Most common 1999 Ford E-250 problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford E-250 complaints by model year
Best E-250 years: 2009, 2007, 2008. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003. Compare all years →
1999 Ford E-250 recalls (5)
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 pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
Equipment › Other › Labels
Vehicle description: bi-fuel cng pickup trucks and bi-fuel cng vans, modified by cfi control systems, inc., fail to conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 303, "fuel system integrity of compressed natural gas vehicles." the label affixed to the fuel filler door by the vehicle modifier contains the inspection date and…
Remedy: Owners will be provided a label with the required statement, along with instructions for affixing the label at the fuel filler door. Owner notification began November 2, 2000.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Vehicle description: utility vans equipped with the "60/40" hinged side cargo doors. The strikers for the 60/40 door single latch system were found to contain stress cracks at the striker wire lower stake joint. Strikers with stress cracks May not meet the requirements of FMVSS no.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the door striker.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1999 Ford E-250:
HVAC Switch Failures
This investigation was opened based on one complaint and reports from four transportation fleets alleging 182 blower motor control switch failures.ODI was concerned that these melting and burning switches could lead to an open flame that could spread throughout the vehicle.After a comprehensive review of all data related to overheating blower motor control switches in the subject vehicles, ODI did not identify the…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 1999 Ford E-250 owners say
Engine & cooling
My name is [redacted] . I am a small business owner in bartlett illinois. I own a Ford econoline 250 & a Ford expedition. Both vehicles have been "Ford serviced" since new. I recently had a spark plug blow out of the engine. I have had many a car in my days and I have never heard of this failure. Ford insisted this was not an engine defect, and although they were the only service people that ever worked on the vehicle, I was still responsible for this repair. The cost around $750. Money is important, but principle is more important. After searching the web I found this: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_spark.html hundreds of complaints with the same failure. It is my hope that you can do something to bring this to the public's attention and force Ford into admitting fault. …
Begining in the year 2000, the 98 e150 went through the factory motor at 90,000 miles. Coolant mixing with oil without ever overheating. Ford was going to fix until I told them that my my vehicle was repaired at a privately owned shop versus the dealership (my brother owns the shop and the local dealer sends him all of their difficult repairs). It took me approximately 16 months come up with the money to have the motor machined and repaired properly. Total cost $4000. I finally felt confident that the vehicle would serve me well, until two weeks ago, the transmission locked up . Overdrive messed up and caused other problems as well. Now I have no wheels until I come up with $1700 more. I'm in the construction industry,and if use inferior techniques or products I am held accountable. Shouldn't Ford live by at leat the same standards as a lowly carpenter.
Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Ford e-250 econoline van. The contact stated while driving at 27 MPH downhill, the brakes were applied but did not engage. The contact then shifted into second gear and was able to come to a stop. Upon further inspection, the contact found that the rear brake lines on the vehicle were corroded. The vehicle was inspected one year prior to the failure and there were no signs of rust or corrosion on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 158,563.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Ford e-250. The contact stated that while going 30 MPH, the brake line failed. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal and it went all the way to the floorboard. The front brakes still functioned but the rear brakes failed. The vehicle was not inspected. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was 130,000. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available.
Wheels & tires
My husband and I experienced two blow outs on Firestone tires during a trip in July-August, 2004. After having to replace all of the tires during the trip we called Ford and Firestone. Firestone offered to pay$100.00 to cover some of the expenses of spare tire replacement(after the blow outs and before we purchased new tires because we feared further problems) but we refused this. We believe these steeltex radial r4s tires are hazardous and some warning should be issued. We were fortunate to have survived without bodily injury. I will call and/or send a copy of the letter sent to the Ford dealer who sold the van to sports mobile who converted it into a camping van. I also sent a copy of this letter to Firestone.
I own a Ford 1999 e250 van that has been customized by the sportsmobile company into an rv. It came with four Firestone steeltex radial r4s lt225/75r16 m/s tires. As I was driving in the left lane of I-505s (just n of exit for allendale rd), the tread on my left rear tire separated. I was able to safely pull onto the right shoulder. I drove (at reduced speed on the damaged tire) to the midway rd rv park at the next exit. There I mounted the spare. The tires had 22K miles on them and had been maintained properly.
1999 Ford E-250 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 16 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: Van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Ford E-250 a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 E-250 rates avoid: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the E-250 at the same age. It is one of the E-250 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 1999 Ford E-250?
The engine & cooling — 9 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the brakes (7) and wheels & tires (7).
How many recalls does the 1999 Ford E-250 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1999 Ford E-250, 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-250?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2007 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. See the full Ford E-250 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford E-250 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 47% 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.