Total Complaints
3 filings
FORD LTD · model year
1979 FORD LTD
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1979FORDLTD carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 LTD is tires with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:switch (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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1979 LTD, and 8 remain open. 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.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000918TIRES
WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN LAS VEGAS AT LOW SPEED I HEARD A NOISE WHICH WAS AMPLIFIED WHEN CAR WAS DRIVING FASTER. WHEN I STOPED AND I CHECK A WHOLE SKIN OF THE TIRE WAS GONE. I WENT TO REPLACE IT AND WHEN THEY LIFT UP THE CAR ANOTHER TIRE HAD A BIG BUBBLE(12" LONG). I DONT REMEMBER IF A THIRD OR FORTH HAD SAME PROBLEM BUT I END UP REPLACING ALL 4 (DEFINETLY NOT FIRESTONE). SINCE THAN I ALLWAYS CHECK THE TIRES I HAD ON MY CAR. I BELIEVE I WAS LUCKY. BUT THE EXPERIENCE EVEN TODAY GIVE ME THE GUSS BUMPS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 15 )
20000914TIRES
WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN LAS VEGAS AT LOW SPEED I HEARD A NOISE WHICH WAS AMPLIFIED WHEN CAR WAS DRIVING FASTER. WHEN I STOPED AND I CHECK A WHOLE SKIN OF THE TIRE WAS GONE. I WENT TO REPLACE IT AND WHEN THEY LIFT UP THE CAR ANOTHER TIRE HAD A BIG BUBBLE(12" LONG). I DONT REMEMBER IF A THIRD OR FORTH HAD SAME PROBLEM BUT I END UP REPLACING ALL 4 (DEFINETLY NOT FIRESTONE). SINCE THAN I ALLWAYS CHECK THE TIRES I HAD ON MY CAR. I BELIEVE I WAS LUCKY. BUT THE EXPERIENCE EVEN TODAY GIVE ME THE GUSS BUMPS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 15 )
19970205FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED THE STEERING COLUMN TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK
Compare 1979FORDLTD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1979 FORD LTD have?▼
The 1979 FORD LTD has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1979 FORD LTD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1979 FORD LTD is TIRES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH.
Is the 1979 FORD LTD 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.