Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 F.
The 1978 Ford F-350 represents a heavy-duty entry in Ford's longstanding F-Series truck lineup, built on the stout 350 platform designed for serious work duty rather than everyday commuting comfort. With only a single owner complaint on record — centered on the electrical system — and a single recall to its name, this model year stands out as a notably trouble-free chapter in the F-Series reliability timeline, suggesting that Ford's heavy-duty engineering for this iteration was largely sound and that surviving examples today carry relatively few inherent design liabilities for restorers or collectors to contend with.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 194.1 in |
| Overall width | 66.9 in |
| Overall height | 55.1 in |
| Wheelbase | 105.9 in |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1978 Ford F dominate in one area — the electrical system, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 1 recall campaigns target the electrical system, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the electrical system 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.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
INTERCONTINENTAL AUTO PARTS IS RECALLING 1,937 FUEL FILTERS, P/NOS ALG 44/1 AND PUROLATOR F10024, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 14 AND FEBRUARY 13, 2008, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE FILTER'S OUTLET CAP MAY… Remedy: INTERCONTINENTAL WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING MARCH 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT INTERCONTINENTAL AT 800-451-2593.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
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Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.