Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 C20.
The 1978 Chevrolet C20 appears in the overview with a single recorded owner complaint and one recall, figures that precede the complaint data collected from 1990 through 2001. During that later period the model experienced its peak complaints of 19 in 1993 and its lowest of 2 in 1992, establishing a baseline for evaluating earlier years. Consequently, the 1978 model year can be viewed as having a comparatively modest issue record relative to the higher volumes observed in the subsequent decade.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 211.4 in |
| Overall width | 79.5 in |
| Overall height | 70.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 131.5 in |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The 1978 Chevrolet C20 carries a remarkably thin direct federal footprint, registering only a single complaint in the "Unknown or Other" category with zero crash and zero fire incidents recorded, which suggests no dominant or well-documented defect pattern for this specific model year. Across the year-by-year record, however, the generation's complaint activity clearly peaks in the mid-1990s, climbing from 2 in 1992 to 19 in 1993, 13 in 1994, and 14 in 1995, before falling to zero from 1996 onward. Recall volume mirrors that arc, surging to 10 in 1994 and 7 in 1995, while TSBs only emerge starting in 1994 (1) and persist in small numbers (2) through 2001. The 1978 model year anchors the earliest, quietest end of this trajectory, sitting well before the mid-decade spike, and the data does not specify a root cause for that escalation. On balance, 1978 is a defensible year to consider within the generation, but any candidate should be cross-checked against the 1994–1995 recall cohort and inspected thoroughly given the truck's age.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
CERTAIN HONEYWELL FRAM RACING BRAND HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 25, 2006, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 2007, AND SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR VEHICLES LIST ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FILTERS… Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED OIL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-890-2075.
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 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.