Vehicle Recall

Recalls filed in 1979

Manufacturers filed 339 US vehicle safety recalls in 1979, covering 10,228,200 vehicles. 2021 remains the busiest year on record, with 1,094. Ford filed the most that year, with 29.

Campaigns
339
Vehicles covered
10,228,200
Largest recall
1,896,222
Rank by volume
#31 of 60

Makes that filed most in 1979

  1. Ford752,940 vehicles29 recalls
  2. Buick2,847,690 vehicles16 recalls
  3. Firestone9,174 vehicles13 recalls
  4. International Harvester90,658 vehicles13 recalls
  5. Dodge216,482 vehicles11 recalls
  6. Mack118,811 vehicles11 recalls
  7. Flxible17,429 vehicles10 recalls
  8. Chevrolet221,079 vehicles9 recalls
  9. Harley-Davidson113,921 vehicles8 recalls
  10. White Truck2,135 vehicles8 recalls
  11. Kenworth32,670 vehicles7 recalls
  12. Autocar28,765 vehicles6 recalls

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

Parts recalled most in 1979

  1. Tires: Tread/Belt20 recalls
  2. Tires18 recalls
  3. Equipment: Labels17 recalls
  4. Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar15 recalls
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings11 recalls
  6. Fuel System, Gasoline: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings6 recalls
  7. Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly6 recalls
  8. Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Master Cylinder6 recalls
  9. Engine and Engine Cooling: Engine5 recalls
  10. Latches/Locks/Linkages: Latch5 recalls

Largest recalls of 1979

  1. Buick — Suspension: Wheel Bearing79V17500023 July 19791,896,222
  2. Oldsmobile — Seat Belts: Anchorage79V24700013 November 19791,326,404
  3. Sumco — Equipment: Integrated Jack/Leveler/Stabilizer79E0170003 July 19791,000,000
  4. Volkswagen — Electrical System: Relay79V12000017 May 1979540,000
  5. Buick — Latches/Locks/Linkages: Latch79V1610002 July 1979476,245
  6. Cadillac — Vehicle Speed Control: Accelerator Pedal79V1110004 May 1979372,466
  7. Nissan — Fuel System, Gasoline: Fuel Injection System79V24200013 November 1979295,710
  8. Mercury — Power Train: Floor Shift Assembly79V26900020 December 1979273,000
  9. Buick — Power Train: Cooling Unit and Lines79V22000025 September 1979224,892
  10. General — Tires: Tread/Belt79T00400030 January 1979187,000
  11. Chevrolet — Engine and Engine Cooling: Engine79V08100030 March 1979172,000
  12. Subaru — Fuel System, Gasoline: Carburetor System79V01600011 January 1979170,000
  13. Ford — Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings79V10600030 April 1979162,000
  14. Buick — Steering: Rack and Pinion79V22100017 October 1979161,225
  15. Mercury — Seats: Recliner79V26800020 December 1979152,000
  16. Honda — Engine and Engine Cooling: Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe79V10200020 April 1979132,573
  17. Lincoln — Structure: Bumpers79V24900016 November 1979125,000
  18. Volvo — Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly79V13200030 May 1979121,000
  19. Mercury — Exterior Lighting: Switch79V21000018 September 197992,200
  20. Subaru — Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly79V03200019 January 197983,000
  21. Ford — Equipment: Labels79V0620001 March 197983,000
  22. Ford — Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Pedals and Linkages79V11700015 May 197982,000
  23. Ford — Power Train: Column Shift79V26100018 December 197980,000
  24. Ford — Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings79V15200019 June 197975,000
  25. Dodge — Equipment: Air Conditioner79V17600024 July 197968,000

The 25 largest of 339 filed in 1979. See every recall or the largest on record.

← 1978 (333)1980 (220) →

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

About this figure

1979 here is the year the recall was filed with NHTSA, not the model year of the vehicles. A 1979 filing routinely covers vehicles built years earlier, and a car of model year 1979 appears in filings for years afterwards.

“Vehicles covered” sums the manufacturer’s own estimate for each campaign. A vehicle recalled twice in 1979 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 1979 because the flag did not exist then \u2014 not because no 1979 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.