1999 Ford E-350 problems & reliability
72 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford E-350, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (22 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Ford E-350 vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tires → | 24 | 33% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 12 | 17% |
| Steering | 6 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 4% |
| Suspension | 3 | 4% |
| Structure | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 87,000 miles (middle 50% between 59,020 and 140,000 miles), based on 31 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1999 Ford E-350 Jamboree equipped with Sailun Tires, Tire Line: Terramax H/T, Tire Size: 225/75/R16, DOT Number: (535PLE50). The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, there were pieces of the driver's side inside dual tire striking the underside of the vehicle and hitting the…”
Tires · filed Sep 6, 2022
“I recently purchased a used 24' 1999 winnebago itasca spirit with very low mileage and at that time I noticed a shaking or vibration problem possibly coming from the tires. I owned a motor home in the past and have some experience. This motor home sat for several years so I attributed the shaking to the memory in the…”
Steering · filed Nov 16, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford e-350 equipped with nexen tires, tire line: roadian ht, tire size: lt225/ 75r16 (n/a), and dot number: beakbamr3312. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel started violently shaking without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic…”
Tires · filed Nov 27, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HVAC Switch Failures
Engineering Analysis EA10003 · opened Apr 13, 2010 · closed Mar 5, 2012
- HVAC Switch Failures
Preliminary Evaluation PE09055 · opened Dec 7, 2009 · closed Apr 21, 2010
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- RAPID TIRE DEFLATION
Engineering Analysis EA02018 · opened Aug 19, 2002 · closed Aug 22, 2003
- BLOW BACK DURING REFUELING
Preliminary Evaluation PE99047 · opened Jul 12, 1999 · closed Sep 23, 1999
Technical service bulletins
32 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford E-350. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the…
DOR-X8B9R-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2018
Cracks in the left or right spring tower flange. *tt spring tower weld repair and replacement procedure. *tt
0511 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Vibration/harshness above 45 mph (72 km/h) after tire balance. *tt
05248 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Clunk from front suspension. *tt
17520 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
A bump steer steering feeling, noted when the vehicle's front wheels/tires contact road surface irregularities. *tt
17211 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2003
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with no hard fault. *tt
17009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2003
Subject regarding early wear of the inner brake pad on the rear disc brakes. *tt
15890 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2002
Some vehicles equipped with 4r70w transmission (driveshaft >70 inch) may exhibit a vibration / roughness on acceleration or under load at about 50-55 mph. *tt
15799 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2002
Concerns with bump steer steering feeling noted when front wheels / tires contact road surface irregularities. *tt
15634 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2002
Some vehicles without front brake dust shields may exhibit premature wear of the front wheel bearings. *tt
15591 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2002
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
The 1999 Ford E-350 has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1999 Ford E-350?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 87,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.