The 1981 Ford F-350 has 3 recalls, the most serious being a wheel defect on trucks equipped with 16.5 x 6.0 dual rear wheels where the rim may not be welded to the wheel disc, allowing the rim and tire to separate from the wheel without warning.
A separating rear wheel at road speed can cause sudden loss of vehicle control and a crash, with no warning signs before failure. Two separate fuel system recalls affect certain trucks: on some vehicles, the mid-ship fuel tank straps were mislocated or not properly tightened, meaning the tank can shift or sustain damage in a collision rather than staying secure as designed. On other trucks, a required fuel tank shield may have been omitted entirely during assembly, leaving the tank with less protection in a crash than federal fuel system integrity standards require. Both fuel system issues raise the risk of fuel leakage following a collision.
At a glance
What can fail
On some dual rear wheels, the rim may not be welded to the wheel disc, allowing the rim and tire to separate from the wheel without warning and cause loss of control.
What the fix does
No remedy description available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
Some vehicles may lack a fuel tank shield that was supposed to be installed. This shield provides extra protection to help the fuel system meet safety standards.
What the fix does
No remedy description available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The fuel tank straps may be positioned incorrectly or not tightened enough, which could allow the fuel tank to shift or become damaged in a collision.
What the fix does
No remedy description available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
