- The problem
- 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".
- The fix
- The dealer will repair the left side shoulder belt retractor mounting bracket on the involved vehicles free of charge.
Vehicle safety record
1978 Ford F350 Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 1978 Ford F350 have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 9 recalls, the latest in August 1978 for the retractor.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical F350 year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 9
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
1978 Ford F350 recalls 9
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- 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.
- The fix
- The dealer will perform necessary corrections to the steering linkage attachments.
- The problem
- 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.
- The fix
- Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the shift selector reaction spring without charge to owner.
- The problem
- 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.
- The fix
- The dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wheels, and the tires and tubes mounted on these wheels.
- The problem
- 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.
- The fix
- Dealer will inspect and replace aft-of-axle fuel tank with the correct tank, without charge to owner.
- The problem
- 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.
- The fix
- Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, will replace the carburetor without charge to owner.
- The problem
- 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 the selector lever is placed in the "park" position, or prevent the pawl from being disengaged from the park gear.
- The fix
- The dealer will replace the park actuation cam support plates, free of charge, on all affected vehicles.
- The problem
- 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.
- The fix
- Dealer will tighten the pitman arm attaching nut to the correct specifications without charge to owner.
- The problem
- Some of the involved vehicles may have defective carburetors in which, under certain circumstances, the secondary throttle plates may stick open.
- The fix
- Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the carburetor at no charge to owner.
What owners say
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No complaints about the 1978 Ford F350 yet
No owner has filed a complaint about this vehicle with NHTSA. If yours has a problem, share it here and report it to NHTSA.
Ford F350: every year compared
All F350 yearsQuestions about the 1978 Ford F350
Does the 1978 Ford F350 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 9 recalls for the 1978 Ford F350: retractor (August 1978); linkages (May 1978); column shift (February 1978); multi piece (January 1978) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
How many complaints has the 1978 Ford F350 had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 1978 Ford F350 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 16 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Ford F350 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
What should I do if my 1978 Ford F350 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data