- Vehicles
- 65,000
- Built between
- Feb 1975 – Mar 1979
- Models
- 6
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 9 November 1979
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between February 1975 and March 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1975-1979 Ford B SeriesBuilt February 1975 to March 1979
- 1975-1979 Ford C SeriesBuilt February 1975 to March 1979
- 1975-1979 Ford CL SeriesBuilt February 1975 to March 1979
- 1975-1979 Ford F SeriesBuilt February 1975 to March 1979
- 1975-1979 Ford L SeriesBuilt February 1975 to March 1979
- 1975-1979 Ford W SeriesBuilt February 1975 to March 1979
What the defect is
Certain air brake anti-lock modulators could malfunction during operation of the anti-lock system. A nylon piston within the modulator air valve system can swell from exposure to system contaminants. Continued exposure may cause the piston to swell to the extent that interference with the cylinder wall will result, causing momentary sticking or a permanent jam. This can result in temporary or permanent loss of braking for the affected axle.
What gets fixed
THE PISTONS IN THE VALVE PORTION OF THE MODULATORS WILL BE REPLACED WITH PISTONS THAT DO NOT SWELL WHEN EXPOSED TO AIR BRAKE SYSTEM CONTAMINANTS.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtFebruary 1975 to March 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA29 March 1979
- Owners notified9 November 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 March 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: heavy trucks equipped with anti-lock air brakecontrollers.system: service brakes; control assembly.
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.