1981 Jeep CJ5
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
These records cover every 1981 Jeep CJ5. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 1981 Jeep CJ5. Newest first.
Some of the involved vehicles were assembled with tongue-end rear seat belt assemblies instead of the buckle end and tongue-end assemblies. Without the buckle end assemblies, the rear seat belts cannot be fastened.
Risk and remedy
Remedy
The dealer will inspect and replace the rear seat belts, if incorrect belts were installed, at no charge.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Engine compartment fires
Analysis:many of the reports indicate that the plastic valve cover or the\tv gasketing material loses its structural and/or sealing integrity due tothe high engine temperatures associated with the AMC 258 engine.testingperformed by a local fleet clearly demonstrated that under normal drivingconditions, motor oil leaks…
Analysis:many of the reports indicate that the plastic valve cover or the\tv gasketing material loses its structural and/or sealing integrity due tothe high engine temperatures associated with the AMC 258 engine.testingperformed by a local fleet clearly demonstrated that under normal drivingconditions, motor oil leaks in the vicinity of the #3 or #4 cylinders (overthe exhaust manifold) can result in a fire serious enough to destroy avehicle.amc has issued numerous tsb's regarding the proper/improper method of seal-ing the valve cover-head interface.1981-84 AMC 6-cylinder engines areequipped with a plastic valve cover which has 5 guide pins and 2 fasteners.the cover used in later models was re-designed to have 5 attaching points,and this new valve cover can be used on older engines by means of amodification kit.as expected, complaints of engine fires in 1985 modelsdropped significantly, indicating that the addition of the new valve covermay have solved the problem.status: ir to the manufacturer sent 12/1/87.proposed action: open an engineering analysis.===
Every Jeep CJ5 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.