounded out of turn and vehicle surged out of control twice, once resulting in an accident.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1995-04-12 · NHTSA complaint #963635
Tl contact owns a 1993 ford e350. The contact stated that while driving approximately less than 60 mph the vehicle would fish tail causing the vehicle to sway left and right.
Suspension · 2011-02-15 · NHTSA complaint #10382765
Got in my van started down street and smelt smoke went around block inside of van full of smoke stopped van and shut it off got out of it and called for fire dept and neighbor called to by time fire dept came my van was fully on fire melted siding on house I was next too..smoke aggravated my ashtma and had to do my…
Electrical system · 2009-03-07 · NHTSA complaint #10261015
Tl contact owns a 1993 ford e350. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control) and ford recall number 05s28 in august of 2007. He called ford several times and they stated that the parts would be available in mid'december of 2007 and then in january of 2008.
Vehicle speed control · 2008-02-01 · NHTSA complaint #10216714
Tl contact owns a 1993 ford e350. The contact received nhtsa recall notice number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control). The notice advised him to call [phone] for a list of local dealers. When he called, the phone rang twice and gave a busy signal.
Vehicle speed control · 2007-08-31 · NHTSA complaint #10201618
I was getting tools to check relays when I noticed fire at rear wheel, driver side, at gas tank. Called closest fire department. 6/9/06. Parking brake line on fire with abs line. Had wiring repaired. July 16,2006 brakes felt like they were locking, rear was smoking again, looked like fire at gas tank.
Fuel system · 2006-07-20 · NHTSA complaint #10163012
While turning in a parking lot shifter disconnected, causing the vehicle not to shift out of gear. It was later determined that the shift linkage rod snapped apart inside the steering coulmn. The consumer purchased the updated parts and installed it himself.
Powertrain · 2003-09-29 · NHTSA complaint #10041883

When owners complained

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

199511
19964
19972
19984
19991
20004
20016
20022
20032
20061
20072
20082
20091
20111

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,758 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 43, above average.

What to check before buying

Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1993 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, service brakes, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 43. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), vibration (7%), brake failure (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1993 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 1993 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 1993 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 2026-11-06.