1987 Ford F250 problems & reliability
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 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).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 11 | 29% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 24% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 16% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 11% |
| Power Train | 4 | 11% |
| Steering | 3 | 8% |
| Tires | 3 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 3% |
| Seats | 1 | 3% |
| Suspension | 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
“While driving 55 mph the rear driver side tire tread separated without warning. Please provide additional information. *jb”
Tires · filed Oct 14, 2004
“Bridgetone, lt235/85r16, dot: unknown. While driving 65 mph, the left rear tire tread separated. As result the bumper, tail pipe and fender was damaged. *ak *jb”
Tires · filed Aug 2, 2004
“With no warning, rt front tire blew apart. Loud, loud bang and truck jerked onto the shoulder, up over a 2 foot high berm, and took nearly 300 yards to stop. Nothing seen in the road that I may have hit, tires had just been serviced 1 week prior. (we are extremely we did not roll over) tire has 4-5 slits going from…”
Tires · filed Aug 27, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL INJECTOR PUMP FAILS
Preliminary Evaluation PE94065 · opened Aug 19, 1994 · closed Dec 28, 1994
- ALTERNATOR BELT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA93014 · opened Jun 4, 1993 · closed Jul 29, 1994
- SPARE TIRE FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE91090 · opened Jun 20, 1991 · closed Oct 25, 1991
- 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
17 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Ford F250. The 10 most recent:
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
Fluid- transmission fluid usage charts. *jd
97511 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 1997
Accessory drive belts- fead belt comes off- vehicles with 4.9l engine. *jd
9748 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 17, 1997
Frame- rivet replacement with bolts- service tips. *jd
9747 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 17, 1997
Noise- "popping/creaking"- front frame or suspension brackets- frame- "popping/creaking"- fastener replacement. *jd
97310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 3, 1997
Diagnostic guides for out-of-warranty vehicles to be used as a master copy - diagnostic guides no longer available from adistra. *tw
97215 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 20, 1997
Transaxle - torque converter replacement guidelines and torque converter/transaxle cooling system cleaning procedures - service tip. *tw
962612 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 1996
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 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 1987 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.