- Vehicles
- 26
- Built between
- Nov 1980 – Jan 1981
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 15 April 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 1980 and January 1981. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1981 Ford F250Built November 1980 to January 1981
- 1981 Ford F350Built November 1980 to January 1981
What the defect is
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.
What gets fixed
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.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 1980 to January 1981
- Recall reported to NHTSA13 February 1981
- Owners notified15 April 1981
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 13 February 1981.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 301
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Vehicle description: light trucks.system: fuel; fuel tank shield or skid plate.consequences of defect: in the event the vehicle is involved in a collisionfuel leakage, combined with an ignition source, may result in a vehicle fireand serious injury to passengers.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.