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Recalls, inspection results and owner complaints for the 1981 Ford Escort, from official sources in the US, Canada and Europe. To check one specific car, enter its VIN or plate.
We checked recall campaigns for this vehicle, or for its model where the register works by model.
Source: NHTSA (US Department of Transportation) · US public domain
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, METAL FASTENERS THAT WERE USED TO SECURE THE CARPETING TO THE FLOOR PAN MAY HAVE ACCIDENTALLY PENETRATED THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. THIS WOULD RESULT IN A SLIGHT FUEL LEAK. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT VEHICLES FOR PENETRATION OF THE FUEL TANK BY CARPET FASTENERS. ANY LEAKING FUEL TANKS WILL BE REPLACED AND THE FLOOR PAN WILL BE SEALED, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNERS.
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND REAR BRAKE BACKING PLATE ATTACHMENT BOLTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO THE CORRECT SPECIFICATIONS. BACKING PLATE BOLTS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE LOADS EXPERIENCED DURING TRUCK SHIPMENT. IF THE BOLTS LOOSEN FROM THE SPINDLE DURING OPERATION, BACKING PLATE MOVEMENT MAY RESULT IN WEAKENING OR PREMATURE WEAR OF ONE OR BOTH REAR BRAKE TUBES. THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND TIGHTEN THE BOLTS TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATIONS. REAR BRAKE TUBES WILL BE REPLACED, IF NECESSARY, AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRE ASSEMBLY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ROUTED ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONING SUCTION HOSE. THIS HOSE MAY PUSH UP ON THE WIRING HARNESS CAUSING IT TO CONTACT THE HOOD PROP ROD BRACKET ATTACHING BOLT. THIS COULD LEAD TO PENETRATION OR CHAFING OF THE WIRING INSULATION. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, CORRECT THE WIRING HARNESS ROUTING AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
SCREW THAT CONNECTS THE SEAT BACK FRAME TO THE RECLINER MECHANISM MAY BREAK. Remedy: THE ATTACHMENT SCREW ON THE DRIVER"S SEAT WILL BE REPLACED BY ONE OF A LARGER DIAMETER.
SEAT FRAME STRUCTURE COULD SEVER FRONT SEAT BELTS IF VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, DEPENDING ON FORCE OF IMPACT. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSTALL A MOLDED SPACER BETWEEN REINFORCEMENT PLATES AND LOWER DECORATIVE PLASTIC COVER.
FUEL MAY POSSIBLY TRAVEL THROUGH THE SPEED CONTROL VACUUM LINES AND INTO THE SPEED CONTROL ACTUATION DEVICE (SERV0). THE FUEL CAN DAMAGE SEALS IN THE ACTUATOR SERVO AND ALLOW VACUUM LEAKS. SUCH A LEAK COULD ACTIVATE THE SPEED CONTROL WITHOUT ANY ACTION ON THE PART OF THE DRIVER. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO GRADUALLY ACCELERATE. Remedy: THE VACUUM CHECK VALVE AND HOSE ASSEMBLY WILL BE REPLACED AND THE SPEED CONTROL SERVO WILL BE REPLACED IF IT HAS BEEN DAMAGED.
DOOR LOCK PILLARS COULD DEVELOP FATIGUE CRACKS FROM NORMAL USAGE OF DOOR, AT THE POINT WHERE DOOR LATCH STRIKER REINFORCEMENTS ARE ATTACHED. Remedy: ANY DAMAGED LOCK PILLARS WILL BE REPAIRED AND REINFORCEMENTS WILL BE INSTALLED BETWEEN THE DOOR LATCH STRIKER AND LOCK PILLARS.
SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAVE AN ELECTRICALLY UNGROUNDED FUEL INLET. THESE VEHICLES ARE SUBJECT TO STATIC CHARGE ACCUMULATION AT THE FUEL FILLER PIPE OPENING, WHICH CAN OCCUR IF THESE VEHICLES ARE REFUELED FROM AN ELECTRICALLY UNGROUNDED DISPENSING NOZZLE. Remedy: A GROUNDING CONNECTION FROM THE FILLER PIPE INLET TO THE VEHICLE BODY AND A STATIC ELECTRICITY SUPPRESSION ROD INSIDE THE FILLER PIPE WILL BE INSTALLED AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER BRAKE BOOSTERS HAVE FRONT AND REAR SHELLS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY JOINED. IMPROPERLY JOINED BOOSTER SHELLS MAY SEPARATE EITHER PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. Remedy: ALL DEFECTIVE BOOSTERS WILL BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
THE PORTION OF THE ROOF ABOVE FRAME (RAIL) TO WHICH THE SHOULDER BELT IS ANCHORED MAY HAVE A SLOT THAT CAN COMPROMISE THE STRENGTH OF THE SHOULDER BELT ANCHOR UNDER CERTAIN SEVERE LOADS. (THE SUSPECT AREA IS NOT VISIBLE.) CONSEQUENTLY, SOME VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL MAY NOT MEET THE 3000 POUND ANCHORAGE STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES". Remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REINFORCE THE ROOF RAIL INNER PANEL SURROUNDING THE DRAINAGE HOLE AT NO COST TO OWNER.
We checked Transport Canada's recall database for this make, model and year.
Source: Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Open Government Licence – Canada
ON VEHICLES WITH OPTIONAL FRONT SEAT RECLINERS, THE UPPER SHOULDER SCREW THAT ATTACHES THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK FRAME TO THE RECLINER MECHANISM MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FATIGUE FRACTURE. IF FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE RECLINER UPPER ATTACHMENT SCREW WERE TO OCCUR ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THE SEAT BACK COULD ROTATE REARWARD TO A NEAR HORIZONTAL POSITION WITHOUT WARNING POTENTIALLY AFFECTING THE DRIVER'S CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
WHEN SEVERELY LOADED BY A FRONTAL IMPACT, THE SEAT BELT WEBBING MAY CONTACT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT SEAT-BACK STELL REINFORCEMENT PLATES. THIS MAY CAUSE THE SEAT BELT WEBBING TO BE ABRADED, CUT OR COMPLETELY SEVERED, THEREBY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE RISK OF SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURIES.
TWO DOOR MODELS. FATIGUE CRACKS MAY OCCUR IN THE DOOR LOCK PILLARS AT THE FRONT DOOR LATCH STRIKER REINFORCEMENT ATTACHMENT LOCATIONS. THE FATIGUE CRACKS MAY PROPOGATE TO THE EXTENT THAT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE DOOR LATCH STRIKER ATTACHMENT MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED CREATING THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE DOOR MAY NOT BE SECURELY RETAINED. THIS CONDITION IS OBSERVABLE BY VISIBLY NOTICEABLE CRACKS ON THE DOOR LOCK PILLAR ADJACENT TO THE STRIKER ASSEMBLIES.
STATION WAGONS. THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH CMVSS 210 - BELT AHCHORAGES.
VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN ELECTRICALLY UNGROUNDED FUEL INLET. AS A RESULT THEY MAY BE SUBJECT TO A STATIC CHARGE ACCUMULATION AT THE FUEL FILLER OPENING, IF A VEHICLE IS REFUELED FROM AN ELECTRICALLY UNGROUNDED DISPENSING NOZZLE. IF AN ARC IS PRODUCED, THIS MAY IGNITE THE MIXTURE OF FUEL VAPOUR AND AIR AT THE FILLER OPENING. IN ADDITION THE ABSENCE OF AN ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE SUFFICIENT TO ARCING WITHIN THE FUEL FILLER PIPE MAY BE GENERATED DURING FUELING.
Problems owners of this model reported to NHTSA, grouped by component.
Source: NHTSA (US Department of Transportation) · US public domain
VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER BRAKES. POWER BRAKE BOOSTERS MAY HAVE BEWEN IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED BY SUPPLIER. MIS-INDEXING OF REAR SHELL OF SOME BOOSTERS RELATIVE TO THE FRONT SHELL MAY HAVE RESULTED IN INADEQUATE CRIMPING OF THE TWO SHELLS. IF BOOSTER WERE TO SEPARATE DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, COMPLETE LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKES WOULD RESULT.
VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL. FUEL MAY MIGRATE THROUGH THE SPEED CONTROL VACUUM LINES INTO THE SPEED CONTROL SERVO ASSEMBLY THIS COULD CAUSE THE VACUUM O-RING TO SHRINK ALLOWING A VACUUM LEAK. THIS LEAK MAY RESULT IN UNINTENDED ACTIVATION OF THE SPEED CONTROL AND COULD CAUSE GRADUAL ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE.
METAL FASTENERS USED TO SECURE THE CARPETING TO THE FLOOR PAN MAY HAVE BEEN MILOCATED AND MAY HAVE PENETRATED THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. THIS CONDITION MAY ALLOW FUEL LEAKAGE.
VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AIR CONDITIONING MAY HAVE THE MAIN ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRE ASSEMBLY INCORRECTLY ROUTED ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONING SUCTION HOSE SUCH THAT THE WIRE ASSEMBLY CONTACTS THE HOOD PROP-UP BRACKET ATTACHING BOLT. THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN CHAFING OF THE WIRING INSULATION POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT THAT MAY RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
VEHICLES MAY HAVE INADEQUATE TORQUE ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT REAR BRAKE BACKING PLATE ATTACHMENT BOLTS TO WITHSTAND THE LOADS EXPERIENCED DURING RRUCK SHIPMENT. SHOULD THE BACKING PLATE BOLTS LOOSEN FROM THE SPINDLE DURING TRANSIT, BACKING PLATE MOVEMENT MAY CAUSE FATIGUE OF ONE OR BOTH REAR BRAKE TUBES RESULTING IN AL LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID.