How many recalls does the 1981 Ford E-150 have?

The 1981 Ford E-150 has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 1981 Ford E-150 has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1981 Ford E-150?

Of 2 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is electrical system.

1981 Ford E-150 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1981 Ford E-150 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 13,637 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

SEAT BELTS 90V137000 1990-07-18 13,637 affected

Consequence

OCCUPANTS WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY PROTECTED IN EVENT OFAN ACCIDENT OR SUDDEN STOP.

Remedy

INSTALL PROPER MOUNTING HARDWARE AND SEAT BELTS.

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Total complaints2

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Electrical short in the ignition switch, causing the vehicle to catch on fire. *ak”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH · reported 1992-04-10

Defect investigations

Investigation EA87002 Opened 1986-11-04 · closed 1987-04-29

FILLER NECK SPURT

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:FORD HAS SUPPLIED INFORMATION REQUESTED CONCERNING VEHICLE POPULATIONAND THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS.ANALYSIS:THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE ONE OF EXCESSIVE HEAT COLLECTING UNDER THEVEHICLES, USUALLY WHILE STATIONARY WITH THE ENGINE IDLING.THIS HEATCAUSES THE FUEL TO VAPORIZE IN THE…

Sources & methodology

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 E-150 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.