Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1981 E-150 Econoline.
The 1981 Ford E-150 Econoline is represented in this dataset as a single model-year entry with a very light reliability footprint: only two owner complaints and one recall are recorded, with the electrical system standing out as the top complaint area. That minimal reporting volume is the most significant fact a researcher can take from the headline data, since it means the documented ownership experience is thin and the electrical system accounts for the largest share of the small number of reported problems. Consequently, this model year should be read as one that generated comparatively little formal feedback, leaving its overall reliability picture largely undefined beyond those few electrical reports.
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
| Refrigerant | R134a |
| Refrigerant Capacity | Front A/C only, 3.25; front and rear A/C, 4.00. lbs |
| Oil Group | PAG |
| Oil Type | 68 |
| Oil Capacity | Front A/C only, 9.00; front and rear A/C, 10.00. oz |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1981 Ford E-150 Econoline dominate in one area — the electrical system, 2 of 2 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 1 recall campaigns target the electrical system, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 2 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the electrical system pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 2 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
Remedy: INSTALL PROPER MOUNTING HARDWARE AND SEAT BELTS.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.