Vehicle Recall

Recalls filed in 1978

Manufacturers filed 333 US vehicle safety recalls in 1978, covering 24,546,804 vehicles. 2021 remains the busiest year on record, with 1,094. Ford filed the most that year, with 36.

Campaigns
333
Vehicles covered
24,546,804
Largest recall
14,500,000
Rank by volume
#32 of 60

Makes that filed most in 1978

  1. Ford3,212,120 vehicles36 recalls
  2. Dodge1,574,244 vehicles17 recalls
  3. Chevrolet351,218 vehicles15 recalls
  4. Mack81,508 vehicles12 recalls
  5. Porsche3,695 vehicles10 recalls
  6. White Truck23,827 vehicles9 recalls
  7. International Harvester71,421 vehicles7 recalls
  8. Superior627 vehicles6 recalls
  9. B.f.goodrich15,287 vehicles5 recalls
  10. Firestone6,490 vehicles5 recalls
  11. Jaguar25,478 vehicles5 recalls
  12. Jeep204,415 vehicles5 recalls

Counted by the make named on each filing, so a manufacturer that sells several brands appears once per brand.

Parts recalled most in 1978

  1. Tires15 recalls
  2. Tires: Tread/Belt15 recalls
  3. Equipment: Labels14 recalls
  4. Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly14 recalls
  5. Fuel System, Gasoline: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings13 recalls
  6. Service Brakes, Air: Chamber10 recalls
  7. Engine and Engine Cooling: Fan8 recalls
  8. Service Brakes, Air: Control Unit/Module8 recalls
  9. Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar8 recalls
  10. Vehicle Speed Control8 recalls

Largest recalls of 1978

  1. JTW — Tires78T03100011 December 197814,500,000
  2. Ford — Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly78V14300019 June 19781,400,000
  3. Dodge — Suspension: Upper Arm78V0970001 May 19781,100,000
  4. Indiana Mills — Seat Belts: Buckle Assembly78E01800012 June 1978414,761
  5. American Motors — Electrical System: Module78V0480009 March 1978411,333
  6. Ford — Visibility: Linkages78V1670007 August 1978400,000
  7. Cadillac — Unknown or Other78V18900030 August 1978388,867
  8. Dodge — Fuel System, Gasoline: Carburetor System78V02000024 January 1978370,000
  9. Buick — Engine and Engine Cooling: Fan78V13900013 June 1978333,619
  10. Chevrolet — Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly78V24800016 November 1978320,000
  11. Ford — Structure: Bumpers78V0690004 April 1978284,000
  12. Buick — Power Train: Axle Shaft78V13800013 June 1978265,068
  13. GMC — Equipment: Carrier/Rack78V17700015 August 1978237,693
  14. Ford — Engine and Engine Cooling: Crankcase (pcv)78V20300021 September 1978218,500
  15. Mercury — Visibility: Linkages78V17600015 August 1978187,000
  16. Ford — Electrical System: Interior/Under Dash78V00400010 January 1978185,000
  17. Motor Wheel — Equipment: Lines and Fittings78E0160006 June 1978169,484
  18. American Motors — Steering: Hose, Piping, and Connections78V0700004 April 1978133,593
  19. Toyota — Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly78V0020009 December 1978131,046
  20. Buick — Suspension: Wheel Bearing78V2420006 November 1978130,965
  21. Ford — Engine and Engine Cooling: Fan78V1530003 July 1978125,000
  22. Ford — Engine and Engine Cooling: Fan78V22600017 October 1978120,000
  23. FRAM — Fuel System, Gasoline: Storage79E00100018 December 1978120,000
  24. Honda — Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Disc78V03300015 February 1978118,544
  25. Hollywood — Equipment: Integrated Jack/Leveler/Stabilizer78E0070006 April 1978117,434

The 25 largest of 333 filed in 1978. See every recall or the largest on record.

← 1977 (309)1979 (339) →

Every year on record, with the long-run trend.

About this figure

1978 here is the year the recall was filed with NHTSA, not the model year of the vehicles. A 1978 filing routinely covers vehicles built years earlier, and a car of model year 1978 appears in filings for years afterwards.

“Vehicles covered” sums the manufacturer’s own estimate for each campaign. A vehicle recalled twice in 1978 is counted twice, so the figure is not a count of distinct vehicles.

Do Not Drive and Park Outside flags entered NHTSA’s public record in May 2025. This page shows no advisory section for 1978 because the flag did not exist then \u2014 not because no 1978 recall was urgent.

Compiled from NHTSA’s published recall files, which are US government open data and rebuilt daily. Figures on this page reflect the record as of 18 September 2026. Read the methodology, or check a specific vehicle at nhtsa.gov.