1979 International Harvester S Series: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 1979 International Harvester S Series. The newest campaign is 87V005000. NHTSA received the report on 29 Jan 1987. The NHTSA record gives the component Electrical System / Alternator/Generator/Regulator. NHTSA has no complaint on file for this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 87V005000, in the NHTSA record

Separate engine and brake back up circuits.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

5 campaigns, newest first. 161,972 units in total.

87V00500029 Jan 1987Electrical System / Alternator/Generator/Regulator
84V09100014 Aug 1984Vehicle Speed Control
80V14800017 Nov 1980Steering / Linkages / Tie Rod Assembly
79V25800014 Dec 1979Steering / Linkages
79V21100018 Sep 1979Service Brakes, Air / Drum

87V005000Received 29 Jan 1987. 101,072 units.
Electrical System / Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Engine and brake backup system have common electrical power source; engine could die from electrical failure of the main power feed from the alternator.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This could result in brake failure which could result ina crash without prior warning.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Separate engine and brake back up circuits.
Report filed by NAVISTAR INTL CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 20 Feb 1987.
84V091000Received 14 Aug 1984. 16,000 units.
Vehicle Speed Control
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The engine shutdown cable located between the dash board and firewall, may interfere with the accelerator linkage.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Engine shutdown cable will be rerouted and strapped down as necessary.
Report filed by INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 14 Sep 1984.
80V148000Received 17 Nov 1980. 19,500 units.
Steering / Linkages / Tie Rod Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The nuts which fasten the tie rod ends to the steering arms may not have been tightened to the specified 150 ft-lb torque. Insufficiently tightened tie rod end nuts could loosen, break off the locking cotter pin, and allow the tie rod to disengage from the steering arm.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
The dealer will remove the locking cotter pin, tighten the nut to 150 ft-lbs and reinstall the cotter pin. Both left and right tie rod ends will be tightened. This will be done at no charge.
Report filed by INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 12 Dec 1980.
79V258000Received 14 Dec 1979. 400 units.
Steering / Linkages
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The pitman arm pinch bolt which holds the pitman arm to the steering gear output shaft may not have been tightened to the correct specifications. As a result sufficient clamp force will not be maintained and the long life and high mileage integrity of the steering joint may be degraded.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealer will tighten the pinch bolt to specifications at no cost to owner.
Report filed by INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 28 Dec 1979.
79V211000Received 18 Sep 1979. 25,000 units.
Service Brakes, Air / Drum
Defect, in the NHTSA record
As a result of severe shock and vibrations, the brake spiders on the involved vehicles may develop cracks near the camshaft mounting boss. The crack propagates across the spider until the camshaft boss is completely severed from the remainder of the spider. When the camshaft boss has completely severed, the s-cam, s-cam bracket, air chamber and slack adjuster can fall away from the brake spider resulting in a "no brake" condition on the wheel.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
The dealer will replace the front brake spiders on all affected vehicles used in snow plow dump and refuse hauling applications. This will be done at no charge.
Report filed by INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 30 Nov 1979.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

The NHTSA complaint file has no complaint for this model year.

Investigations

The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1979 International Harvester S SeriesThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1979 International Harvester S Series: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/international-harvester/s-series/1979/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: NAVISTAR INTL CORP.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1979 International Harvester S Series?: 161,972 units in 5 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the International Harvester S Series have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns for the International Harvester S Series, model years 1975 to 1987. 5 of them name the 1979 model year.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1979 International Harvester S Series open?: The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.