Ford Power Train: Column Shift

Ford is recalling about 47,339 vehicles over a problem with the power train.

Campaign
78V035000
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Reported
16 February 1978
Vehicles
47,339
Built between
Aug 1977 – Dec 1977
Models
9
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
23 March 1978
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between August 1977 and December 1977. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1978 Ford BroncoBuilt August 1977 to December 1977
  • 1978 Ford Club WagonBuilt August 1977 to December 1977
  • 1978 Ford E150Built August 1977 to December 1977
  • 1978 Ford E250Built August 1977 to December 1977
  • 1978 Ford E350Built August 1977 to December 1977
  • 1978 Ford F100Built August 1977 to December 1977
  • 1978 Ford F150Built August 1977 to December 1977
  • 1978 Ford F250Built August 1977 to December 1977
  • 1978 Ford F350Built August 1977 to December 1977

What the defect is

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.

What gets fixed

DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE SHIFT SELECTOR REACTION SPRING WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtAugust 1977 to December 1977
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA16 February 1978
  3. Owners notified23 March 1978

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 16 February 1978.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Vehicle description: light trucks equipped with automatic transmission andoptional tilt steering.system: power train; transmission shift selector.consequences of defect: if the parking gear is not actually engaged and thevehicle is parked on an incline without applying the emergency brake, thevehicle could roll free. Property damage and personal injury to bystanderscould result.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand