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HomeFordF-150 → 1996

1996 Ford F-150 Recalls & Complaints

7

open safety recalls on record

Critical

383 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.07 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical05V388000

Vehicle Speed Control

FIRE AT THE SWITCH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 12, 2005, OWNERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED. OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED ARE BEING NOTIFIED THAT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND ADVISED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO RECONNECT THE SPEED CONTROL BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY 2006. OWNERS WHO DID NOT HAVE THEIR SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED ARE BEING NOTIFIED TO HAVE THEIR SYSTEM REMEDIED BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY 2006. OWNERS ARE URGED TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THE FREE DISCONNECT SERVICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT RISK OF FIRE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017 AND 06V286)

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SPEED CONTROL, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

Serious09E012000

Exterior Lighting

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Serious06E026000

Exterior Lighting

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Serious09E025000

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Serious06E049000

Exterior Lighting

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Moderate96E010000

Seats

IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THIS COULD RESULT IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL raises the risk of A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REMOVE ALL FOAM AND/OR FABRIC SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE RECLINER ASSEMBLY AND THE SEAT FRAME, INSTALL WASHERS BETWEEN THE SEAT RECLINER AND THE SEAT FRAME AT EACH ATTACHMENT POINT, AND INSTALL NEW ATTACHING BOLTS TORQUED TO A HIGHER SPECIFICATION. THESE CORRECTIONS WILL BE MADE TO BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATS.

THE SEAT RECLINER TO SEAT FRAME ATTACHING BOLTS ON THESE VEHICLES COULD LOOSEN, FATIGUE AND FRACTURE, ALLOWING THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE.

Moderate96V161000

Equipment:Other:Labels

INCORRECT INFLATION PRESSURES COULD CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR OF THE REAR TIRES.

Remedy & full details

OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH CORRECT CERTIFICATION LABELS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLING THESE LABELS. DEALERS CAN INSTALL THIS LABEL IF THE OWNER SO DESIRES.

THE CERTIFICATION LABELS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAS INCORRECT REAR TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE DESIGNATIONS. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS."

Complaint volume

383 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

22Crashes
87Fires
21Injuries
2Deaths

Across 383 complaints. Severity Index 1.07.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Vehicle Speed Control · C…22 · 6%Electrical System18 · 5%Electrical System · Wirin…17 · 4%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…15 · 4%Air Bags · Frontal14 · 4%Vehicle Speed Control14 · 4%Tires13 · 3%Fuel System, Gasoline · S…13 · 3%
  1. Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control — 22 reports
  2. Electrical System — 18 reports
  3. Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood — 17 reports
  4. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 15 reports
  5. Air Bags:Frontal — 14 reports
  6. Vehicle Speed Control — 14 reports
  7. Tires — 13 reports
  8. Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices — 13 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 12 reports
  10. Fuel System, Gasoline — 12 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (7) · 1996 · 1997 (26) · 1998 (18) · 1999 (18) · 2000 (17) · 2001 (19) · 2002 (10) · 2003 (11) · 2004 (16) · 2005 (14) · 2006 (14) · 2007 (7) · 2008 (1) · 2009 (2) · 2010 (1) · 2011 (6) · 2012 (4) · 2013 (3) · 2014 (8) · 2015 (14) · 2016 (14) · 2017 (18) · 2018 (19) · 2019 (9) · 2020 (11) · 2021 (29) · 2022 (23) · 2023 (12) · 2024 (10) · 2025 (12) · 2026 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.