1979 Ford Bronco Recalls, Complaints & Specs

5 safety recalls list the 1979 Ford Bronco, and owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

• 1967
• 1969
• 1970
• 1971
• 1972
• 1975
• 1976
• 1977
• 1978
• 1979
• 1980
• 1981
• 1982
• 1983
• 1984
• 1985
• 1986
• 1987
• 1988
• 1989
• 1990
• 1991
• 1992
• 1993
• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024
• 2025
• 2026

5 safety recalls for the 1979 Ford Bronco

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

1. Wheels

   NHTSA 79V185000 Reported August 7, 1979 22,500 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The wheel assembly may contain substandard welds in the area where the disc is attached to the rim. As a result, cracks can form in the wheel assembly, causing air loss and an underinflated tire.

   Remedy: Dealer will inspect and replace any defective wheels without charge to owner.

2. Pedals and linkages (service brakes)

   NHTSA 79V117000 Reported May 15, 1979 82,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The involved vehicles were produced with brake push-rod to brake pedal retaining pins which were not heat-treated as specified. This could allow the brake pedal to become disengaged from the push-rod.

   Remedy: Dealer will replace the suspect brake retaining pin.

3. Arm (steering)

   NHTSA 79V035000 Reported January 29, 1979 62,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The involved vehicles were assembled with improperly manufactured steering arm knuckles. Should an improperly manufactured steering arm knuckle fracture and separate, the steering linkage tie rod may disengage from the knuckle.

   Remedy: The dealer will inspect for cracking in the steering arm knuckles on all vehicles and, if necessary, replace them free of charge.

4. Automatic transmission (power train)

   NHTSA 78V256000 Reported November 27, 1978 7,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The involved vehicles were equipped with automatic transmissions in which the parking pawl was not heat-treated. During normal vehicle operation, a parking pawl that has not been heat-treated could become deformed or worn to the point that the transmission will not lock in "park". As a result, the vehicle could roll free if the driver…

   Remedy: Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the parking pawl with one that has been heat-treated.

5. Automatic transmission (power train)

   NHTSA 78V201000 Reported September 15, 1978 22,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   These transmissions may contain improperly manufactured parking pawl actuating rods. Consequently, the unhardened cam surface of these rods can allow the rod to deform during use with resultant increase in shift efforts and difficulty in releasing the parking pawl and engaging the parking gear.

   Remedy: Dealer will replace the transmission parking pawl actuating rod without charge to owner.

2 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1979 Ford Bronco have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. Complaints peaked in 1995 with 1 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Power train: automatic transmission1
• Tires: tread/belt1

What owners are reporting

“Firestone, atx, 33/12.50r15lt DOT vd; tires would not stay balanced, driving like they were oval rather then round, vehicle was shaking and thumping. 3 of the 4 tires had cracks that went all around t”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 3, 2001 · Tires

“Transmission jumps from park to reverse gear prior to recall (78v-201). *skd”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 30, 1995 · Power train

Compare Ford Bronco model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford Bronco model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 1979 Ford Bronco

Other Ford models

• F-15037,961 complaints
• Explorer34,566 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Taurus18,159 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.