- Vehicles
- 62,000
- Built between
- Aug 1978 – Oct 1978
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 6 April 1979
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1978 and October 1978. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1979 Ford BroncoBuilt August 1978 to October 1978
- 1979 Ford F150Built August 1978 to October 1978
- 1979 Ford F250Built August 1978 to October 1978
What the defect is
The involved vehicles were assembled with improperly manufactured steering arm knuckles. Should an improperly manufactured steering arm knuckle fracture and separate, the steering linkage tie rod may disengage from the knuckle.
What gets fixed
THE DEALER WILL INSPECT FOR CRACKING IN THE STEERING ARM KNUCKLES ON ALL VEHICLES AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THEM FREE OF CHARGE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1978 to October 1978
- Recall reported to NHTSA29 January 1979
- Owners notified6 April 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 29 January 1979.
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: trucks, light.system: steering linkages; steering arm knuckle.consequences of defect: complete disengagement of the steering arm could occurat any time while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in loss or seriousimpairment of steering control and the potential for 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.