The 1981 Ford F-150 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 18,890 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE REINFORCEMENT FOR THE IN-BOX SPARE TIRE CARRIER MAY HAVE BEEN ATTACHED USING INCORRECT HEX HEAD BOLTS. IF THE CARRIER AND REINFORCEMENT ATTACHING BOLTS ARE INCORRECT, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE TIRE SIDEWALL TO BE DAMAGED OR WEAKENED BY EXTENDED CONTACT WITH THE SHARP EDGES OF THE BOLT HEADS.
DEALER WILL REPLACE BOLTS AND ANY DAMAGED SPARE TIRES AT NO COST TO OWNER.
THE INVOLVED TRUCKS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A CERTAIN PORTION OF SPECIFIED FLOOR PAN INSULATION MATERIAL (BENEATH THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) OMITTED. BECAUSE OF THIS OMISSION, A SECTION OF THE SHEET METAL FLOOR PAN WAS LEFT EXPOSED OVER THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IN AN AREA OF POSSIBLE PASSENGER CONTACT.
THE DEALER WILL INSTALL A REVISED DESIGN FLOORPAN INSULATOR PAD AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
DURING A CHANGE IN ASSEMBLY PROCEDURES, CERTAIN OF THE MID-SHIP FUEL TANK STRAPS MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR MISLOCATED. AS A RESULT, THEY FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY". IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, EXCESSIVE FUEL SPILLAGE MAY OCCUR.
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, RELOCATE FUEL TANK STRAPS WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“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…”
“There is a hole in the gas tank. Dealer has been contacted. *ak”
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 F-150 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.