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1981 Ford EscortProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 1981 Ford Escort, most often about the seats. It is covered by 10 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls10Free fix at dealersOwner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Seats

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 11, 1997. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1981 Ford Escort has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seats10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

10 recalls

1981 Ford Escort recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Show 6 more recalls

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1981 vs. every other Escort year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Escort median. How we score

'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1981 Ford Escort, and the recalls they led to.

  1. TIMING CHAIN FAILUREDP84009 · closed Jul 17, 1984
    No recall
  2. STALLING AND CARBURETOR MALFUNCTIONSDP84017 · closed Sep 10, 1984
    No recall
  3. FAILURE OF SEAT BACK SECURING BOLTSDP85009 · closed Feb 27, 1985
    No recall
  4. FRONT SEATBACK FAILUREEA83013 · closed Jan 26, 1989
    Led to recall 84V-085

Own a 1981 Escort?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.