ChevroletCelebrity1983Overview/chevrolet/celebrity/1983/base/

1983 Chevrolet Celebrity

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1983 Celebrity.

The 1983 Chevrolet Celebrity utilizes a 3-quart oil capacity with a viscosity rating of 20W-20, 20W-40, or 20W-50. This model year is characterized by two recalls and two owner complaints specifically involving the electrical and gasoline fuel systems. Within the broader model history spanning 1990 to 1992, this volume of complaints is consistent with the 1991 low of two and remains significantly lower than the 1990 peak of eight.

Model year199019891988198719861985198419831982

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity3 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50OEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length188.2 in
Overall width69.3 in
Overall height53.9 in
Wheelbase104.7 in
Curb weight2654 lb

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 3 qt of 20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil20W-20 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity3 qt
Engine Oil20W-20 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Engine OilAPI · 15W-30 · 10W-30
Engine Oil Capacity6 qt

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The provided year-by-year federal record covers 1990-1992, which does not include the target year (1983) or the years immediately surrounding it, so a direct year-over-year trend analysis is not possible with the data given. What the record does show is that for the early 1990s model years, complaints remained very low (2-8 per year), recalls were minimal, and there were no technical service bulletins, suggesting reasonable reliability for vehicles from this generation in that period. The 1983-specific data shows 1 fuel/electrical complaint, 1 suspension complaint, 0 crash complaints, and 1 fire complaint, which places it within a generation that, based on the later years recorded, did not exhibit widespread systemic defects. However, the fire complaint is notable and worth a pre-purchase inspection of the fuel system and electrical wiring. Given the limited complaint data overall and the absence of major recall activity in the subsequent years on record, the 1983 Chevrolet Celebrity appears to be a reasonable candidate within this generation, though the fire complaint should be investigated before purchase.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
5
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
2
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 2 complaints on record, top 2 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline,Electrical System1
Suspension1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

83V105000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Differential Proportional ValveReported 13/10/1983

THE BRAKE PROPORTIONER VALVES MAY BREAK AND SEPARATE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. THIS WOULD ALLOW BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK AND WOULD RESULT IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. Remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE ALL SUSPECT VALVES.

83V092000Parking Brake:Conventional:Mechanical:Linkage And CableReported 14/09/1983

PARKING BRAKE CABLES CONTAIN INCORRECT SPRINGS. THESE SPRINGS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 105, "HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEMS". Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND INSTALL NEW REAR PARKING BRAKE CABLE IF NECESSARY.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Celebrity. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1983 Celebrity take?

3 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F 30, ABOVE 20 degrees F: 20W-20, 20W-40, 20W-50, ABOVE 10 degrees F: 15W-40, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 1983 Celebrity have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.