- Vehicles
- 1,956
- Built between
- Sep 1977 – Sep 1977
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 7 April 1978
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1977 and September 1977. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1978 Ford MustangBuilt September 1977 to September 1977
- 1978 Ford PintoBuilt September 1977 to September 1977
- 1978 Mercury BobcatBuilt September 1977 to September 1977
What the defect is
The automatic locking rear seat belt retractors on certain vehicles may fail to lock due to binding of the locking pawl against the retractor housing. This binding is caused by retractor housing deformation which occurred during assembly. As a result the passengers would be restrained only by the fully extended belt. This fails to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection".
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE ONE OR BOTH REAR SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1977 to September 1977
- Recall reported to NHTSA8 March 1978
- Owners notified7 April 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 8 March 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
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 208
- 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: passenger vehicles.system: interior; rear seat belt retractors.consequences of defect: inadequately restrained passengers could be seriouslyinjured in the event of an accident.
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.