1981 FORD F150 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
2
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
0
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 1981 FORD F150
The 1981 FORD F150 has received a total of 2 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK, STRUCTURE, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING. The most commonly reported problem area is the Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assembly (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 1981 FORD F150
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 1981 FORD F150, potentially affecting up to 18,890 vehicles.
Recall 82V024000 — EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK
| 12,500 vehicles affected
Defect: THE REINFORCEMENT FOR THE IN-BOX SPARE TIRE CARRIER MAY HAVE BEEN ATTACHED USING INCORRECT HEX HEAD BOLTS. IF THE CARRIER AND REINFORCEMENT ATTACHING BOLTS ARE INCORRECT, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE TIRE SIDEWALL TO BE DAMAGED OR WEAKENED BY EXTENDED CONTACT WITH THE SHARP EDGES OF THE BOLT HEADS.
Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE BOLTS AND ANY DAMAGED SPARE TIRES AT NO COST TO OWNER.
View full details →Recall 81V061000 — STRUCTURE
| 130 vehicles affected
Defect: THE INVOLVED TRUCKS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A CERTAIN PORTION OF SPECIFIED FLOOR PAN INSULATION MATERIAL (BENEATH THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) OMITTED. BECAUSE OF THIS OMISSION, A SECTION OF THE SHEET METAL FLOOR PAN WAS LEFT EXPOSED OVER THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IN AN AREA OF POSSIBLE PASSENGER CONTACT.
Remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSTALL A REVISED DESIGN FLOORPAN INSULATOR PAD AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
View full details →Recall 80V145000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING
| 6,260 vehicles affected
Defect: DURING A CHANGE IN ASSEMBLY PROCEDURES, CERTAIN OF THE MID-SHIP FUEL TANK STRAPS MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR MISLOCATED. AS A RESULT, THEY FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY". IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, EXCESSIVE FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, RELOCATE FUEL TANK STRAPS WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 1981 FORD F150
2 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1981 FORD F150. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
I PURCHASED FOUR USED SX 5000 STARFIRE (COOPER) 255/70-15 TIRES FOR MY 1981 FORD F-150 IN MARCH OF 2010. THE TIRES WERE MOUNTED TO WHAT I BELIEVE ARE 15X8 STEEL WHEELS BY THE INDEPENDENT TIRE SHOP THAT I PURCHASED THE TIRES FROM. I THEN DROVE FROM SAINT PETERSBURG, FL TO AUSTIN, TX ON THE TIRES WITH NO PROBLEMS. OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE MONTHS, I DROVE ABOUT 500 MILES ON THE TIRES WITH NO ISSUES, UNTIL ONE DAY ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES WAS FLAT IN MY DRIVEWAY, WITH THE TREAD SEPARATED IN ONE AREA. I REPLACED BOTH FRONT WHEELS WITH SPARE WHEELS AND TIRES (UNKNOWN EXACT SPECIFICATIONS, BUT SMALLER), AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, ONE OF THE REAR TIRES (AGAIN, IN MY DRIVEWAY) WAS FLAT, WITH THE TREAD SEPARATED. I PLACED TWO OTHER SPARE WHEELS/TIRES ON THE REAR AND PLACED THE SX 5000S IN MY GARAGE. WITHIN A WEEK, THE TWO SX5000S THAT HAD AIR IN THEM HAD BLOWN, AGAIN WITH THE TREAD SEPARATED. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WHEN THE WEATHER OUTSIDE TURNED HOT (SUMMER). TIRE PRESSURES WERE MAINTAINED NEAR (UNDER) THE MAXIMUM SIDEWALL SPECIFICATIONS, AND THE F-150 WAS NEVER OVERLOADED. THE TRUCK IS PRIMARILY USED FOR FAMILY TRANSPORTATION. I CALLED COOPER AT 1-800-854-6288 BECAUSE RECALL # 147 CLOSELY MATCHED THE PROBLEMS I EXPERIENCED, BUT I WAS TOLD MY TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED IN 2003 AND WERE NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. THE TIRE INFORMATION IS: DOT 3DM2 B7W3903 C14R. I WAS ADMONISHED BY THE COOPER REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT PURCHASING AND USING USED TIRES, BUT GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF ALL FOUR TIRES ESSENTIALLY BLOWING OUT WITH TREAD SEPARATION IN UNEXPECTED FASHION WITHIN A FEW WEEKS (OF SUMMER TEMPERATURES), I FEEL THAT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM IS THE DESIGN OF THE TIRES, AND NOT THAT THE TIRES WERE ABUSED. UNTIL THE FAILURES, THE AIR PRESSURE IN THE TIRES DID NOT FALL OR RISE EXCEPT DUE TO AIR TEMPERATURES AND DRIVING FORCES, AND THE TREAD LIFE WAS AT LEAST 50%. *TR
THERE IS A HOLE IN THE GAS TANK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Safety Rating for the 1981 FORD F150
NHTSA has not yet tested the 1981 FORD F150 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 1981 FORD F150
No technical service bulletins have been reported for this vehicle.
NHTSA Investigations for the 1981 FORD F150
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD F150
- 1976 FORD F150 — 0 complaints
- 1977 FORD F150 — 3 complaints
- 1978 FORD F150 — 13 complaints
- 1979 FORD F150 — 2 complaints
- 1980 FORD F150 — 3 complaints
- 1981 FORD F150 (current)
- 1982 FORD F150 — 5 complaints
- 1983 FORD F150 — 12 complaints
- 1984 FORD F150 — 14 complaints
- 1985 FORD F150 — 45 complaints
- 1986 FORD F150 — 78 complaints
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD EXPLORER — 42,140 total complaints
- FORD ESCAPE — 34,654 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD TAURUS — 23,867 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints