Ford LTD Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 59 consumer complaints across the 6 model years of the Ford LTD (1983–1989) that have at least 5 complaints. 1985 has the most, with 17. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (25 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All LTD model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 8 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1988 | 6 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1986 | 9 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1985 | 17 | — | 2 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1984 | 14 | — | 2 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1983 | 5 | — | 2 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system25 44%
- Engine cooling12 21%
- Vehicle speed control5 8.8%
- Transmission and drivetrain5 8.8%
- Seat belts4 7.0%
- Body and structure3 5.3%
- Seats2 3.5%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)1 1.8%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1984: “When driving vehicle will suddenly stall completely in middle of traffic without any warning. Vehicle will start up shortly thereafter. Also, problem was intermittent. Please provide any further details.”
NHTSA complaint #895117, filed 2001-081985: “When driving vehicle vehicle became very hot/stalled out due to tfi ignition module being too close and mounted on the side of the distributor. Consumer has contacted the dealer. Please provide any further details.”
NHTSA complaint #861485, filed 2000-051983: “Consumers vehicle exhibited stalling condition and had it repaired, consumer believes this problem was directly related the the tfi module being recalled in california, consumer request reimbursement. Nlm”
NHTSA complaint #558173, filed 2000-11Other Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology