1978 Ford E-250Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 1978 Ford E-250, most often about the structure. It is covered by 5 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls5Free fix at dealers Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem1Structure

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 20, 2000. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1978 Ford E-250 has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

1Structure

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Structure	1	0

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

1978 Ford E-250 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Lever and linkage: column shift

Recall 78V-035 · Feb 16, 1978 · 47,339 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Fuel system, gasoline: carburetor system

Recall 77V-198 · Nov 15, 1977 · 30,000 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Lever and linkage: column shift

Recall 77V-185 · Oct 25, 1977 · 19,000 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Linkages: tie rod assembly

Recall 77V-187 · Oct 25, 1977 · 1,885 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall

no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 77V-161 · Sep 23, 1977 · 16,000 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1978 vs. every other E-250 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the E-250 median. How we score

0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 7 4 8 14 7 11 15 20 24 16 31 18 18 17 17 8 11 12 6 6 2 9 6 8 11 7 1 2 1 0

'75'76'77'78'79'80'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'16'17'22'23

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1978 Ford E-250, and the recalls they led to.

Nov 4, 1986
FILLER NECK SPURTEA87002 · closed Apr 29, 1987
No recall

In owners' words

What E-250 owners report

Recent structure complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

WE HAVE HAD THIS VAN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. IT IS NOT USED MUCH NOW. THE PROBLEM IS THE WHEELS DO NOT TRACK. THE FRONT WHEELS ARE OFFSET TO THE LEFT, WHEN LOOKING FORWARD. I HAVE NOTICED THIS ON MANY OTHER FORD E TYPE VANS AND F TYPE PICKUP TRUCKS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE BODY OF THESE AFFECTED VEHICLES…
Complaint 732058 · Sep 20, 2000

Own a 1978 E-250?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.