1979 Ford F150 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
9 safety recalls list the 1979 Ford F150, and owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
9 safety recalls for the 1979 Ford F150
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Wheels
A number of wheel assemblies on the involved vehicles may have substandard welds in the area where the disc is attached to the rim. Substandard welds can cause cracks to occur in the wheel assembly. Rapid loss of air pressure in the tire or separation of the wheel rim from the disc could result.
Remedy: If separation and loss of air occurs while vehicle is in operation, loss of vehicle control and an accident could occur without prior warning. Corrective action: the dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the…
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Wheels
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.
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Pedals and linkages (service brakes)
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.
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Arm (steering)
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.
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Mounting (fuel system)
The involved vehicles were manufactured without a fuel tank shield at the front right corner of the midship fuel tank. As a result, the vehicles do not conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity". In the event of a vehicle accident, excessive fuel spillage could result.
Remedy: The dealer will install the required fuel tank shield without charge to owner.
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Windshield (visibility)
The involved vehicles do not conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 212, "windshield mounting", in that some of the vehicles were built without the specified windshield weatherstrip retaining components.
Remedy: The dealer will install the windshield weatherstrip retaining components at no cost to owner.
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Automatic transmission (power train)
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.
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Automatic transmission (power train)
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.
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Mounting (fuel system)
The involved vehicles do not contain a fuel tank shield at the front right corner of the mid-ship fuel tank. In the event of a frontal impact, excessive fuel spillage from the fuel tank may occur. This fails to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity".
Remedy: Dealer will install the necessary fuel tank shield without charge to owner.
2 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1979 Ford F150 have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. Complaints peaked in 2000 with 1 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“While washing the vehicle he noticed that the front tire has stress marks and the tire is split on the side. Firestone firehawkss20 p25570r15 #DOT number vdm2f204100302l. Nlm”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 17, 2002 · Tires
“Lower inner tie rod has broken, preventing any/ and all movement of steering wheel. Driver side rod came out the socket. Please provide any further details. *ak”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 11, 2000 · Steering
Compare Ford F150 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Ford F150 model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 Ford F150 | 0 | 1 |
| 1966 Ford F150 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968 Ford F150 | 0 | 1 |
| 1973 Ford F150 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975 Ford F150 | 3 | 1 |
| 1976 Ford F150 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 Ford F150 | 5 | 3 |
| 1978 Ford F150 | 9 | 4 |
| 1979 Ford F150 | 9 | 2 |
| 1980 Ford F150 | 4 | 3 |
| 1981 Ford F150 | 3 | 2 |
| 1982 Ford F150 | 0 | 5 |
| 1983 Ford F150 | 1 | 10 |
| 1984 Ford F150 | 1 | 13 |
| 1985 Ford F150 | 1 | 28 |
| 1986 Ford F150 | 1 | 61 |
| 1987 Ford F150 | 3 | 89 |
| 1988 Ford F150 | 2 | 139 |
| 1989 Ford F150 | 4 | 210 |
| 1990 Ford F150 | 4 | 254 |
Checking a specific 1979 Ford F150
How do I know if my 1979 Ford F150 has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 9 campaigns currently list the 1979 Ford F150; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Ford dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 78V197000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
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.