1996 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 1996 Ford E-350 filed 50 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and tires. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 50

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 38% of all complaints
2 Tires 34% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
5 Suspension 6% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
7 Electrical system 2% of all complaints
8 Engine 2% 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: 19 complaints (38% of all).
Tires: 17 complaints (34% of all).
Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (6% of all).
Fuel system: 3 complaints (6% of all).
Suspension: 3 complaints (6% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 50 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

fuel system, fuel smell3 · 6%
tires: bulges, blowouts3 · 6%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 4%
vibration2 · 4%
warning lights, check engine2 · 4%
brake failure1 · 2%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 2%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 2%
seat belts1 · 2%
steering or power steering problems1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Service brakes	19	0	0
Tires	17	0	0
Engine and cooling	3	0	0
Fuel system	3	0	0
Suspension	3	0	0
Powertrain	2	0	0
Electrical system	1	0	0
Engine	1	0	0
Equipment	1	0	0
Exterior lighting	1	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0	0
Seat belts	1	0	0
Structure	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	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 problem is an inadequate fuel pump which is well documented on many internet blogs. In mid year 1996 ford upgraded to a turbine fuel pump which I have now paid $450 to install. This upgrade solves the problem. I was also stranded at major intersections also.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2017-09-11 · NHTSA complaint #11022754
Had unit towed to cross wood ford in kernersville nc and $2700.00 later after new fuel tank fuel pump 6 injectors and turbo due to liner inside of tank came off and clogged the fuel system and engine ford motor company was no help and said since the vehicle was out of warranty they would not do anything to resolve the…
Fuel system · 2013-06-18 · NHTSA complaint #10520493
The problem was detected before complete failure, which could have resulted in a fire. Vehicle had to be towed to garage. When transmission was rebuilt a seal had to be replace. The oem part number was e9tp 7ap48 aa.
Powertrain · 2003-10-09 · NHTSA complaint #10041552
The injector module failed, which caused the power steering to stop working. This was the second fuel injector driver module that failed due to water in the module. The engine stopped with ovt warning. Scc
Fuel system · 2003-02-26 · NHTSA complaint #10009381
Gulf stream rv manifactorying. Built the class c rv on ford e-350 cut a way chassis. The ford chassis manual states that it is supplied w/ 2 hazard and turn lights on front and 2 on the back (total of 4 lights) and a flasher for 2 bulb and 4 bulb max flasher #sf-602 this is the only flasher that ford has.
Exterior lighting · 2002-12-09 · NHTSA complaint #770404
Consumer state while traveling 30 mph without any indication vehicle spear tire carrier had broken causing spare tire to fall from under. Please provide further information. Ts
Equipment · 2002-11-22 · NHTSA complaint #8023188
Upon driving vehicle around a month later, I had not gotten 5 miles when the friction caused my caliper seals to catch fire. We contacted performance friction the same day and talked to mike cochrane, who assured he would investigate and get back to me. After not hearing anything for over a week, we contacted again.
Service brakes · 2002-01-09 · NHTSA complaint #755991
After noticing a fuel smell consumer had vehicle inspected and found fuel tank was cracking at seams. There was a recall for fuel tank on 1997-2001 vans, but this model was not included due to vin.
Fuel system · 2001-05-04 · NHTSA complaint #887448

When owners complained

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

19962
19972
19981
19998
200011
20018
20028
20035
20091
20121
20131
20161
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,345 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 50, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
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 1996 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, tires, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 50. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (6%), tires: bulges, blowouts (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 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 1996 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 1996 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.