1989 Ford Econoline problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Econoline. 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 22% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 16% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 13% |
| Equipment | 3 | 9% |
| Power Train | 3 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 9% |
| Seats | 2 | 6% |
| Tires | 2 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 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
“Diffculty slowing down from highway speed, had to turn off ignition to stop vehicle. Disconnected cruise control, but this was not the problem. Dealership service says it was the accelerometer cable. Dt”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Dec 11, 2002
“Van caught fire and was destroyed after being parked two hours. Fire investigators determined cause was an electrical defect in engine compartment on driver's side. Fire damaged adjacent house and nearby vehicle.*ak”
Electrical System · filed Sep 24, 2001
“Catalytic converter failed 3 out of 4 times. Three of the four times that this problem has accurred ford has taken replace the part mostly free of charge. This time in 2001 ford will not fix the problem and tells us to bad. We fill that being a repeated problem ford motor company should in good faith take care of this…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 21, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL EXPULSION
Engineering Analysis EA91031 · opened Jun 26, 1991 · closed Nov 1, 1991 · led to recall 91V146000
Technical service bulletins
37 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Econoline. The 10 most recent:
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
Transmission- e40d/4r100-1989-99-main controls, separator plates and separator plate gaskets usage chart. Yd
98168 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2000
Vehicles may experience solid particle contaminants from prior transmission concerns or excess wear, may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system is not properly flushed, fluid in-line filter kit. *mjs
0038 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 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 now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt
99816 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 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
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 1989 Ford Econoline 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 1989 Ford Econoline?
- · 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.