1989 Ford F250 problems & reliability
101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 23% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 20 | 20% |
| Electrical System | 18 | 18% |
| Power Train | 12 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 7% |
| Steering | 7 | 7% |
| Tires | 7 | 7% |
| Structure | 4 | 4% |
| Suspension | 4 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
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 1989 ford f250 pickup truck. He noticed fuel leaking from the vehicle; although, there were several recalls related to the fuel system, his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id numbers 89v114000, fuel system, gasoline storage auxiliary tank, 91v146000, fuel system, gasoline storage…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jan 11, 2010
“Tl*the contact owns a 1989 ford f250. While driving approximately 25 mph on normal road conditions, the contact smelled a strong odor of fuel coming from outside of the vehicle. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and observed fuel leaking from the auxiliary tank. Immediately, the fuel tank cap was removed…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Feb 25, 2009
“Fuel is being pumped out of front tank on to ground, see 91v146000 ford can not tell me if the recall has or has not been done on this truck. Seems if the truck is over 10 years old they don't keep track or something... *tr”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Feb 25, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ALTERNATOR BELT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA93014 · opened Jun 4, 1993 · closed Jul 29, 1994
- 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
- SPARE TIRE FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE91090 · opened Jun 20, 1991 · closed Oct 25, 1991
- LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENES
Preliminary Evaluation PE91077 · opened May 23, 1991 · closed Oct 31, 1991
Technical service bulletins
30 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford F250. The 10 most recent:
Front end shimmy may occur at various driving speeds and is usually induced when hitting bumps, such as large potholes or rough railroad crossings. Shimmy is not always verified during road test. *ak
98158 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 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
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
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
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
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 1989 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 1989 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.