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1980 Ford Pinto

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 2 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Tires. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

2 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 2, 2001
Tires

WE PURCHASED A 1980 FORD PINTO BRAND NEW AND WITHIN TWO YEARS ALL FOUR FIRESTONE TIRES HAD FAILED ALL DUE TO STEEL BELT SEPARATION, THERE WAS NO INJURY OR OTHER DAMAGE BUT ONE REAR TIRE ACTUALLY SUFFERED A BLOW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS CAR WAS TATALED IN A NON-TIRE RELATED ACCIDENT IN 1992 AND I NO LONGER RETAIN ANY RECORDS ON I…

Read full complaint

WE PURCHASED A 1980 FORD PINTO BRAND NEW AND WITHIN TWO YEARS ALL FOUR FIRESTONE TIRES HAD FAILED ALL DUE TO STEEL BELT SEPARATION, THERE WAS NO INJURY OR OTHER DAMAGE BUT ONE REAR TIRE ACTUALLY SUFFERED A BLOW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS CAR WAS TATALED IN A NON-TIRE RELATED ACCIDENT IN 1992 AND I NO LONGER RETAIN ANY RECORDS ON IT. I REPORT THIS TO YOU IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT PROBLEMS WITH FIRESTONE TIRES. THEY MAKE TRASH TIRES AND I DO NOT BELIEVE FORD TO BE RESPONSIBLE (EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT BUY FORD PRODUCTS ANY LONGER) FIRESTONE HAS A BAD HISTORY OF POOR TIRE SAFETY AND I FEEL YOU SHOULD INVESTIGATE ALL FIRESTONE TIRES! YOU MAY FIND A REAL SURPRISE! *AK (TIRESIZE: 13INCH)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 13INCH )

NHTSA ODI #746293

Mileage unknown · May 20, 1996
Vehicle Speed Control

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IT STARTED BY ITSELF TO ROLL BACKWARDS AND THEN EXPLODED.PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #984659

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.