SUDDEN ACCELERATION
Opened Jul 23, 1986
Closed Aug 21, 1986
SUDDEN ACCELERATION
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
1981 Ford Taurus
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Aug 17, 2000
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1981 Ford Taurus, most frequently naming the powertrain (other) and tires & wheels categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 2 manufacturer communications are on file.
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 — 2 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Powertrain (other)150.0%
- Tires & wheels150.0%
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
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 17, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
FIRESTONE TIRE FAILURE IS NOT A NEW THING. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ALMOST 19 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS PREGNANT WITH MY DAUGHTER AND ENDED UP IN A DITCH AFTER A BLOW OUT AT 70 MPH. THE OUTER TREAD COMPLETELY SEPERATED FROM THE TIRE AND THERE WAS WIRE ALL OVER( DOT NUMBER: )
- NHTSA ID
- 728225
- Incident
- Nov 13, 1981
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 22, 1999
SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONS. YH
- NHTSA ID
- 549680
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
BC9584961001
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
INFORMATION FOR CONCERNS OF GRUNT OR GROAN DURING WHEEL RETURN FROM FULL RIGHT TURN. *TT
BC9683961001
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
PROCEDURE FOR UPDATING THE CALIBRATION FROM R-11 TO R-12 FOR STALLING ON DECEL & MISFIRE CODES ON 3.0L VEHICLES. *TT
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 59.5 |
| 2018 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 63.7 |
| 2017 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 58.8 |
| 2016 | 79 | 4 | 0 | 62.6 |
| 2015 | 262 | 6 | 0 | 62.6 |
| 2014 | 228 | 5 | 0 | 53.9 |
| 2013 | 581 | 9 | 0 | 53.4 |
| 2012 | 78 | 5 | 0 | 46.8 |
| 2011 | 187 | 4 | 0 | 55.4 |
| 2010 | 204 | 3 | 0 | 53.0 |
| 2009 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 41.4 |
| 2008 | 175 | 1 | 1 | 50.1 |
| 2007 | 149 | 1 | 1 | 42.6 |
| 2006 | 318 | 3 | 1 | 53.4 |
| 2005 | 774 | 1 | 2 | 48.1 |
| 2004 | 375 | 2 | 2 | 58.0 |
| 2003 | 1,223 | 4 | 4 | 57.0 |
| 2002 | 1,426 | 4 | 4 | 60.8 |
| 2001 | 1,037 | 10 | 8 | 65.9 |
| 2000 | 1,195 | 8 | 9 | 64.6 |
| 1999 | 874 | 7 | 2 | 59.8 |
| 1998 | 545 | 4 | 0 | 55.2 |
| 1997 | 770 | 5 | 0 | 53.9 |
| 1996 | 825 | 8 | 0 | 53.7 |
| 1995 | 1,205 | 6 | 4 | 62.3 |
| 1994 | 923 | 5 | 4 | 61.2 |
| 1993 | 1,557 | 8 | 13 | 61.8 |
| 1992 | 681 | 6 | 14 | 64.9 |
| 1991 | 649 | 5 | 14 | 63.5 |
| 1990 | 381 | 8 | 15 | 66.2 |
| 1989 | 562 | 7 | 17 | 67.9 |
| 1988 | 333 | 6 | 23 | 67.9 |
| 1987 | 255 | 9 | 26 | 70.1 |
| 1986 | 101 | 9 | 22 | 61.1 |
| 1985 | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1984 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1981Viewing | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1977 | 2 | 0 | 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.