The 1978 Mercury Zephyr has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 889,772 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES CONTAIN EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS THAT UTILIZE A PULSE AIR REED VALVE TO PERMIT AIR FLOW FROM THE AIR CLEANER TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD ON NEGATIVE PRESSURE PULSATIONS. THESE REED VALVES MAY FAIL UNDER COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS, CAUSING A BACKFLOW OF EXHAUST GAS INTO THE AIR CLEANER AND FUEL…
THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULSE AIR SYSTEM REED VALVE AND SILENCER WITHOUT CHARGE.
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DRIVE LINKAGE ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY FRACTURE DUE TO METAL FATIGUE AS A RESULT OF REPEATED FLEXING OF THE DRIVE ARM ACROSS A STRESS SENSITIVE AREA. THIS CONDITION WILL RENDER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM INOPERATIVE.
THE DEALER WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE WITHOUT COST TO OWNER.
AN IMPROPER TRANSMISSION SHIFT BRACKET WAS INSTALLED WHICH, BECAUSE OF ITS DESIGN, COULD CONTACT AND ABRADE THE FUEL HOSE. FUEL LEAKAGE AND POSSIBLE ACCUMULATION OF FUEL ON A SURFACE BENEATH A PARKED VEHICLE COULD RESULT.
THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT BRACKET AND ITS RELATED PARTS, INCLUDING THE FUEL HOSE IF FOUND NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE.
TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONTROL RODS WERE INSTALLED THAT WERE INTENDED FOR USE WITH THE STEERING COLUMNS OF A PRIOR DESIGN LEVEL. ATTACHMENT OF THE SHIFT CONTROL ROD WITH THE STEERING COLUMN SHIFT LEVER GROMMET WILL ALLOW RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THESE PARTS. CONTINUED USAGE COULD RESULT IN GROMMET WEAR AND DETERIORATION…
DRIVER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL NEW TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE PARTS, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
BECAUSE OF ITS POSITION, THE WIRING ASSEMBLY MAY CHAFE AGAINST THE COWL-TO-BRAKE PEDAL SUPPORT BRACE WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.
THE DEALER WILL INSTALL PROTECTIVE SHIELDS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL SUPPORT BRACE AND PERFORM REPAIRS, IF NECESSARY.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH AIR CONDITIONING UNITS WHICH CONTAIN BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR WIRES WHICH ARE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED. AS A RESULT, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS THE POLYPROPYLENE CASE MATERIAL COULD BECOME OVERHEATED AND EVENTUALLY IGNITE, ESPECIALLY IF THE BLOWER MOTOR SWITCH IS IN THE LOW OR MEDIUM…
DEALER WILL MODIFY THE INVOLVED UNITS AS FOUND NECESSARY.
ON SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION PARKING PAWL MAY NOT ENGAGE THE PARKING GEAR WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN THE "PARK" POSITION. THIS CONDITION IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO EXCESSIVE FREE PLAY IN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE ADJUSTMENT.
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND PROPERLY ADJUST THE SHIFT LINKAGE, AT NO CHARGE.
THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS INSTALLED ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED SO THAT THEY CONTAIN CRACKS. THESE CRACKED ROTORS COULD FRACTURE DURING VEHICLE BRAKING AND CAUSE BRAKE PULL AND AFFECT VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.
DEALER WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS ON INVOLVED VEHICLES, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNERS.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL BRAKES INSTEAD OF POWER BRAKES. CONSEQUENTLY, A NON-COMPLIANCE TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 105, "HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEMS", MAY EXIST.
DEALER WILL REMOVE THE MANUAL BRAKE COMPONENTS AND INSTALL POWER BRAKE COMPONENTS ON ALL INVOLVED VEHICLES, WITHOUT CHARGE.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY BE IN NON-COMPLIANCE TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 105, "HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEMS", DUE TO INSTALLATION OF INCORRECT REAR AXLE ASSEMBLIES. CONSEQUENTLY, EARLY REAR WHEEL LOCK-UP UNDER LIGHT LOADING CONDITIONS COULD RESULT CAUSING VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL INSTABILITY. REAR BRAKING…
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL THE CORRECT REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“When the brakes were applied suddenly, the seat belts did not lock as designed.*jb”
“Wires in steering column shorted out resulting in fire.”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1978 Mercury Zephyr as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.