Recalls (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 1981 Ford LTD. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗SUSPENSION:SINGLE AXLE:REAR:CONTROL ARM
- Summary
- THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED FROM STEEL WITH MATERIAL THICKNESS BELOW THE MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS FOR POLICE DUTY. THIS COULD LEAD TO CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE CONTROL ARMS, AND EVENTUALLY, THE POSSIBILITY OF FRACTURE OF AN ARM.
- Remedy
- THE DEALER WILL INSTALL NEW REAR SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT CHARGE.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:HARNESS:UNDER DASH
- Summary
- SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAVE ELECTRICAL RELAY SYSTEMS WHICH MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WATER LEAKAGE INTO THE RELAY CASE. WATER ENTRY MAY CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT WITHIN THE RELAY.
- Remedy
- DEALER WILL INSPECT VEHICLES FOR THE TYPE OF RELAY USED, REORIENT WIRING HARNESSES AS NECESSARY, AND REPLACE SUSPECT RELAYS WITH NEW PARTS.
STRUCTURE:BUMPER ASSEMBLY:ATTACHMENTS/SUPPORT BARS
- Summary
- THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT SURLYN-COATED FOIL INSULATORS BETWEEN THE ISOLATOR AND BRACKET ASSEMBLIES AND THE REAR BUMPER REINFORCEMENTS. AN EPOXY COATING WAS ALSO OMITTED FROM THE BRACKET ASSEMBLIES. WHEN EXPOSED TO THE CORROSIVE ACTION OF ROAD SALT, THE ALUMINUM REAR BUMPER REINFORCEMENT COULD EXPERIENCE GALVONIC CORROSION AT THE ATTACHMENT SURFACES. THIS WOULD REDUCE THE STRENGTH OF THE REINFORCEMENTS AND COULD RESULT IN BUMPER SEPARATION.
- Remedy
- DEALER WILL INSPECT REAR BUMPER ATTACHMENT COMPONENTS AND REPLACE THEM WITHOUT CHARGE, IF NECESSARY.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH:NEUTRAL START
- Summary
- THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY START IN REVERSE GEAR. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING AFFECT". SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A DEFECTIVE NEUTRAL START SWITCH THAT OCCASIONALLY PERMITS ENGINE STARTING WITH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER IN THE REVERSE ("R") POSITION.
- Remedy
- DEALER WILL INSPECT THE INVOLVED VEHICLES AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION NEUTRAL START SWITCH AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (0)
0 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings).
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
NHTSA has no component data for this model year.
How 1981 compares with other LTD years
Best and worst LTD years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 5 | 1 |
| 1984 | 14 | 2 |
| 1985 | 17 | 2 |
| 1986 | 9 | 0 |
| 1987 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | 6 | 0 |
| 1989 | 8 | 0 |
| 1990 | 2 | 0 |
| 1991 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992 | 2 | 0 |
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Looking at a 1981 LTD for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
1981 Ford LTD FAQ
How many recalls does the 1981 Ford LTD have?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns: 82V135000 (suspension), 80V147000 (electrical), 80V141000 (structure), 80V121000 (electrical). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
How does the 1981 LTD compare with other years?
Among the 1983–1992 Ford LTD model years at least five years old, the 1987 drew the fewest complaints (1) and the 1985 the most (17). The 1981 drew 0. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.