How many recalls does the 1988 Ford Exp have?

The 1988 Ford Exp has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 1988 Ford Exp has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1988 Ford Exp?

Of 3 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is electrical system.

1988 Ford Exp Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1988 Ford Exp has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 7,900,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 96V071000 1996-04-25 7,900,000 affected

Defect

THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.

Consequence

THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:CALIPER

Total complaints3

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The vehicle was in the park position for over ten minutes the horn sounded off, and the vehicle caught on fire in the steering column area of the vehicle. Consumer stated that recall work was corrected on vehicle due to the same problem. (96v-071). *ak”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH · reported 1997-09-30

“Consumer had ignition switch replaced under recall, however after the repair there were several failures that were not present prior to the repair. The power steering/headlights were inoperative, the battery was down and the inside lights would not go off.”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH · reported 1997-01-22

“The brakes fail approximately every six to seven months, even after replacing pads, calipers, rotors, and a new master cylinder and metering valve.”

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:CALIPER

Defect investigations

Investigation PE90063 Opened 1990-03-21 · closed 1990-07-31

SAFETY BELT D-RING

There is no summary currently available

Sources & methodology

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 Exp as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.