Total Complaints
2 filings
FORD F150 · model year
1981 FORD F150
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981FORDF150 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 F150 is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly 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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1981 F150. 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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110124TIRES
I PURCHASED FOUR USED SX 5000 STARFIRE (COOPER) 255/70-15 TIRES FOR MY 1981 FORD F-150 IN MARCH OF 2010. THE TIRES WERE MOUNTED TO WHAT I BELIEVE ARE 15X8 STEEL WHEELS BY THE INDEPENDENT TIRE SHOP THAT I PURCHASED THE TIRES FROM. I THEN DROVE FROM SAINT PETERSBURG, FL TO AUSTIN, TX ON THE TIRES WITH NO PROBLEMS. OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE MONTHS, I DROVE ABOUT 500 MILES ON THE TIRES WITH NO ISSUES, UNTIL ONE DAY ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES WAS FLAT IN MY DRIVEWAY, WITH THE TREAD SEPARATED IN ONE AREA. I REPLACED BOTH FRONT WHEELS WITH SPARE WHEELS AND TIRES (UNKNOWN EXACT SPECIFICATIONS, BUT SMALLER), AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, ONE OF THE REAR TIRES (AGAIN, IN MY DRIVEWAY) WAS FLAT, WITH THE TREAD SEPARATED. I PLACED TWO OTHER SPARE WHEELS/TIRES ON THE REAR AND PLACED THE SX 5000S IN MY GARAGE. WITHIN A WEEK, THE TWO SX5000S THAT HAD AIR IN THEM HAD BLOWN, AGAIN WITH THE TREAD SEPARATED. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WHEN THE WEATHER OUTSIDE TURNED HOT (SUMMER). TIRE PRESSURES WERE MAINTAINED NE
19990928FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
THERE IS A HOLE IN THE GAS TANK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Compare 1981FORDF150 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 FORD F150 have?▼
The 1981 FORD F150 has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 FORD F150?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 FORD F150 is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES.
Is the 1981 FORD F150 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.