1987 Ford F150 problems & reliability
91 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Ford F150. 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.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1987 Ford F150 vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 37 | 41% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 21 | 23% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 10% |
| Structure | 5 | 5% |
| Tires | 4 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% |
| Power Train | 2 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 15 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Problem with the duel fuel tanks, after filling the rear fuel tank I started smelling gas fumes while driving on city streets. I pulled over to check and gas was leaking from beneath the truck . When I opened the front tank gas cap , fuel spewed out as if it was under pressure. At that time I was operating on the rear…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 26, 2017
“Driving home, engine started sputtering, strong smell of gasoline. Gas spilling from front gas cap. I have had this in for repairs and no one seems to know what is wrong with the vehicle. Vehicle starts at times but seems to be flooding itself out and gas continues to spill from front tank. I believe this to be a…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jun 25, 2013
“Dt*: the contact stated that the tread on the front driver side tire separated while driving 55 mph, causing slight loss of vehicle control. The vehicle was taken to a private repair shop,where the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the separation.”
Tires · filed Jul 24, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- F-SERIES FUEL TANK FIRES
Defect Petition DP89005 · opened Jan 26, 1989 · closed Aug 1, 1989
- FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE89020 · opened Dec 7, 1988 · closed Jun 1, 1989
Technical service bulletins
19 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Ford F150. 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
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
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
Information on a buzzing or rattle noise from the exhaust system. *tt
9864 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 1998
Fluid- transmission fluid usage charts. *jd
97511 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 1997
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 F150 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 F150?
- · 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.