1981 Ford F350: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1981 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 1; Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 2 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
1999: 1; 2000: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 549738 · 1999-11-29 (November 29, 1999)
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN VEHICLE FIRE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 549738 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 718866 · 2000-02-17 (February 17, 2000)
HEADLIGHTS GO OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 718866 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
4 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
80V145000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Mounting
Reported: 1980-11-10 (November 10, 1980)
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.
Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, RELOCATE FUEL TANK STRAPS WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
NHTSA campaign record ↗81V023000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Mounting
Reported: 1981-02-13 (February 13, 1981)
CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED WITHOUT THE SPECIFIED FUEL TANK SHIELD WHICH PREVENTS DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND DRIVELINE COMPONENTS. DURING A 30 MPH FRONTAL BARRIER IMPACT TEST, AS SPECIFIED IN FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY", FUEL LEAKAGE MAY OCCUR.
Remedy: VEHICLES WILL HAVE THE EXISTING SEPARATE SKID PLATE OR FUEL TANK SHIELD REMOVED (WHICHEVER WAS INSTALLED ON VEHICLE). A SPECIAL COMBINATION SKID PLATE/FUEL TANK SHIELD ASSEMBLY WILL BE INSTALLED IN ITS PLACE FREE OF CHARGE.
NHTSA campaign record ↗81V035000 · Wheels:Rim
Reported: 1981-03-20 (March 20, 1981)
CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE DISC PORTION OF THE WHEEL WELDED TO THE RIM DURING MANUFACTURE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE WHEEL COULD BE SUBJECT TO SUDDEN SEPARATION OF THE RIM AND TIRE FROM THE WHEEL DISC.
Remedy: SUSPECT WHEELS WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED, IF NECESSARY, AT NO CHARGE.
NHTSA campaign record ↗82V024000 · Equipment:Mechanical:Carrier/Rack
Reported: 1982-03-15 (March 15, 1982)
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.
Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE BOLTS AND ANY DAMAGED SPARE TIRES AT NO COST TO OWNER.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
2 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Tires | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2007: 0 complaints · 2008: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | Exterior Lighting:Headlights |
|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | — | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.