THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
The 1988 Ford F-150 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 7,957,400 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 170 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
SLIDING REAR WINDOW MAY CONTAIN GLAZING PANELS WHICH DO NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 205.
A FRACTURED WINDOW MAY CONTAIN FRAGMENTS THAT ARE LARGERTHAN THE 425 GRAMS ALLOWED.
REPLACE SUSPECT WINDOW PANELS.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1988 ford f-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitant to start and would sporadically overheat. The contact called the dealer who stated that their records only went back as far as ten years and they could not verify whether the vehicle was previously repaired…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1988 ford f-150. The contact was stopped when she began to smell gasoline. The vehicle was pulled over and upon further examination, the contact noticed that fuel was spilling out of the fuel tank. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where she was informed that the…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1988 ford f150. While the vehicle was parked, the contact looked underneath it and noticed fuel leaking. He discovered a recall for the same failure for the 1989 model. The dealer stated that when the recall was issued on the 1989 model, they had to install two fuel pumps in…”
“The frame is cracked on the drives' side around the gear box and in another area which leaves it very unstable. The tire is wobbly, dodges and darts around on the road. *ak all of the front suspension, wheel bearings on the left side and the lower ball joints were replaced. *sc *jb”
“Vehicle failed to start when the key was turned in the ignition to the on position. The dealership was contacted. *ak”
“Throttle pedal sticks when pedal is at >80% throttle position. After tracing the problem, I have found it is in the pedal assembly. Applying oil will fix for 1-2 months before problem returns. Major safety issue!”
“I feel that there should be a recall on all ford f-150, f-250 & f-350 trucks from 1985 to 1998 with dual fuel tanks. The front gas tank on these vehicles tend to leak after time causing potential hazards of fire & explosions. There are many f series trucks that have this leaking problem & it is…”
“While self inspecting the vehicle consumer noticed that the frame broke off from the front and the rear. *ak”
F-SERIES FUEL TANK FIRES
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There is no summary currently available
There is no summary currently available
SEE CLOSE RESUME
There is no summary currently available
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Ford F-150 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.