1994 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 1994 Ford E-350 filed 51 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 51
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
3 Tires 12% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
6 Suspension 8% of all complaints
7 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
8 Exterior lighting 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: 17 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (16% of all).
Tires: 6 complaints (12% of all).
Fuel system: 5 complaints (10% of all).
Powertrain: 5 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 51 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire6 · 12%
vibration5 · 10%
rust, corrosion3 · 6%
brake failure2 · 4%
fuel system, fuel smell2 · 4%
loss of power / limp mode2 · 4%
steering or power steering problems2 · 4%
warning lights, check engine2 · 4%
A/C or heater1 · 2%
headlights and tail lights1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	17	1
Engine and cooling	8	0
Tires	6	0
Fuel system	5	0
Powertrain	5	0
Suspension	4	2
Electrical system	2	0
Exterior lighting	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Steering	1	0
Visibility	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.

Steering pulled left, causing accident. (new jersey state police report)
Suspension · crash · 1996-08-15 · NHTSA complaint #506678
Vehicle skid, became uncontrollable, causing vehicle to roll over in accident, causing injuries.
Suspension · crash · 1996-06-19 · NHTSA complaint #504687
Driving on interstate at 70 mph with speed control engaged. Truck ahead of me applied brakes. I applied my brakes. Speed control did not disengage. Brake froze in 'high' ('off') position without any brake application. Passing gear was engaged and vehicle shot forward.
Vehicle speed control · 2011-07-29 · NHTSA complaint #10416209
Sudden brake hose failure. 1994 ford diesel e350 w/4-wheel abs. Brake hose failure due to rusted portion of the hose assembly . The area that rusted away is the crimped connection which joins the rubber hose to the steel fitting at the caliper end of the hose assembly.
Service brakes · 2010-12-20 · NHTSA complaint #10371271
When I am driving my 1994 e350 diesel truck, there will be a sudden loss of power steering and brakes resulting in a loss of ability to stop the truck. Fortunately, I was traveling at a slow speed with plenty of clearance ahead of me and was able to pull the truck off the road and have it towed in to a mechanic shop.
Engine and cooling · 2009-08-13 · NHTSA complaint #10280328
Was driving down highway when suddenly there was a loud and noticeable vibration in van. Took van to sears service center in las cruces. Mechanic advised that one of the tires was coming apart from inside out. Tire had a very noticeable weave pattern. Was able to drive.
Tires · 2009-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #10258042
1994 ford e350, cruise control was inoperative. After taking delivery of the vehicle, the consumer drove it directly to an authorized ford dealership for and initial inspection.
Vehicle speed control · 2006-07-20 · NHTSA complaint #10163672
The debris and water from the road caused these metal lines to rust and leak, causing antifreeze to drop onto the tire. The consumer is concerned that the antifreeze could cause the tires to lose traction while driving.
Engine and cooling · 2004-02-11 · NHTSA complaint #10057944

When owners complained

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

19952
19968
19977
19984
19995
20009
20014
20022
20032
20042
20062
20092
20101
20111

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,293 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 51, above average.

What to check before buying

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.
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 1994 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, tires. Total complaints: 51. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), vibration (10%), rust, corrosion (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1994 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 1994 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 1994 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.