Menu

1981 Ford MustangProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 0 owner complaints about the 1981 Ford Mustang. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

–
CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints00 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem0—

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 8, 1981. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1981 Ford Mustang has problems

0 complaints 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

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

1 recall

1981 Ford Mustang 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.

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 Mustang 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 Mustang median. How we score

'67'68'69'70'71'72'73'74'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

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

  1. FAILURE OF SEAT BACK SECURING BOLTSDP85009 · closed Feb 27, 1985
    No recall
  2. FRONT SEATBACK FAILUREEA83013 · closed Jan 26, 1989
    Led to recall 84V-085
  3. FLOOR PAN CRACKSEA85016 · closed Apr 14, 1987
    No recall
  4. FLOOR PAN FRACTUREEA90025 · closed Apr 10, 1991
    No recall

Own a 1981 Mustang?

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