Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 E-250 Econoline.
The 1978 Ford E-250 Econoline is a full‑size van built on Ford’s dedicated van platform, and while it attracted only a single owner complaint—filed under the “Structure” category—the model year was subject to six recalls, indicating that despite low owner‑reported issues, factory‑identified defects were relatively numerous. This combination places the 1978 Econoline in a reliability context where the vehicle’s on‑road dependability appears strong from the owner’s perspective, yet the recall count suggests that several components required manufacturer intervention, making it a year that researchers should examine for structural and other systemic concerns.
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 E-250 Econoline dominate in one area — the structure, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 6 recall campaigns target the structure, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the structure 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 2 of 6 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMPS SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF CARTER, ACCUFLOW, NAPA, TRUFLOW, PARTS DEPO, AND PARTS MASTER, SHIPPED BETWEEN AUGUST 2006 AND JULY 2007 FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE… Remedy: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 15, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL AT 248-354-7700.
SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE DEFECTIVE CARBURETORS IN WHICH, UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE SECONDARY THROTTLE PLATES MAY STICK OPEN. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE CARBURETOR AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.