Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1981 Thunderbird.
The 1981 Ford Thunderbird is the subject of this overview, yet the available model complaint history covers only the 1990 through 2005 period, placing this model year outside that recorded span. Within that dataset, complaints reached a high of 482 in 1993 and a low of 2 in 1999. As a result, the 1981 model year sits before the documented reliability window, which means its place in the Thunderbird's complaint history falls outside the scope of these figures.
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Thunderbird of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Turbo Coupe 2.3L Turbo I-4 | 8.50 sec | 16.30 sec | 190 hp | RWD |
| 1989 | SC Coupe 3.8L Supercharger V6 | 6.00 sec | 15.90 sec | 210 hp | RWD |
| 1972 | 429 Hardtop Coupe 7.0L V8 | 12.00 sec | 18.16 sec | 212 hp | RWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMPS SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF CARTER, ACCUFLOW, NAPA, TRUFLOW, PARTS DEPO, AND PARTS MASTER, SHIPPED BETWEEN AUGUST 2006 AND JULY 2007 FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE… Remedy: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 15, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL AT 248-354-7700.
Showing 4 of 4 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01157 | 2001-08-06 | Unknown Or Other | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 002310 | 2000-11-13 | Power Train | SUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE… |
| 9888 | 1998-04-27 | Power Train | INFORMATION ON A NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHART. *YC |
| 97511 | 1997-03-03 | Power Train | FLUID- TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *JD |
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.