The 1979 Ford Econoline has 3 recalls, the most serious involving a power steering component that can fracture and disconnect the steering linkage, causing the driver to lose all steering control.
On certain power-steering-equipped vehicles, the sector shaft inside the steering gear can crack and break, allowing the pitman arm to detach from the shaft entirely. When that arm separates, steering input from the wheel no longer reaches the front wheels. There is also a concern for vehicles with the optional seat-belt-equipped convertible seating: the outboard seatbelts can get caught in the pivot mechanism used to fold the seat into a bed, and if the conversion happens with the belt trapped inside, the mechanism can cut or fray the webbing, weakening the belt so it may not restrain an occupant properly in a crash. The third recall is a compliance matter affecting incomplete vehicles that were shipped to final-stage manufacturers with compliance labels already attached before the build was finished.
At a glance
What can fail
Some vehicles were delivered to final manufacturers without seats installed, even though they had compliance labels saying they were complete.
What the fix does
No remedy description available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
The power steering gear's sector shaft may be improperly made and fracture, causing the pitman arm to detach from the shaft. This results in loss of steering control.
What the fix does
No remedy description available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The outboard seat belts can get trapped in the seat-bed pivoting mechanism. If trapped when the seat converts to a bed, the mechanism may cut or fray the seat belt.
What the fix does
No remedy description available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
