1987 Ford Bronco II problems & reliability
36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Ford Bronco II. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (6 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1987 Ford Bronco II vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 8 | 22% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 22% |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 17% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 17% |
| Power Train | 4 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 8% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Bought the bronco and started having problems with it, it started sputting like it was out of gas when it was full(I just put a full tank in it when I picked it up at a friends. *jb”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Feb 13, 2005
“My ford bronco ii, 1987, went up in flames. It was leaking gas, the smell was really strong and all of a sudden there was a burst of flames. While I was driving it . *jb”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Apr 5, 2004
“The vehicle failed to start. The mechanic replaced the coil, ignition switch, battery, exhaust system and also a tune was performed on the vehicle, however the vehicle caught on fire, it was determined a wire was not grounded correctly. *ts *jb”
Electrical System · filed Apr 7, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- VEHICLE ROLLOVER
Defect Petition DP97006 · opened Dec 3, 1997 · closed May 5, 1999
- WHL SEPARATION/TORQUE LOSS
Preliminary Evaluation PE92029 · opened Mar 16, 1992 · closed Aug 31, 1992
- THROTTLE STICKING
Engineering Analysis EA90042 · opened Aug 31, 1990 · closed Dec 31, 1991
- ROLLOVER PROPENSITY
Engineering Analysis EA89013 · opened Feb 9, 1989 · closed Oct 31, 1990
- UNDER SEAT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA88033 · opened May 11, 1988 · closed Jan 23, 1989 · led to recall 88V145000
- LUMBAR SWTCH HRNESS FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE88008 · opened Nov 18, 1987 · closed May 11, 1988
Technical service bulletins
18 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Ford Bronco II. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system. *tt
002310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2000
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc
98246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 1998
Information on a new transmission fluid usage chart. *yc
9888 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 1998
Information on tire company telephone numbers for customer assistance. *yc
9852 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Ford Bronco II in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1987 Ford Bronco II?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.