Total Complaints
2 filings
FORD BRONCO · model year
1981 FORD BRONCO
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981FORDBRONCO carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1981 BRONCO is tires:tread/belt with 1 filings, followed by tires (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 1981 BRONCO. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20200810TIRES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1981 FORD BRONCO EQUIPPED WITH NEXEN TIRES, TIRE: LINE: NPRIZAH5 N/A, TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 N/A, DOT NUMBER: 8EBN LMEL 4318. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES A YEAR AGO, AND STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS DRIVING AT 45 MPH, WITH HIS MECHANIC GOING ON TO THE INTERSTATE, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE WAS FLAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HE AND HIS MECHANIC WERE REPLACING THE TIRE, THEY NOTICED THAT THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WAS SLASHED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT LEFT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK THE DAMAGED TIRE TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TAKEN THE TIRES BACK TO CRUZ TIRE SHOP WHERE HE PURCHASED THE TIRES BECAUSE THERE WAS A WARRANTY OF 50 MILES AND ONE YEAR OF ROAD HAZER AND WAS INFORMED THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRES. THE CONTACT M
Mileage: 68,158
20001023TIRES:TREAD/BELT
STEEL BELTS SEPARATED IN TWO PLACES: ONE CAUSED THE TREAD TO SHIFT OVER ABOUT 1 INCH; THE OTHER SEPARATION FOLDED UNDER ITSELF, AND CAUSED A KNOT THE WIDTH OF THE TREAD. *AK (DOT NUMBER: UNKK65A402 TIRESIZE: LT23575R15)
Compare 1981FORDBRONCO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 FORD BRONCO have?▼
The 1981 FORD BRONCO has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 FORD BRONCO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 FORD BRONCO is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES.
Is the 1981 FORD BRONCO safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.