1996 Ford Ford Truck reliability: common problems

Owners of the 1996 Ford Ford Truck filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 18
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Tires 28% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 22% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
6 Equipment 6% of all complaints
7 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
8 Service brakes 6% of all complaints

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

Tires: 5 complaints (28% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (22% of all).
Electrical system: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Fuel system: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Powertrain: 2 complaints (11% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 18 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion2 · 11%
stalls while driving2 · 11%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 11%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 6%
infotainment or screen glitches1 · 6%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 6%
transmission slipping1 · 6%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Tires	5	2
Engine and cooling	4	0
Electrical system	2	0
Fuel system	2	0
Powertrain	2	0
Equipment	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Service brakes	1	0
Structure	1	0
Vehicle speed control	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.

This is the letter I e-mailed to firestone_consumers_affairs, friday, september 22, 2000. I have had three of my six firestone tires fail with tread separation. These tires are not listed on the recall list. I drive a 1996 27' gulfstream conquest 102 motor home.
Tires · crash · 2000-10-10 · NHTSA complaint #732974
Corrosion in ford lcf commercial truck fuel tanks, truck running at 5 miles per hour and continuous stalling of vehicle.
Fuel system · 2010-10-12 · NHTSA complaint #10360135
The switch can cause a fire under the hood with the engine running or off. Switches will be available in november 2005. As of this date no available switches at any dealer I've called. They keep saying next month. Called ford motor co. And they are saying the new switches will be available in june 2008.
Electrical system · 2008-03-31 · NHTSA complaint #10222951
The head gasket of my 1996 ford windstar van failed at 79,900 miles. This failure in 1995 ford windstar vans resulted in a recall where ford motors replaced the engines of those vehicles.
Engine and cooling · 2005-03-17 · NHTSA complaint #10114234
While driving at 45 mph right rear tire blew out due to a split in the sidewall, causing driver to pull over, off the road.
Tires · 2003-08-29 · NHTSA complaint #10037922
Truck was purchased used with 20,907 miles. Transmission was replaced at 10,000 miles. The transmission went out again at 21, 828 about 11,000 miles later.
Powertrain · 2001-09-19 · NHTSA complaint #9003410
Tread separated while driving making it difficult to drive, dealers refused to replace tire because it was not on recall(firestone fr 480 p235r75/15).
Tires · 2000-10-24 · NHTSA complaint #556013
Developed leaks in gas tank under front restraining strap .was repaired and another leak developed under front strap in same area.could have been a very hazerdous situation.seems that there is a defect in the tank,similar to the 1995 ford windstar recall
Fuel system · 2000-09-06 · NHTSA complaint #729519

When owners complained

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

19962
19971
19983
19991
20005
20011
20031
20052
20081
20101

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 8,170 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Ford Truck has 13 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 18, above average.

What to check before buying

Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
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 Ford Truck?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (11%), stalls while driving (11%), tires: bulges, blowouts (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Ford Ford Truck?

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 Ford Truck 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 2026-11-06.