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1972 Ford PintoProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 1972 Ford Pinto, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls3Free fix at dealersOwner complaints11 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 10, 1996. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1972 Ford Pinto has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seat belts11

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

3 recalls

1972 Ford Pinto 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.

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

1972 vs. every other Pinto 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 Pinto median. How we score

'71'72'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'80
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1972 Ford Pinto, and the recalls they led to.

  1. FUEL TANK FIRESDP78025 · closed Jan 23, 1978
    No recall

Own a 1972 Pinto?

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