NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1995–2008

Ford E-Series recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns and 74 owner complaints for the Ford E-Series, covering model years 1995 to 2008. The 1997 model year drew the most complaints (16), and Tires is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Ford E-Series VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

8 recall campaigns on file
74 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
13 model years with data (1995–2008)

most complaints: 1997 (16 for that model year)
top component: Tires (24 complaints)
latest recall 09V096000 (reported Mar 24, 2009)

0 complaints reporting a crash (0.0%)
1 complaint reporting a fire (1.4%)
1 complaint reporting an injury (1.4%)
0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Ford E-Series complaints by model year

11 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 1997 model year has the most complaints: 16 of 74, or 21.6%. Next come 1998 (13) and 2005 (10). The fewest are for 1995, with 1 complaint.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Ford E-Series complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Ford E-Series complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury
1995	1	0	0
1997	16	1	0
1998	13	0	0
1999	4	0	0
2000	6	0	0
2001	6	0	0
2002	6	0	0
2003	5	0	1
2004	2	0	0
2005	10	0	0
2008	5	0	0
All model years	74	1	1

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Ford E-Series components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Tires is the component named most often, in 24 complaints (32.4% of all 74), followed by Engine and Engine Cooling (10) and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (7).

Components named most often in Ford E-Series complaints (top 15)

Components named most often in Ford E-Series complaints (top 15)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Tires	24	32.4%
Engine and Engine Cooling	10	13.5%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	7	9.5%
Power Train	6	8.1%
Steering	5	6.8%
Suspension	5	6.8%
Electrical System	4	5.4%
Fuel System, Gasoline	4	5.4%
Structure	4	5.4%
Visibility	4	5.4%
Equipment	3	4.1%
Fuel System, Diesel	3	4.1%
Latches/Locks/Linkages	3	4.1%
Unknown or Other	3	4.1%
Seats	2	2.7%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Ford E-Series recalls

8 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name E-Series, newest first. The 8 campaigns cover model years 1997 to 2007. The 2005 and 2006 model years appear in the most campaigns (6 each).

8 recall campaigns

Ford E-Series recall campaigns covering each model year
Decade	Years ending in 0	Years ending in 1	Years ending in 2	Years ending in 3	Years ending in 4	Years ending in 5	Years ending in 6	Years ending in 7	Years ending in 8	Years ending in 9
1990s								1997: 1 campaign	1998: 1 campaign	1999: 1 campaign
2000s	2000: 2 campaigns	2001: 2 campaigns	2002: 2 campaigns	2003: 2 campaigns	2004: no campaigns	2005: 6 campaigns	2006: 6 campaigns	2007: 2 campaigns

Highlighted: the model years with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 09V096000
Reported Mar 24, 2009
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Model years 2005–2007
New England wheels, inc. is recalling 513 ricon wheelchair lifts which it installed on MY 2005 through 2007 Ford E-Series commercial vans. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 404, "platform lift installations in motor vehicles." The threshold warning system may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user in a certain spot within the defined threshold area.
Consequence:
A lift occupant can be injured should the lift begin to stow unintentionally.
Remedy:
New England wheels is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07E095). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or new England wheels at 1-800-886-9247.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 09V050000
Reported Feb 6, 2009
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Model years 2005–2006
Mobility is recalling 43 MY 2005-2006 Ford E-Series and Chevrolet Express vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 403, "platform lift system accessible for motor vehicles." The anti-stow interlock may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user. The pressure sensing switch that detects the presence of weight on the platform was not adjusted to the necessary sensitivity level. The lift could stow even though someone or something is still on the lift.
Consequence:
A lift occupant can be injured should the lift begin to stow unintentionally.
Remedy:
Mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07E097). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or mobility at 714-674-0480.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 09V049000
Reported Feb 6, 2009
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Model years 2005–2006
Mobility is recalling 86 MY 2005-2006 Ford E-Series and Chevrolet Express van equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 404, "platform lift installations on motor vehicles." The threshold warning system may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user in a certain spot within the defined threshold area.
Consequence:
The user of the lift could be injured should the lift move unintentionally.
Remedy:
Mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07E095). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or mobility at 714-674-0480.
Filed by Mobility Specialists, Inc.
NHTSA campaign 09V009000
Reported Jan 13, 2009
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Model years 2005–2006
American emergency vehicles is recalling 8 MY 2005-2006 E-Series vans built on Ford chassis and equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 404, "platform lift installations on motor vehicles." The threshold warning system may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user in a certain spot within the defined threshold area.
Consequence:
The user of the lift could be injured should the lift move unintentionally.
Remedy:
American emergency vehicles is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07E095). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or American emergency vehicles at 1-336-982-9824.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 09V008000
Reported Jan 12, 2009
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Model years 2005–2006
American emergency vehicles is recalling 8 MY 2005-2006 E-Series vans built on Ford chassis and equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 403, "platform lift system accessible for motor vehicles." The anti-stow interlock may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user. The pressure sensing switch that detects the presence of weight on the platform was not adjusted to the necessary sensitivity level. The lift could stow even though someone or something is still on the lift.
Consequence:
A lift occupant can be injured should the lift begin to stow unintentionally.
Remedy:
American emergency vehicles is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07E097). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or American emergency vehicles at 1-336-982-9824.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 08V689000
Reported Dec 23, 2008
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Model years 2005–2007
New England wheels is recalling 513 MY 2005-2007 Ford E-Series vehicles equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 403, "platform lift systems for motor vehicles." The anti-stow interlock may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user. The pressure sensing switch that detects the presence of weight on the platform was not adjusted to the necessary sensitivity level. The lift could stow even though someone or something is still on the lift.
Consequence:
A lift occupant can be injured should the lift begin to stow unintentionally.
Remedy:
New England wheels is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07E097). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or new England wheels at 1-800-886-9247.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 07V553000
Reported Dec 5, 2007
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Diesel
Model years 1997–2003
On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3L diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Consequence:
In the event of an engine stall, a crash could result without warning.
Remedy:
Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on December 29, 2007. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 03V094000
Reported Mar 7, 2003
Structure
Model years 2000–2003
Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by American technology components, inc. these units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
Consequence:
This overheating condition can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.
Remedy:
Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began March 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1-800-745-6096.
Filed by General Motors, LLC

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Ford E-Series questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Ford E-Series have?

NHTSA lists 8 vehicle recall campaigns for the Ford E-Series, covering model years 1995 to 2008. The most recent, 09V096000, was reported on March 24, 2009 and is filed under “Equipment adaptive/mobility”. The 2005 and 2006 model years are covered by the most campaigns (6 each).

Which Ford E-Series model year has the most complaints?

The 1997 model year, with 16 of the 74 complaints in NHTSA’s file (21.6%). The next are 1998 (13) and 2005 (10). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Ford E-Series complaint?

Tires is the component named most often: 24 complaints, or 32.4% of all 74. Engine and Engine Cooling (10) and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (7) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Ford E-Series?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Ford dealer.

How many Ford E-Series complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 74 complaints, 0 report a crash, 1 a fire, 1 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The Ford models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Ford VIN decoder with every Ford model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Ford F-150 1995–2027 · 158 recalls · 35,790 complaints
Ford Explorer 1995–2027 · 131 recalls · 31,089 complaints
Ford Escape 2000–2026 · 95 recalls · 27,343 complaints
Ford Fusion 2006–2020 · 46 recalls · 22,383 complaints
Ford Focus 1999–2018 · 36 recalls · 22,086 complaints
Ford Windstar 1995–2005 · 33 recalls · 14,108 complaints
Ford Edge 2004–2024 · 43 recalls · 14,009 complaints
Ford Taurus 1995–2019 · 52 recalls · 12,702 complaints

All Ford models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.

Ford E-Series complaints by model year

Most-reported Ford E-Series components

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

Ford E-Series recalls

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Diesel

Structure

How to read this recall list

Ford E-Series questions

How many recalls does the Ford E-Series have?

Which Ford E-Series model year has the most complaints?

What is the most common Ford E-Series complaint?

Does every recall on this page apply to my Ford E-Series?

How many Ford E-Series complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Other Ford models