1991 Ford Econoline problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 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.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 33% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 25% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 21% |
| Tires | 3 | 13% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Seats | 2 | 8% |
| Wheels | 2 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 4% |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 4% |
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
“Tl*the contact owns a 1991 ford econoline. The contact noticed fuel coming from the gas tank along with a puddle of gasoline on the ground. The dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 91v146000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxiliary tank:selector devices), although the failures…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Mar 31, 2009
“Tl*the contact owns a 1991 ford econoline. The contact stated that her vehicle has a dual tank. While driving on the back tank, she smelled gas coming from the vehicle. She learned that fuel was leaking from under the gas cap on the front tank and was mixing with the fuel from the rear tank. She switched to the front…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Aug 17, 2007
“While driving 75 mph, the rear driver side tire tread separated. The consumer pulled over to change the tire. Cooper size#23575r15 please provide the dot number. *jb”
Tires · filed Oct 19, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- IDLE AIR SPD CTRL VLV MALF
Engineering Analysis EA93022 · opened Jul 30, 1993 · closed Aug 31, 1994
- IDLE AIR SPD CTRL VLV MALF
Preliminary Evaluation PE93010 · opened Mar 2, 1993 · closed Jul 30, 1993
Technical service bulletins
45 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 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
Transmission-e40d-no 2-3 upshift. Some vehicles may exhibit a no 2-3 upshift condition. *ak
98167 · 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
Experiencing a whine / buzz type noise in the speakers of the entertainment radio or two-way radio on vehicles with an in-tank electric fuel pump. *tt
99129 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 14, 1999
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 1991 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 1991 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.