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1978 Ford F350 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

9 safety recalls list the 1978 Ford F350. Check your own VIN below.

9
safety recalls
0
owner complaints to NHTSA

9 safety recalls for the 1978 Ford F350

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

  1. Retractor (seat belts)

    NHTSA 78V168000 Reported 7 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    The driver"s side shoulder belt retractor mounting bracket assembly contains a weld nut which was improperly attached to the bracket. This fails to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages".

    Remedy: The dealer will repair the left side shoulder belt retractor mounting bracket on the involved vehicles free of charge.

  2. Linkages (steering)

    NHTSA 78V109000 Reported 77 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    These vehicles may be equipped with steering linkages on which cotter pins may not have been installed on castellated nuts to secure the steering drag link and tie-rod connections. Also, these attaching nuts may not have been tightened to specifications. This could allow linkage separation.

    Remedy: The dealer will perform necessary corrections to the steering linkage attachments.

  3. Column shift (power train)

    NHTSA 78V035000 Reported 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.

  4. Multi piece (wheels)

    NHTSA 78V024000 Reported 9,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    The wheel rim diameters on these vehicles may exceed dimensional specifications. This may cause the tires and tubes to be overstressed during mounting or improperly mounted.

    Remedy: The dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wheels, and the tires and tubes mounted on these wheels.

  5. Tank assembly (fuel system)

    NHTSA 77V222000 Reported 2 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    The involved vehicles were built with aft-of-axle fuel tanks which were not authorized by light truck engineering. As a result, these vehicles fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 301, "fuel system integrity", due to possible fuel tank leakage when impacted from the rear.

    Remedy: Dealer will inspect and replace aft-of-axle fuel tank with the correct tank, without charge to owner.

  6. Carburetor system (fuel system)

    NHTSA 77V198000 Reported 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.

  7. Column shift (power train)

    NHTSA 77V185000 Reported 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.

  8. Linkages (steering)

    NHTSA 77V169000 Reported 13,707 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    The pitman arm to steering gear attachment nuts may not have been properly tightened on the involved vehicles. The nut could come off during vehicle operation.

    Remedy: Dealer will tighten the pitman arm attaching nut to the correct specifications without charge to owner.

  9. Vehicle speed control

    NHTSA 77V161000 Reported 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.

No owner complaints on file

NHTSA has no owner complaints on file for the 1978 Ford F350. 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 F350 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford F350 model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1967 Ford F35010
1968 Ford F35020
1969 Ford F35010
1972 Ford F35030
1973 Ford F35030
1974 Ford F35010
1975 Ford F35041
1976 Ford F35010
1977 Ford F35030
1978 Ford F35090
1979 Ford F35030
1980 Ford F35050
1981 Ford F35042
1982 Ford F35020
1983 Ford F35071
1984 Ford F35032
1985 Ford F35014
1986 Ford F350214
1987 Ford F35028
1988 Ford F350429
1989 Ford F350540
1990 Ford F350639
2005 Ford F35020
2006 Ford F35020
2007 Ford F35020
2008 Ford F35020

Checking a specific 1978 Ford F350

How do I know if my 1978 Ford F350 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 1978 Ford F350; 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 77V161000).

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

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.