1981 Ford Bronco Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1981 Ford Bronco. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the tires. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“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…”
“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)”
Defect investigations
FRONT BRK CALIPER SEIZURE
ANALYSIS:ALLEGEDLY, DURING BRAKE APPLICATION THE DISC BRAKE CALIPERSSEIZE, RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE PULL AND/OR FRONT BRAKE LOCK-UP.SOMEREPORTS CITE A COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL RESULTING IN UNFOREWARNEDAND UNAVOIDABLE TRAVEL INTO OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANES.CONSUMERS CLAIM THATSERVICE PERSONNEL HAVE CONSISTENTLY…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1981 Ford Bronco as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.