1978 Ford Club Wagon Recalls, Complaints & Specs

4 safety recalls list the 1978 Ford Club Wagon. Check your own VIN below.

• 1975
• 1976
• 1978
• 1979
• 1980
• 1982
• 1983
• 1984
• 1985
• 1986
• 1987
• 1988
• 1989
• 1990
• 1991
• 1992
• 1993
• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999
• 2000
• 2001

4 safety recalls for the 1978 Ford Club Wagon

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

1. Column shift (power train)

   NHTSA 78V035000 Reported February 16, 1978 47,339 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The shift selector reaction springs may be deformed as a result of improper installation of selector levers during column buildup. Thus the lever may not be able to be moved into the insert detents located in the steering column assembly. This could prevent the "park" gear from being engaged.

   Remedy: Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the shift selector reaction spring without charge to owner.

2. Glass, side/rear (visibility)

   NHTSA 77V197000 Reported November 15, 1977 63 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On the involved vehicles, tempered glass may have been installed in the rear doors instead of laminated glass. This constitutes a non-compliance to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 217, "bus window retention and release". One purpose of the standard is to minimize the likelihood of occupants being ejected from a bus in the…

   Remedy: Dealer will install laminated glass in place of tempered glass in the rear door, without charge to owner.

3. Column shift (power train)

   NHTSA 77V185000 Reported October 25, 1977 19,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On the involved vehicles, the park actuation support plates are defective due to their susceptibility to cracking due to improper heat treatment during manufacture. As a result, fragments from a broken plate can become lodged in the transmission parking pawl mechanism. This could prevent the transmission parking pawl from engaging when…

   Remedy: The dealer will replace the park actuation cam support plates, free of charge, on all affected vehicles.

4. Tie rod assembly (steering)

   NHTSA 77V187000 Reported October 25, 1977 1,885 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On the involved vehicles, the steering tie rod and link assemblies with adjusting sleeve clamps may have been improperly manufactured. The clamps contain a sharp die mark which could cause the clamp to fracture when the clamp bolt is tightened to specifications. The clamp could break and cause separation of the tie rod adjusting sleeves.

   Remedy: The dealer will replace the steering tie rod adjusting sleeve and clamp assembly, free of charge, on all affected vehicles.

No owner complaints on file

NHTSA has no owner complaints on file for the 1978 Ford Club Wagon. For context, the average model year in NHTSA's database has dozens; a zero can mean a reliable vehicle, a rare one, or both.

Compare Ford Club Wagon model years

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

Checking a specific 1978 Ford Club Wagon

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.