Filed Sep 23, 1996
Crash reported
HITCH BROKE OFF, CAUSING ACCIDENT.(OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
- NHTSA ID
- 508899
- Incident
- Aug 12, 1996
1978 Ford Ranger
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Sep 23, 1996
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Overview
Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1978 Ford Ranger.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 1 month of data.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 62.0 |
| 2024 | 68 | 13 | 0 | 58.8 |
| 2023 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 58.5 |
| 2022 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 56.7 |
| 2021 | 111 | 6 | 0 | 64.1 |
| 2020 | 125 | 7 | 1 | 63.7 |
| 2019 | 263 | 11 | 0 | 59.1 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 235 | 6 | 0 | 53.5 |
| 2010 | 156 | 9 | 0 | 53.2 |
| 2009 | 168 | 8 | 0 | 51.6 |
| 2008 | 325 | 6 | 1 | 58.3 |
| 2007 | 270 | 6 | 1 | 59.9 |
| 2006 | 271 | 12 | 0 | 52.1 |
| 2005 | 289 | 11 | 3 | 62.3 |
| 2004 | 404 | 12 | 3 | 65.5 |
| 2003 | 243 | 5 | 1 | 60.5 |
| 2002 | 346 | 7 | 0 | 56.0 |
| 2001 | 515 | 9 | 2 | 63.3 |
| 2000 | 670 | 8 | 0 | 56.3 |
| 1999 | 755 | 10 | 0 | 56.2 |
| 1998 | 576 | 11 | 1 | 61.4 |
| 1997 | 411 | 7 | 2 | 61.3 |
| 1996 | 413 | 8 | 0 | 55.9 |
| 1995 | 321 | 7 | 1 | 57.9 |
| 1994 | 438 | 11 | 1 | 61.3 |
| 1993 | 232 | 10 | 2 | 64.6 |
| 1992 | 189 | 6 | 1 | 63.9 |
| 1991 | 132 | 6 | 4 | 67.5 |
| 1990 | 105 | 5 | 3 | 66.3 |
| 1989 | 73 | 3 | 1 | 63.0 |
| 1988 | 89 | 2 | 2 | 66.4 |
| 1987 | 50 | 5 | 4 | 71.3 |
| 1986 | 35 | 5 | 7 | 75.0 |
| 1985 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 67.6 |
| 1984 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 69.0 |
| 1983 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 57.4 |
| 1979 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1978Viewing | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.