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FaultScore report

1986 Ford LTD problems

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 1986 Ford LTD with NHTSA between 1995 and 2001. The largest single group is the electrical system.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Ford LTD
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Not graded

Too few complaints, too short a model run, or older than 1993 — the year the federal file can first describe fairly.

How this is worked out

The numbers

11

Complaints

2

Crashes reported

2

Fires reported

2

Injuries reported

How 1986 compares with every other Ford LTD

Click any bar to open that year's report.

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 4 36.4%

0 crashes, 1 fires

Seats 2 18.2%

2 crashes, 0 fires

Engine & Cooling 2 18.2%

0 crashes, 1 fires

Seat Belts 1 9.1%
Fuel & Propulsion 1 9.1%
Body & Structure 1 9.1%

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 1995 peak 2 Aug 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.

PE87028 Opened 1 May 1987 Closed 21 Jan 1988 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

STALLING

NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN DETECTED.===

EA86010 Opened 26 Mar 1986 Closed 28 Jul 1989 SEATS

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, OH Fire

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, WI Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ELECTRICAL FIRE. (RICE LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT)

NHTSA complaint #505049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Knox, IN Crash 2 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, IN Crash 2 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, OH Fire

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, WI Fire

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, IN Crash 2 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, IN Crash 2 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.