1978 Ford MustangProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 3 owner complaints about the 1978 Ford Mustang, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 4 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls4Free fix at dealers Owner complaints30 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem2Engine and engine cooling

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 12, 2000. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1978 Ford Mustang has problems

3 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

2Engine and engine cooling

2Fuel system, gasoline

1Electrical system

1Service brakes, hydraulic

1Vehicle speed control

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
Engine and engine cooling	2	0
Fuel system, gasoline	2	0
Electrical system	1	0
Service brakes, hydraulic	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0

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

4 recalls

1978 Ford Mustang 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

Cooling system: fan

Recall 83V-025 · Mar 1, 1983 · 83,000 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Cooling system: fan

Recall 81V-003 · Dec 2, 1981 · 81,807 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Front: retractor

Recall 78V-047 · Mar 8, 1978 · 1,956 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Vehicle speed control: cables

Recall 77V-196 · Nov 15, 1977 · 154 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 Mustang 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 Mustang median. How we score

2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 1 5 18 16 30 38 10810985 77 69 10135660224617623621331117311814511670542461534718126146647027135944038126919715412255 51 15 85 20 8

'67'68'69'70'71'72'73'74'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

In owners' words

What Mustang owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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
Complaint 523451 · Sep 24, 1997

Own a 1978 Mustang?

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