FordLTD1973Overview/ford/ltd/1973/base/

1973 Ford LTD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1973 LTD.

The 1973 Ford LTD registers a discrete reliability trajectory across the 1990–2000 complaint-tracking window, with documented incidents peaking at three recorded cases in 1991 before declining to a single reported issue by 1993. This pattern positions the model year within a low-incident phase of its service life, demonstrating minimal volatility despite the vehicle's advancing age during this period. The data suggests that while 1991 marked the highest concentration of documented concerns within this specific dataset, the overall complaint volume remained constrained, indicating a generally stable reliability profile for surviving examples throughout the early 1990s.

Model year198619851984198319821981198019791973

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length220.1 in
Overall width79.1 in
Overall height55.1 in
Wheelbase120.9 in

Reliability & federal safety record

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

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

73V033000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsReported 13/02/1973

Remedy:

80V143000Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:FanReported 07/11/1980

SOME OF THE FLEXIBLE FIVE-BLADE ENGINE COOLING FANS MAY BE SUBJECT TO HIGH BLADE STRESSES THAT CAN RESULT FROM RESONANT VIBRATION INPUTS OCCURRING DURING NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION. THIS CAN RESULT IN THE BLADES CRACKING… Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE DEFECTIVE FAN WITH ONE OF AN IMPROVED FIVE-BLADED DESIGN, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.

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 LTD. 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 1973 LTD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.