FordE-150 Econoline1980Overview/ford/e-150-econoline/1980/base/

1980 Ford E-150 Econoline

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1980 E-150 Econoline.

The 1980 Ford E-150 Econoline presents a distinct profile defined by its recorded ownership metrics and regulatory history. This model year was subject to four recalls and generated only three total owner complaints, with suspension identified as the top complaint area. This sparse reporting history situates the 1980 iteration as a stable period in the model's reliability timeline, indicating few systemic defects for researchers to consider.

Model year198719831982198119801979197819771976

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant CapacityFront A/C only, 3.25; front and rear A/C, 4.00. lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type68
Oil CapacityFront A/C only, 9.00; front and rear A/C, 10.00. oz

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1980 Ford E-150 Econoline dominate in one area — the suspension, 1 of 3 reports (33%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 4 recall campaigns target the suspension, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the suspension 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.

4
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
3
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
3
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 3 complaints on record, top 3 components.

Suspension1
Wheels1
Exterior Lighting1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

79V237000Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle ShaftReported 26/10/1979

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH REAR AXLE SHAFTS (RIGHT OR LEFT) THAT DID NOT RECEIVE PROPER HEAT TREATMENT OF THE BEARING JOURNALS. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE BOTH REAR AXLE SHAFTS AT NO COST TO OWNER.

82V024000Equipment:Mechanical:Carrier/RackReported 15/03/1982

THE REINFORCEMENT FOR THE IN-BOX SPARE TIRE CARRIER MAY HAVE BEEN ATTACHED USING INCORRECT HEX HEAD BOLTS. IF THE CARRIER AND REINFORCEMENT ATTACHING BOLTS ARE INCORRECT, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE TIRE SIDEWALL TO BE… Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE BOLTS AND ANY DAMAGED SPARE TIRES AT NO COST TO OWNER.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 3 of 3 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
97471997-02-17StructureFRAME- RIVET REPLACEMENT WITH BOLTS- SERVICE TIPS. *JD
973101997-02-03SuspensionNOISE- "POPPING/CREAKING"- FRONT FRAME OR SUSPENSION BRACKETS- FRAME- "POPPING/CREAKING"…
95971995-05-01SuspensionUNKNOWN

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific E-150 Econoline. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 1980 E-150 Econoline have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.