1986 Ford F150 problems & reliability
61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 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.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 22 | 36% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 10 | 16% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 15% |
| Structure | 9 | 15% |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 7% |
| Steering | 3 | 5% |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 3% |
| Power Train | 2 | 3% |
| Suspension | 1 | 2% |
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
“My 1986 ford f-150 was purchased used with 150,000 miles and was parked next to my house, not running, when a fire started under the hood and the truck burned nearly burning my house and trailer, as well as all inside it and scared my son and I terribly. *tr”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jul 18, 2008
“While backing into the garage consumer turned the steering wheel to the left and heard a loud noise. Consumer got out of the vehicle, and saw the steering box on the ground under the vehicle. *ak”
Steering · filed Jun 17, 2003
“1986 ford f150 with dual fuel tanks, fuel siphons from one tank to the other, tank overflows causing spillage on ground. Same problem with check valve on ford f150 models during 1990 to 1993 resulted in a recall. Dangerous situation could result in fire or explosion. *nlm”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jun 13, 2003
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
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA87020 · opened May 7, 1987 · closed Sep 24, 1987 · led to recall 87V139000
- FUEL LEAKS/FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE87017 · opened Jan 28, 1987 · closed May 26, 1987
Technical service bulletins
18 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1986 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 1986 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 1986 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.