PlainCars

Ford F-150 · model year

1983 Ford F-150

12 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

Complaints
12
Recalls
0

The verdict

The 1983 Ford F-150 posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.

Top 12%
fewest complaints, own model years
0
recall campaigns

The 1983FordF-150 carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 4 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1983 F-150 is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 2 filings, followed by tires:tread/belt (2) and tires (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 11 investigation files overlapping the 1983 F-150, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

12
Complaints
0
Crashes
4
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1983 Ford F-150

PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.

NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.

Total Complaints

12 filings

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

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE2
TIRES:TREAD/BELT2
TIRES2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY1

Recent Complaints

20021016TIRES

THESE TIRES ARE SEPARATING AND CLOSE TO BLOWING OUT!! UNFORTUNATELY I CANT AFFORD A NEW SET. THEY ONLY HAVE 15000 MILES ON THEM. I CONTACTED UNIROYAL AND THEY WERE VERY DEFIANT AND BRASH!! SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED USING THIS TIRE, IF THEY HAVENT ALREADY!! THIS TIRE IS ROTTED AND FALLING APART. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY MADE WITH FAULTY COMPONENTS!! DO YOUR JOD AND GET THIS TIRE OFF THE ROAD!!!!!!! MR

20021016TIRES

THESE TIRES ARE SEPARATING AND CLOSE TO BLOWING OUT!! UNFORTUNATELY I CANT AFFORD A NEW SET. THEY ONLY HAVE 15000 MILES ON THEM. I CONTACTED UNIROYAL AND THEY WERE VERY DEFIANT AND BRASH!! SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED USING THIS TIRE, IF THEY HAVENT ALREADY!! THIS TIRE IS ROTTED AND FALLING APART. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY MADE WITH FAULTY COMPONENTS!! DO YOUR JOD AND GET THIS TIRE OFF THE ROAD!!!!!!! MR

20010827ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE STOPS WHILE DRIVING.STARTER STICKS. *AK

20010827ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

ENGINE STOPS WHILE DRIVING.STARTER STICKS. *AK

20001019TIRES:TREAD/BELT

TIRE FAILURE-FIRESTONE TOWN & COUNTRY 235/75/R15-TREAD SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY. TIRES PURCHASED ON 1/99. INSURED SAVED TIRES. (CLAIM# 48-5136-721) *MW

20001017TIRES:TREAD/BELT

FIRESTONE TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC

19990217VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. TOOK DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND REPLACED CARBURETOR 3 TIMES. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK

19981117FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE SAFETY CHECK VALVE TO STOP THE FLOW OF FUEL OF VEHICLE WHEN ITS NOT RUNNING .THIS CAUSED A FIRE THAT DESTROYED CONSUMERS HOUSE. COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURIES. *AK *SB

19961231FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.(OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)

19960516FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

DROVE VEHICLE TO STORE, GOT MIRROR, ARRIVED HOME & PARKED, DAUGHTER G0T PURSE, NOTICED SMOKE, PULLED UP HOOD; FLAMES SHOT UP; VEHICLE BURNED COMPLETELY. *AK

19960213VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR

LEAVES GOT INTO THE FRONT BLOWER MOTOR AND CAUSED A FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

19960209FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

VEHICLE WAS PARKED TURNED SWITCH SAW SMOKE, AND CONSOLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. TT

Compare 1983FordF-150 to Similar Vehicles

F-150 vs FordExplorer → F-150 vs JeepGrand Cherokee → F-150 vs FordEscape → F-150 vs HondaAccord →

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen

Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up

PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up

RQ24005Recall QueryClosed

Unintended Transmission Downshift

PE18008Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Seatbelt Pretensioner Fire

RQ16001Recall QueryClosed

Brake Master Cylinder Failure

View all investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1983 Ford F-150 have?▼
The 1983 Ford F-150 has 12 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 4 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 Ford F-150?▼
The most-complained component for the 1983 Ford F-150 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES:TREAD/BELT and TIRES.
Is the 1983 Ford F-150 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.

Data vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1983 Ford F-150; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.