SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
1981 Ford E-150
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1981 Ford E-150, most frequently naming the electrical category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 1 NHTSA investigation names it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 1 month of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical1100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govSafety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
FILLER NECK SPURT
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:FORD HAS SUPPLIED INFORMATION REQUESTED CONCERNING VEHICLE POPULATIONAND THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS.ANALYSIS:THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE ONE OF EXCESSIVE HEAT COLLECTING UNDER THEVEHICLES, USUALLY WHILE STATIONARY WITH THE ENGINE IDLING.THIS HEATCAUSES THE FUEL TO VAPORIZE IN THE FUEL TANK AND DEVELOP PRESSURES INEXCESS OF WHAT THE VENT SYSTEM CAN HANDLE.STATUS:IR TO FORD SENT ON 2/20/87. MEETING WITH FORD AND FINAL STAGE MANUFACTUR-ERS HELD ON MARCH 11 & 12, 1987. ADDITIONAL MEETING HELD ON MARCH 7, 1987.ALSO ON APRIL I, 1987.FORD ANNOUNCED SERVICE CAMPAIGN, NO SAFETY RECALL.RECALL REQUEST LETTER SENT ON 4/7/87. FORD DID NOT AGREE TO A SAFETYRECALL, CONSEQUENTLY A PANEL MEETING WAS HELD ON 4/29/87 AND INVESTIGATIVECASE C87-003 WAS OPENED.THIS EA WAS CLOSED AS A RESULT OF THE CASE OPEN-ING ON 4/27/87.===
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 983968
- Incident
- Apr 10, 1992
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 6 | 6 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 46.3 |
| 2012 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 52.9 |
| 2011 | 23 | 13 | 0 | 45.9 |
| 2010 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 54.4 |
| 2009 | 7 | 14 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 49.0 |
| 2007 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 41.6 |
| 2006 | 17 | 16 | 0 | 46.5 |
| 2005 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 50.1 |
| 2004 | 33 | 7 | 1 | 53.8 |
| 2003 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 59.5 |
| 2002 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 55.1 |
| 2001 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 50.7 |
| 2000 | 50 | 6 | 1 | 53.5 |
| 1999 | 83 | 6 | 1 | 58.0 |
| 1998 | 60 | 5 | 1 | 55.7 |
| 1997 | 102 | 6 | 1 | 55.3 |
| 1996 | 59 | 3 | 1 | 61.3 |
| 1995 | 71 | 3 | 2 | 59.2 |
| 1994 | 121 | 7 | 2 | 60.5 |
| 1993 | 71 | 4 | 1 | 58.3 |
| 1992 | 64 | 4 | 3 | 64.9 |
| 1991 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 54.2 |
| 1990 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 55.5 |
| 1989 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 61.7 |
| 1988 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 48.7 |
| 1987 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 52.7 |
| 1986 | 9 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1985 | 3 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1984 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — |
| 1983 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1982 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1981Viewing | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — |
| 1976 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.