Total Complaints
2 filings
FORD BRONCO · model year
1979 FORD BRONCO
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1979FORDBRONCO carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1979 BRONCO is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings, followed by tires:tread/belt (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 1979 BRONCO. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010503TIRES:TREAD/BELT
FIRESTONE, ATX, 33/12.50R15LT DOT VD; TIRES WOULD NOT STAY BALANCED, DRIVING LIKE THEY WERE OVAL RATHER THEN ROUND, VEHICLE WAS SHAKING AND THUMPING. 3 OF THE 4 TIRES HAD CRACKS THAT WENT ALL AROUND THE TIRE, BELOW THE TREAD. 50 % OF TREAD LEFT, MILAGE UNKNOWN. REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT ON A 1979, FORD, BRONCO.*AK CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT 3 OUT OF THE 4 TIRES WERE SO DEFECTIVE THAT THEY COULD NOT BE BALANCED, THE FOURTH TIRE NEEDED SO MANY OUNCES OF WEIGHT, CONSUMER HAS REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES BECAUSE ALL TIRES WERE CRACKING AND SHOWING SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION. *JB
19950504POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION JUMPS FROM PARK TO REVERSE GEAR PRIOR TO RECALL (78V-201). *SKD
Compare 1979FORDBRONCO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1979 FORD BRONCO have?▼
The 1979 FORD BRONCO has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1979 FORD BRONCO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1979 FORD BRONCO is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 1979 FORD BRONCO safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.