1981 Ford escort tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1981 Ford Escort, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 165/80R13 OEM | R13 | 4x108 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
1981 Ford escort wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 4x108 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M12x1.5 |
| Center bore | 63.4 mm |
| Source | adaptitusa-reference |
See the best tires for the Ford Escort, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Ford Escort →
Compatible alternative sizes for 165/80R13
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
155/85R13 |
-0.08% | winter narrower | Safe |
165/65R15 |
0.22% | plus 2 | Safe |
175/75R13 |
-0.25% | wider | Safe |
185/65R14 |
0.32% | plus 1 | Safe |
175/60R15 |
-0.54% | plus 2 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 165/80R13 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 165/80R13 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 185/65R14; one rim size up, 0.32% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 165/65R15; two rim sizes up, 0.22% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1981 ford escort base-model
The 1981 Ford Escort Base-Model ships from the factory on 165/80R13 tires mounted on R13 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Ford Escort comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1981 Ford Escort Base-Model owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1981 Ford Escort Base-Model, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1981 ford escort
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (57) · Tread / Belt (15) · Sidewall (7) · Bead (3) · Spare Tire (1)
Reported across: 1988 – 2003 (15 years)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 19% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 42 reports covering every model year of the Ford Escort that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 19% | 20% | 0.9× |
| Sidewall failure | 17% | 15% | 1.1× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 17% | 9% | 1.8× |
| Tread or belt separation | 14% | 13% | 1.1× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 12% | 8% | 1.4× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 7% | 6% | 1.2× |
Mileage at failure
13 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 12,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 4,000 and 97,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Ford Escort. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD ESCORT. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH KELLY SPRINGFIELD TIRE SIZE 185/65/14. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND HE HEARD A LOUD, ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR TIRES. THE CONTACT DETECTED THAT BOTH REAR TIRES HAD A DEFECT WITHIN THE INNER LINER AND THE CORDS WERE VISIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKING TO THE DEALER AND THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 10/31/13
I WAS DRIVING ON 295 NOT SURE NORTH OR SOUTH, GETTING READY TO GET OF THE HIGHWAY AT EXIT 11. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EXIT THEY WHERE A POT HOLE IN THE ROAD, I HIT THE POTHOLE AND PUT A BIG DENT IN MY FRONT RIGHT RIM (RIMS WHERE CUSTOM 16" X 7") THEN TIRE WENT FLAT.
MODEL CONTINENTAL LTE 3000 TIRE P17570R14; TREAD SHREADED OFF A TIRE WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, CAUSING DAMAGE TO WHEELWELL/TORE OFF MUD SLAP, AND TURN LIGHT HOUSING.TIRE ONLY HAD 28,000 MILES, AND STAYED INFLATED. *AK DOT# ACFP3CC447. *SLC
IF MY CAR WASN'T SITTING STILL WHEN THIS PART CAME LOSE I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED WITH THIS CAR. IT SHREDDED THE BELT THAT WAS ATTATCHED TO THIS AND CAME TO REST ON MY TIMING BELT AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. I KNOW THAT THE WARENTY IS UP AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THE DEALERSHIP CAN DO BUT I FEEL AS THOUGH THE CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE THIS HAPPENS AGAIN!
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1981 Ford Escort?
What is the bolt pattern of a 1981 Ford Escort?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1981 Ford Escort?
Where can I buy tires for my 1981 Ford Escort?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1981 Ford Escort?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1981 Ford Escort?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1981 Ford Escort?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Ford Escort is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1981 Ford Escort.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.