- Vehicles
- 5,000
- Built between
- Aug 1978 – Aug 1978
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 30 June 1979
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1978 and August 1978. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1979 Ford LTDBuilt August 1978 to August 1978
- 1979 Mercury MarquisBuilt August 1978 to August 1978
What the defect is
The windshield wiper and washer system contains an incorrect 6 amp circuit breaker instead of the 8.25 amp circuit breaker. If the system is heavily loaded, as in the case of a partially dry windshield, the motor current may exceed the 6 amp breaker"s capacity. This would cause the breaker to open, which would result in wiper/washer failure.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL INSTALL THE CORRECT CIRCUIT BREAKER WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1978 to August 1978
- Recall reported to NHTSA11 September 1978
- Owners notified30 June 1979
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 11 September 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: passenger vehicles.system: electrical; wiper/washer circuit breaker.consequences of defect: wiper/washer failure in bad weather conditions couldcontribute to a vehicle 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.