Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 1986 Ford LTD
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Electrical System
436.4%
0 crashes, 1 fires
Seats
218.2%
2 crashes, 0 fires
Engine & Cooling
218.2%
0 crashes, 1 fires
Seat Belts
19.1%
Fuel & Propulsion
19.1%
Body & Structure
19.1%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Apr 1995peak 2Aug 2001
NHTSA investigations into the 1986 Ford LTD
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
PE87028Opened 1 May 1987Closed 21 Jan 1988ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
STALLING
NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN DETECTED.===
EA86010Opened 26 Mar 1986Closed 28 Jul 1989SEATS
SEATBACK FAILURE
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:FORD BELIEVES THAT THE AL-LEGED DEFECT ONLY OCCURS IN A SMALL NUMBER OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ANDRECALLED ABOUT 195,732 1984 TEMPO/TOPAZ VEHICLES IN JUNE 1986.ANALYSIS: VEHICLES POTENTIALLY INVOLVED INCLUDE TEMPO/TOPAZ, ESCORT/LYNX/EXP, MUSTANG/CAPRI, LTD/MARQUIS, AND THUNDERBIRD/COUGAR.FORD SOLD ABOUT 110,000 REPLACEMENT MIO BOLTS, MAINLY FOR 1983 AND 1984MODELS. LOW CLAMPING FORCE APPEARS TO BE A LARGE PART OF THE PROBLEM.FORD INCREASED THE TORQUE REQUIREMENTS AND REQUIRED THE USE OF A MANUALTORQUE TOOL IN MARCH AND SEPTEMBER 1985 PRODUCTION CHANGES. 1...
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Cleveland, OHFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN VEHICLE FIRE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *MJS
NHTSA complaint #554259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rice Lake, WIFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL FIRE. (RICE LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT)
NHTSA complaint #505049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Knox, INCrash2 injured
SEATS
PURCHASED CAR USED, ON IMPACT, HIT FROM THE RIGHT REAR BACK, BOTH FRONT SEATS RECLINED BACKWARD PLEASE DESCRIBE .
NHTSA complaint #981308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Knox, INCrash2 injured
SEATS
PURCHASED CAR USED, ON IMPACT, HIT FROM THE RIGHT REAR BACK, BOTH FRONT SEATS RECLINED BACKWARD PLEASE DESCRIBE .
NHTSA complaint #981308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Poplar Bluff, MO
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
RIGHT REAR PASSENGER POWER DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. LATCH COULD NOT BE MANUALLY LIFTED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #894954 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cleveland, OHFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN VEHICLE FIRE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *MJS
NHTSA complaint #554259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Stow, OH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION MODULE FAILED AND REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, CAUSING ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
NHTSA complaint #522174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Stow, OH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
CAR ENGINE DIED COMPLETELY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, REPLACE IGNITION MODULE SEVERAL TIMES.
NHTSA complaint #522174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rice Lake, WIFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL FIRE. (RICE LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT)
NHTSA complaint #505049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Phoenix, AZ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
SHORT IN IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING IT TO COME APART (OTHER VEHICLE FROM 983187).
NHTSA complaint #505094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Knox, INCrash2 injured
SEATS
PURCHASED CAR USED, ON IMPACT, HIT FROM THE RIGHT REAR BACK, BOTH FRONT SEATS RECLINED BACKWARD PLEASE DESCRIBE .
NHTSA complaint #981308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Knox, INCrash2 injured
SEATS
PURCHASED CAR USED, ON IMPACT, HIT FROM THE RIGHT REAR BACK, BOTH FRONT SEATS RECLINED BACKWARD PLEASE DESCRIBE .
NHTSA complaint #981308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Staten ISL, NY
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL PUMP REPLACED MANY TIMES OVER LAST TWO YEARS DUE TO FAILURES. *SKD
NHTSA complaint #480022 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cleveland, TX
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT FAILURE, DIFFICULTY LATCHING THE SEAT BELT LATCH. TT
NHTSA complaint #965848 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hornell, NY
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CONSUMER PURCHASE THE GRAND PRIX USED CAR WILL NOT AFTER 24 HOUR DEALER SOLD THE FORD KNOW IT NOT WORKING . TT
NHTSA complaint #964241 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.