- Vehicles
- 7,000
- Built between
- Nov 1978 – Nov 1978
- Models
- 9
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 17 November 1978
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 1978 and November 1978. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1979 Ford BroncoBuilt November 1978 to November 1978
- 1979 Ford Club WagonBuilt November 1978 to November 1978
- 1979 Ford EconolineBuilt November 1978 to November 1978
- 1979 Ford F100Built November 1978 to November 1978
- 1979 Ford F150Built November 1978 to November 1978
- 1979 Ford F250Built November 1978 to November 1978
- 1979 Ford F350Built November 1978 to November 1978
- 1979 Lincoln ContinentalBuilt November 1978 to November 1978
- 1979 Lincoln Mark VBuilt November 1978 to November 1978
What the defect is
The involved vehicles were equipped with automatic transmissions in which the parking pawl was not heat-treated. During normal vehicle operation, a parking pawl that has not been heat-treated could become deformed or worn to the point that the transmission will not lock in "park". As a result, the vehicle could roll free if the driver does not set the parking brake when parking or leaving vehicle unattended.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARKING PAWL WITH ONE THAT HAS BEEN HEAT-TREATED.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 1978 to November 1978
- Recall reported to NHTSA27 November 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 27 November 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.system: power train; transmission, automatic.consequences of defect: this condition could result in vehicle damage, propertydamage, and personal injury.note: owner is advised to engage the parking brake when leaving the vehicleparked or unattended.
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.