1978 Ford E250 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

5 safety recalls list the 1978 Ford E250, and owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

• 1975
• 1976
• 1977
• 1978
• 1979
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• 1982
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5 safety recalls for the 1978 Ford E250

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. Carburetor system (fuel system)

   NHTSA 77V198000 Reported November 15, 1977 30,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On the involved vehicles, leakage may occur at the threaded carburetor-to-fuel filter connection on the suspect carburetors. This is due to an improperly machined carburetor fuel inlet connection.

   Remedy: Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, will replace the carburetor 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.

5. Vehicle speed control

   NHTSA 77V161000 Reported September 23, 1977 16,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Some of the involved vehicles may have defective carburetors in which, under certain circumstances, the secondary throttle plates may stick open.

   Remedy: Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the carburetor at no charge to owner.

1 owner complaint filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1978 Ford E250 have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Complaints peaked in 2000 with 1 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Structure: frame and members1

What owners are reporting

“We have had this van for a number of years. It is not used much now. The problem is the wheels do not track. The front wheels are offset to the left, when looking forward. I have noticed this on many”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 20, 2000 · Structure

Compare Ford E250 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford E250 model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 1978 Ford E250

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.