The 1978 Ford Fiesta has 3 recalls, the most serious being a fire risk tied to dealer-installed air conditioning units where a jammed blower motor can generate enough heat in the resistor wiring to ignite the plastic blower housing.
On certain vehicles fitted with 4.50 x 12 inch steel wheels, the hole for the tire valve stem may be mispositioned, allowing air to leak past the valve stem seat during highway driving. That slow leak can cause the tire to overheat, pull the steering to one side, or ultimately fail. There is also a compliance recall affecting vehicles that came equipped with 155 SR-12 tires: the tire placard on those vehicles incorrectly lists 145 SR-12 tires as an acceptable replacement size, which they are not, and fitting the smaller tire puts the vehicle outside the applicable safety standard for tire and rim matching.
At a glance
What can fail
The tire placard lists both 155 SR-12 and 145 SR-12 as acceptable tire sizes, but 145 SR-12 tires are incorrect for your vehicle and violate safety standards.
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
Some 4.50 x 12 inch steel wheels have valve stem holes in the wrong location. This can cause air to leak from the tire at the valve stem during high-speed driving, leading to steering pull, tire overheating, or tire failure.
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
Some dealer-installed air conditioning kits have blower motor resistor wires positioned too close to the plastic blower housing. If the blower motor jams, the resistor wire can overheat and ignite the housing, causing a vehicle fire.
What the fix does
No remedy description available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
