FordF1978Overview/ford/f/1978/base/
350 platform

1978 Ford F

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 F.

The 1978 Ford F is presented as a vehicle built on the 350 platform/chassis. With only a single owner complaint logged, the top issue area identified is the Electrical System, and the model year carries one recall. This minimal complaint count places the 1978 F at a notably low point in the F series' reliability history, suggesting a comparatively trouble‑free year for the line.

Model year2025202420231978

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length194.1 in
Overall width66.9 in
Overall height55.1 in
Wheelbase105.9 in

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 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.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Electrical System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E019000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpReported 06/03/2008

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.

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 F. 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.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

Does the 1978 F have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.