The 1981 Ford Ltd has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 37,115 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED FROM STEEL WITH MATERIAL THICKNESS BELOW THE MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS FOR POLICE DUTY. THIS COULD LEAD TO CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE CONTROL ARMS, AND EVENTUALLY, THE POSSIBILITY OF FRACTURE OF AN ARM.
THE DEALER WILL INSTALL NEW REAR SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT CHARGE.
SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAVE ELECTRICAL RELAY SYSTEMS WHICH MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WATER LEAKAGE INTO THE RELAY CASE. WATER ENTRY MAY CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT WITHIN THE RELAY.
DEALER WILL INSPECT VEHICLES FOR THE TYPE OF RELAY USED, REORIENT WIRING HARNESSES AS NECESSARY, AND REPLACE SUSPECT RELAYS WITH NEW PARTS.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT SURLYN-COATED FOIL INSULATORS BETWEEN THE ISOLATOR AND BRACKET ASSEMBLIES AND THE REAR BUMPER REINFORCEMENTS. AN EPOXY COATING WAS ALSO OMITTED FROM THE BRACKET ASSEMBLIES. WHEN EXPOSED TO THE CORROSIVE ACTION OF ROAD SALT, THE ALUMINUM REAR BUMPER REINFORCEMENT COULD…
DEALER WILL INSPECT REAR BUMPER ATTACHMENT COMPONENTS AND REPLACE THEM WITHOUT CHARGE, IF NECESSARY.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY START IN REVERSE GEAR. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING AFFECT". SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A DEFECTIVE NEUTRAL START SWITCH THAT OCCASIONALLY PERMITS…
DEALER WILL INSPECT THE INVOLVED VEHICLES AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION NEUTRAL START SWITCH AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
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 Ltd as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.