Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 Caprice.
The 1978 Chevrolet Caprice represented the full-size sedan offering from Chevrolet during that model year, built on the brand's traditional full-size platform; however, the JSON data provided does not include specific engine, body style, or detailed performance specifications for this particular model year. The model's complaint history, tracked from 1990 to 2011, reveals a dramatic reliability trajectory: consumer complaints peaked at 196 in 1994 but fell to just 1 by 2003, indicating that Chevrolet made substantial improvements to the Caprice's dependability over its production run. This long-term trend suggests that later-model Caprices benefited from these refinements, though the 1978 model predates the complaint tracking period entirely.
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Caprice of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Classic Sport Coupe 5.7L V8 | 9.80 sec | 16.80 sec | 170 hp | RWD |
| 1977 | Classic Sedan 5.7L V8 | 10.80 sec | 18.20 sec | 170 hp | RWD |
| 1977 | Classic Sedan 5.0L V8 | 11.80 sec | 17.90 sec | 170 hp | RWD |
| 1980 | Classic Coupe 5.0L V8 | 10.90 sec | 18.10 sec | 150 hp | RWD |
| 1982 | Caprice Classic Sedan 5.0L V8 | 12.60 sec | 18.90 sec | 150 hp | RWD |
| 1986 | Wagon 5.7L V8 | 7.20 sec | 15.50 sec | 170 hp | RWD |
| 1968 | Coupe 7.0L V8 | 8.00 sec | 16.20 sec | 385 hp | RWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Showing 2 of 3 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.
A CHILD COULD OPEN THE REAR SIDE COMPARTMENT DOOR AND ENTER THIS COMPARTMENT. THE CHILD COULD BECOME ENTRAPPED IF THE DOOR WERE TO CLOSE, AS IT CANNOT BE UNLATCHED FROM THE INSIDE. Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE THE ORIGINAL COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH, WHICH CAN BE LATCHED WITHOUT A KEY, WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY THAT REQUIRES A KEY TO LATCH AS WELL AS LOCK THE DOOR.
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 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.