FordE-150 Econoline1979Overview/ford/e-150-econoline/1979/base/

1979 Ford E-150 Econoline

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 E-150 Econoline.

The 1979 Ford E-150 Econoline is documented with a notably concise reliability record, totaling just two owner complaints where tires stood as the primary concern. The model year also saw 10 recalls. This sparse complaint history establishes a clear, if narrow, reliability footprint for the van.

Model year198719831982198119801979197819771976

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1979 Ford E-150 Econoline dominate in one area — the tires, 1 of 2 reports (50%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 10 recall campaigns target the tires, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the tires pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

10
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
2
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 2 complaints on record, top 2 components.

Tires1
Steering1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 10 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

07E064000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpReported 27/08/2007

CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMPS SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF CARTER, ACCUFLOW, NAPA, TRUFLOW, PARTS DEPO, AND PARTS MASTER, SHIPPED BETWEEN AUGUST 2006 AND JULY 2007 FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE… Remedy: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 15, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL AT 248-354-7700.

78V256000Power Train:Automatic TransmissionReported 27/11/1978

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS IN WHICH THE PARKING PAWL WAS NOT HEAT-TREATED. DURING NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION, A PARKING PAWL THAT HAS NOT BEEN HEAT-TREATED COULD BECOME DEFORMED OR… Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARKING PAWL WITH ONE THAT HAS BEEN HEAT-TREATED.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific E-150 Econoline. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 1979 E-150 Econoline have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.