1990 Ford F250 problems & reliability
111 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Ford F250. 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 (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Ford F250 vehicles were involved in 10 fatal crashes with 8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 37 | 33% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 27 | 24% |
| Electrical System → | 14 | 13% |
| Power Train → | 11 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 10 | 9% |
| Tires | 6 | 5% |
| Steering | 3 | 3% |
| Structure | 3 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 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 18 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1990 ford f-250. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the contact switched from the front fuel tank to the rear fuel tank which caused the rear fuel gauge to read empty. The contact stated after filling the rear gas tank, gasoline started leaking from the front tank without warning. The…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Nov 9, 2020
“Twice I have been traveling down a street I travel often when out of no where a violent shaking has occurred in the steering wheel of my truck, as well as the entire front end of the truck. This violent shaking, I have been told, is called a death wobble and very nearly sent me head on into another car. After the…”
Suspension · filed Dec 17, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1990 ford f250. The contact stated that one of the fuel tanks failed and caused gasoline to overflow into the second tank. Resulting in a fuel leak. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection. The failure was located at the fuel cap. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed May 6, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- DUAL FUEL TANK CROSSFLOW/LEAKAGE
Engineering Analysis EA99032 · opened Nov 4, 1999 · closed Dec 6, 2001 · led to recall 01I008000
- FORD F-SERIES DUAL FUEL TANK LEAKAGE
Recall Query RQ98008 · opened May 29, 1998 · closed Nov 4, 1999 · led to recall 93V125000
- FUEL LINE ROUTING
Engineering Analysis EA93026 · opened Oct 29, 1993 · closed Feb 28, 1994 · led to recall 94V040000
- ALTERNATOR BELT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA93014 · opened Jun 4, 1993 · closed Jul 29, 1994
- FUEL EXPULSION
Engineering Analysis EA93001 · opened Jan 7, 1993 · closed Aug 20, 1993 · led to recall 93V125000
- FUEL EXPULSION
Preliminary Evaluation PE92077 · opened Sep 9, 1992 · closed Jan 7, 1993
- LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENES
Engineering Analysis EA91044 · opened Oct 30, 1991 · closed Oct 30, 1992 · led to recall 92V026000
- FUEL EXPULSION
Engineering Analysis EA91031 · opened Jun 26, 1991 · closed Nov 1, 1991 · led to recall 91V146000
Technical service bulletins
35 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Ford F250. The 10 most recent:
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
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
Front caliper piston boots damaged. *yc
985A38 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 1998
Some vehicles may exhibit excessive brake pedal travel, irregular front lining wear, and brake pull. *yc
985A29 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 1998
The use of petroleum-based grease as a lubricant in servicing disc brakes is no longer acceptable. *yc
985A13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 1998
Recommended guidelines for towing behind recreational vehicles. *tt
985A12 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 1998
Announcing the ford oem air conditioning retrofit kit availability. *yc
9848 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 1998
Some vehicles may develop "cavitation" erosion in the cylinder wall of the engine. *tt
010198 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 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 1990 Ford F250 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 1990 Ford F250?
- · 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.