Total Complaints
10 filings
FORD MUSTANG · model year
1978 FORD MUSTANG
10 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1978FORDMUSTANG carries 10 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1978 MUSTANG is fuel system, gasoline:carburetor system with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1978 MUSTANG, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
10
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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000426FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER AND TACHOMETER MALFUNCTION DUE TO DEFECTIVE CARBURATOR BEING INSTALLED. YH
20000426VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
ACCELERATOR MALFUNCTIONS DUE TO ACCELERATOR PUMP LEAK. YH
19970924ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE FAN HUB PRIOR TO RECALL, REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO MANUFACTURER'S INABILITY OR UNWILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE PARTS TO DEALER NECESSARY FOR THEM TO MAKE REPAIRS (83V-025). *AK
19970724SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
BRAKE POWER BOOSTER FAILED.
19970724FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
CARBURETOR FAILED.
19970724SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS FAILED.
19970724SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
BRAKE PADS FAILED.
19970724SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.
19970724ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
THE SMOG PUMP FAILED.
19970724ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER FAILED.
Compare 1978FORDMUSTANG to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1978 FORD MUSTANG have?▼
The 1978 FORD MUSTANG has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1978 FORD MUSTANG?▼
The most-complained component for the 1978 FORD MUSTANG is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR.
Is the 1978 FORD MUSTANG 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1978 FORD MUSTANG; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.