The Ford LTD has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1981–1986. On average a defect was admitted 9.75 years after the car was built, the slowest took 25 years. The most recalled system is Structure (2 campaigns). Owners also filed 24 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Ford LTD
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Structure 2 Read
What's wrong. Heat shields for the catalytic converter outlet pipes were omitted during production. Consequence of defect: after severe duty use, such as high speed pursuit, the outlet pipes become very hot and could ignite certain types of ground cover resulting in a vehicle fire
Fix. Install catalytic converter outlet pipe shields
What's wrong. Heat shields for the catalytic converter outlet pipes were omitted during production. Consequence of defect: after severe duty use, such as high speed pursuit, the outlet pipes become very hot and could ignite certain types of ground cover resulting in a vehicle fire
Fix. Install catalytic converter outlet pipe shields
What's wrong. The involved vehicles were produced without surlyn-coated foil insulators between the isolator and bracket assemblies and the rear bumper reinforcements. An epoxy coating was also omitted from the bracket assemblies. When exposed to the corrosive action of road salt, the aluminum rear bumper reinforcement could experience galvonic corrosion at the attachment surfaces. This would reduce the strength of the reinforcements and could result in bumper separation
Fix. Dealer will inspect rear bumper attachment components and replace them without charge, if necessary
Power Train 2 Read
What's wrong. The parking gear may not engage, even though the gear shift lever is placed in the "park" position. This occurs if the linkage inside the transmission that actuates the park gear was improperly manufactured. A pin that retains components on a linkage (actuating) rod could break and the linkage may not engage the parking gear
Fix. Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the parking pawl actuating rod assembly
What's wrong. An incorrect insulator may have been installed in the steering shift cane lever on the involved vehicles. This insulator is used to connect the transmission shift linkage to the shift cane lever. If the shift linkage were to separate from the shift lever, operator would be unable to shift gears. The transmission will be stuck in the last gear used before the separation took place
Fix. Dealer will install the correct insulator wihtout charge to owner
Electrical System 2 Read
What's wrong. The involved vehicles may start in reverse gear. This does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking affect". Some of these vehicles may be equipped with a defective neutral start switch that occasionally permits engine starting with the transmission shift lever in the reverse ("r") position
Fix. Dealer will inspect the involved vehicles and, if necessary, replace the transmission neutral start switch at no charge to owner
What's wrong. Some of the involved vehicles have electrical relay systems which may be susceptible to water leakage into the relay case. Water entry may cause a short circuit within the relay
Fix. Dealer will inspect vehicles for the type of relay used, reorient wiring harnesses as necessary, and replace suspect relays with new parts
Fuel System, Gasoline 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain federal-mogul aftermarket fuel pumps sold under the brand names of carter, accuflow, napa, truflow, parts depo, and parts master, shipped between august 2006 and july 2007 for use on the vehicles listed above. The fuel pump diaphragm in certain production runs may have been improperly installed or inadequately tested which may cause the fuel pump to leak
Risk. A leaking fuel pump could create a vehicle fire hazard
Fix. Federal-mogul will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on october 15, 2007. Owners can contact federal-mogul at 248-354-7700
What's wrong. Certain federal-mogul aftermarket fuel pumps sold under the brand names of carter, accuflow, napa, truflow, parts depo, and parts master, shipped between august 2006 and july 2007 for use on the vehicles listed above. The fuel pump diaphragm in certain production runs may have been improperly installed or inadequately tested which may cause the fuel pump to leak
Risk. A leaking fuel pump could create a vehicle fire hazard
Fix. Federal-mogul will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on october 15, 2007. Owners can contact federal-mogul at 248-354-7700
What's wrong. Certain federal-mogul aftermarket fuel pumps sold under the brand names of carter, accuflow, napa, truflow, parts depo, and parts master, shipped between august 2006 and july 2007 for use on the vehicles listed above. The fuel pump diaphragm in certain production runs may have been improperly installed or inadequately tested which may cause the fuel pump to leak
Risk. A leaking fuel pump could create a vehicle fire hazard
Fix. Federal-mogul will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on october 15, 2007. Owners can contact federal-mogul at 248-354-7700
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. Brake booster rear shells may have reduced wall thicknesses which could cause the shell to break. Consequence of defect: repeated brake use could cause the shell to crack and the booster assembly to come apart. Service brakes capability would be totally lost without warning and could result in an accident
Fix. Inspect and if necessary replace the power brake booster assembly
Seat Belts 1 Read
What's wrong. The bolts that attach the d-shaped ring for the shoulder belt are inadequately supported by the material in which they are mounted. The attachment does not comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages"
Fix. Dealers will install new attaching hardware to improve the strength of the mounting
Suspension 1 Read
What's wrong. The lower control arms may have been manufactured from steel with material thickness below the minimum specifications for police duty. This could lead to cracks developing in the control arms, and eventually, the possibility of fracture of an arm
Fix. The dealer will install new rear suspension lower control arms on both sides of the vehicle without charge
What's wrong. The lower control arms may have been manufactured from steel with material thickness below the minimum specifications for police duty. This could lead to cracks developing in the control arms, and eventually, the possibility of fracture of an arm
Fix. The dealer will install new rear suspension lower control arms on both sides of the vehicle without charge
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 9.75 years |
| Slowest campaign | 25 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 41.7% |
| Campaigns on record | 10 |
Which LTD years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1985 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1984 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1983 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1982 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1981 | Fuel System, Gasoline |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Ford LTD have?
10 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1981–1986. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my LTD still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 9.75 years, and the slowest campaign came 25 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.