Most common 1996 Ford E-150 problems
Share of the 59 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford E-150 complaints by model year
Best E-150 years: 2009, 2014, 2015. Years to avoid: 2001, 1997, 1999, 1995, 1996. Compare all years →
1996 Ford E-150 recalls (3)
Vehicle speed control
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 Mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair…
Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Ford is recalling 225,000 my 1992-2003 econoline, my 1993-1995 taurus sho, my 1992-1998 crown victoria, my 1993 bronco, f-series, my 1995-1997 f-series super duty stripped chassis, my 1992-1998 Mercury grand marquis, and my 1992-1995 Lincoln town car vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new wiring harness, or replace the mating electrical component. The recall began on February 18, 2008. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Vehicle speed control
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on August 7, 2006. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. (note: also see recalls 05V017 and 05V388)
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1996 Ford E-150:
Engine compartment fires
Ea05-005 is closed with Ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.Ford is also including the entire population of…
What 1996 Ford E-150 owners say
Brakes
1. I was traveling a 35 MPH on a straight road during the daylight hours. The road was dry. The weather was sunny, and there was very little traffic in a two lane road. As I approached standing traffic at a traffic light I began to slow gradually with engine braking. As I appoached the stopped car I began to touch the brake pedal, and immediately noticed no braking effect. I than pressed the pedal a couple more inches, and still there was little braking effect. I then pressed as hard as I could, and the vehicle began to slow gradually, but not in time to avoid hitting the car stopped at the traffic light. There was minor damage done to the standing vehicle, but only because I was traveling so slowly and had begun to anticipate the stop in plenty of time. Having been an automobile mechanic in years past, I determined that the fault was in the vacuum booster of the brake system. …
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford e-150. Whenever the contact starts the engine and depresses the accelerator pedal, the engine becomes stuck at a high RPM and will not return to the idle position. The failure causes the vehicle to either surge forward or backwards depending on what gear it is in at the time. The engine has to be turned off in order to restore the vehicle to a proper speed. In addition, the brakes do not hold or stop the vehicle when they are engaged. The first time this failure occurred, the vehicle crashed into a tree at 10 MPH. There were no injuries; however, the rear window was damaged. Through research, the contact found numerous issues with this defect on the same make and model vehicles. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop twice. During the first visit, the mechanic cleaned out the engine, engine throttle, and cables. …
Engine & cooling
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford e-150. Whenever the contact starts the engine and depresses the accelerator pedal, the engine becomes stuck at a high RPM and will not return to the idle position. The failure causes the vehicle to either surge forward or backwards depending on what gear it is in at the time. The engine has to be turned off in order to restore the vehicle to a proper speed. In addition, the brakes do not hold or stop the vehicle when they are engaged. The first time this failure occurred, the vehicle crashed into a tree at 10 MPH. There were no injuries; however, the rear window was damaged. Through research, the contact found numerous issues with this defect on the same make and model vehicles. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop twice. During the first visit, the mechanic cleaned out the engine, engine throttle, and cables. …
Noisy ABS; did we and do we have working ABS? No help from Ford. Don davis Ford invoice 202541 12/15/97, middlekauff inv. 404267 12/18/97 & 436463 2/2/99, five star inv. C05234 6/2/98 pd for brake fluid flushing with brake job (5star ruined caliper too), karl klement inv. 36021 8/19/98. My husband & I flushed the brakes - looked like dirty motor oil. 3 second whee became a chirp, pd. Utter Ford inv. C02461 5/19/99 to bleed ABS control unit - whee is gone but does our ABS work? It's never engaged and don't know if it will. We are also now working with an independent garage to solve our summer stalling out problem.
Electrical system
Vehicle was parked, and upon entering noticed the smell of an electrical fire. Started the vehicle, odometer was inoperable and vehicle would not shift out of park. Upon further inspection, found a blown 15 amp fuse in the fuse panel. Replaced fuse, odometer came back on and vehicle shifted out of park. Approximately 10 seconds later, the smell of burning wiring was evident, as was smoke from under the hood. Pulled the fuse back out, opened the hood to find the brake pressure switch on fire, which melted the brake fluid reservoir as well as the battery casing also.
My vehicle according the NHTSA has recall #09V399000 for the brake system speed control which can catch on fire even in the garage with the vehicle off. I asked Ford to repair this because I just bought this vehicle and they claim there are no recalls on this vehicle, and I know there is and I know the recall hasn't been installed on my vehicle. Are they saying this because time ran out to have this done because I just bought this vehicle or do they just not want to? Thanks for your help.
1996 Ford E-150 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.9L 6-cyl | 3-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 14 / 13 |
| 4.9L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 16 / 13 |
| 5.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 16 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: Van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Ford E-150 a good car?
Based on 59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1996 E-150 rates avoid: 2.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the E-150 at the same age. It is one of the E-150 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Ford E-150?
The brakes — 14 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the engine & cooling (11) and electrical system (10).
How many recalls does the 1996 Ford E-150 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 1996 Ford E-150, the most recent from October 13, 2009 (vehicle speed control). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford E-150?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2014 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001, 1997, 1999, 1995 and 1996. See the full Ford E-150 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1996 Ford E-150 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 120,000 miles; 8% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.