Total Complaints
13 filings
FORD F150 · model year
1978 FORD F150
13 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1978FORDF150 carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 1978 F150 is steering:hydraulic power assist system with 2 filings, followed by steering:linkages:tie rod assembly (1) and power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl) (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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1978 F150. 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.
13
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 2 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:CONCEALMENT DEVICES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20021203EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:CONCEALMENT DEVICES
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE HEADLIGHTS WILL FLICKER CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER VIEW DURING NIGHTTIME. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS *DT
19990525SUSPENSION
SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAS EXPERIENCED CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH STABILITY AND WEAR. MJS
19990525STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING PUMP AND SYSTEM HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES RESULTING IN LEAKAGE AND STEERING DIFFCULTY. MJS
19990525ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE REPLACE. MJS
19990525FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
FUEL SENDING UNIT AND STARTER FAILED. MJS
19990525ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
FUEL SENDING UNIT AND STARTER FAILED. MJS
19990525ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
FLYWHEEL DESIGN RESULTS IN DAMAGE TO COMPONENTS. MJS
19990301CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
VEHICLE AT INSPECTION STATION. VEHICLE WAS PARKED & MECHANIC WAS CHECKING BRAKE FLUID. VEHICLE SUDDENLY JUMPED OUT OF PARK AND WENT INTO REVERSE. DOOR WAS BENT TOWARDS THE FRONT OF VEHICLE & THEN SWUNG BACK & CLOSED. VEHICLE WENT ACROSS THE STREET & STRUCK LIGHT POST. NO INJURIES. DRIVER'S DOOR COULD NOT OPEN. RECALLS 78V096000; 78V035000; 77V185000.
19961106STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
TIE ROD LINK IMPROPERLY INSTALLED.
19961106POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
PARKING GEAR DOES NOT ALWAYS HOLD WHEN ENGAGED.
19961106FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
DEFECTIVE CARBURETOR.
19961106ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
DISTRIBUTOR CAP REPLACED.
19961106STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING FAILURE.
Compare 1978FORDF150 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1978 FORD F150 have?▼
The 1978 FORD F150 has 13 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1978 FORD F150?▼
The most-complained component for the 1978 FORD F150 is STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL).
Is the 1978 FORD F150 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.