- Vehicles
- 218,500
- Built between
- Aug 1977 – Apr 1978
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 17 November 1978
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1977 and April 1978. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1978 Ford FairmontBuilt August 1977 to April 1978
- 1978 Mercury ZephyrBuilt August 1977 to April 1978
What the defect is
The involved vehicles contain emission control systems that utilize a pulse air reed valve to permit air flow from the air cleaner to the exhaust manifold on negative pressure pulsations. These reed valves may fail under cold weather conditions, causing a backflow of exhaust gas into the air cleaner and fuel induction system on positive exhaust pulses. This causes an overly rich air/fuel mixture, reduced fuel economy and reduced engine performance. Continued vehicle operation may result in engine stalling or overheating of the exhaust system.
What gets fixed
THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULSE AIR SYSTEM REED VALVE AND SILENCER WITHOUT CHARGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1977 to April 1978
- Recall reported to NHTSA21 September 1978
- Owners notified17 November 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 21 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
- ODI
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 equipped with 200 cid engines,automatic transmissions and thermactor pulse air supply systems.system: exhaust; emissions system.consequences of defect: overheating of the exhaust system may lead to scorchedrear seats and carpets and associated fumes. Engine stalling would pose asafety hazard in traffic, which could lead 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.