Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 LTD.
The 1979 Ford LTD represents a model year situated within Ford's full-size sedan history, and its reliability record reflects a pattern of relatively few owner concerns, with only 3 total owner complaints logged across the tracked period and tires emerging as the most frequently cited issue. The model experienced 9 recalls during its production window, a figure that contextualizes the balance between documented manufacturing issues and actual owner dissatisfaction. When examining complaint frequency from 1990 to 2000, the LTD reached its peak at 3 complaints in 1991 and its lowest point at 1 complaint in 1993, suggesting a trajectory of improving owner satisfaction over time rather than escalating problems. For researchers assessing long-term durability, this complaint profile indicates that the 1979 LTD maintained reasonable reliability for its era, with recall activity representing standard automotive governance rather than systemic failure.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 209.1 in |
| Overall width | 77.2 in |
| Overall height | 55.1 in |
| Wheelbase | 114.2 in |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The 1979 Ford LTD shows three total complaints in the target-year data — two for tires and one for the electrical system — with zero crash complaints but one fire complaint, though the data does not specify whether the fire is linked to the electrical issue. The provided federal record spans 1990–2000, not the 1979 model year, so the target year cannot be placed within that generation’s complaint/recall trend arc; the later data shows consistently low complaint volumes (1–3 per year), zero recalls, and a gradual rise in TSBs from 1992 onward. Because the 1979 figures are isolated from the longitudinal record, no comparative trajectory can be drawn from this dataset. The presence of a fire complaint alongside tire and electrical reports warrants attention, but the sample is too small to establish a pattern. Based solely on the available numbers, the 1979 LTD presents notable safety-adjacent complaints without recall context, making it a higher-risk purchase unless a thorough pre-purchase inspection confirms resolution of the cited systems.
All 3 complaints on record, top 2 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 9 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
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.
ONE OR MORE OF THE FIVE COOLING FAN BLADES MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY RIVETED TO THE FAN SPIDER. THIS COULD ALLOW THE BLADES TO SEPARATE FROM THE FAN DURING ENGINE OPERATION. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN, WITHOUT CHARGE.
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 9 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.