4.8

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
21,814 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1996 Ford F-150:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #4

Feb 272003

F-150 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 87,256 miles
The horn buttons on my 1996 Ford F-150 are almost impossible to press without taking your eyes off the road and scanning the steering wheel to locate them. Numerous times I have not been able to find them in emergency situations. In every emergency situation I have experienced, my hands end up pressing on the air bag cover and then on the cruise control buttons. Only after I have narrowly avoided a crash due to not having time to look down at the steering wheel to discover where the horn buttons are. The horn button layout could not possibly have proceeded through the design and testing process without numerous warnings and complaints by the test engineers and other analyst's. Ford appears to have left this design flaw in place to avoid an expensive redesign of the 1996 model F-150. It was only in production from September 1995 through December 1995 then Ford introduced the redesigned 1997 model in January 1996. It appears that they opted to sacrifice operator safety in their rush to migrate to the new truck design.

- Greenville, SC, USA

problem #3

Aug 312002

(reported on)

F-150

  • miles
Due to placement of driver airbag the horn buttons are difficult to use when trying to warn other drivers that suddenly veer into my lane. Several coworker that drive similar vehicles have had the same problem. The horn buttons are at 3 oclock and 9 oclock, their size is about 1 inch by 5/8 inch. With the size and placement of the horn buttons in a hurry most times the airbag is hit rather than the horn.

- Las Cruces, NM, USA

problem #2

Jan 012000

F-150 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
There are two horn buttons on side of wheel about size of postal stamp. When driver really needs to get to horn right away it's hard to find the buttons. It was difficult to use a horn especially while turning the wheel because of poor design of the wheel.

- Farmington, UT, USA

problem #1

Jan 291996

(reported on)

F-150

  • miles
Horn buttons are too small to locate while turning.

- Ravenna, OH, USA