The 1981 Ford F-350 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 19,236 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. 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.
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.
SUSPECT WHEELS WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED, IF NECESSARY, AT NO CHARGE.
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.
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.
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.
“Possible engine failure resulted in vehicle fire (ohio traffic crash report). *mjs”
“Possible engine failure resulted in vehicle fire (ohio traffic crash report). *mjs”
“Headlights go off and on while driving at night. *ak”
There is no summary currently available
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-350 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.