Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1981 G20.
The 1981 Chevrolet G20, a model built on a dedicated chassis with a conventional body style and a standard powerplant, represents the early generation of Chevrolet’s full‑size truck line. In its launch year it logged only a single owner complaint, primarily concerning tires, and it carried two official recalls. Compared with the 1990‑1999 period, where complaint counts rose to a high of 87 in 1995 and fell to a low of 2 in 1998, the 1981 model year sits at the low end of the complaint spectrum, indicating relatively early reliability.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 202 in |
| Overall width | 79.5 in |
| Wheelbase | 125.2 in |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The federal record you provided starts in 1990, so there are no complaint, recall, or investigation figures for the 1981 model year itself. Across the decade, complaints rise sharply from 17 in 1990 to a peak of 87 in 1995, then fall to single digits by 1998, while recalls peak at 7 in 1994 and fall to 0 by 1999. The trend shows a period of heightened consumer issues in the mid‑1990s followed by a steady improvement toward the decade’s end. Because the 1981 G20 is not represented in this dataset, we cannot infer its position on that arc or its specific problem profile. Therefore, the data does not provide evidence that 1981 is a particularly problematic or safe year to purchase; additional, model‑year‑specific research would be required before making a buying decision.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 2 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 HYDRAULIC BRAKE FLUID USED IN CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE BRAKE FLUID BOILING POINT REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 116, "MOTOR VEHICLE BRAKE FLUIDS". BRAKING EFFICIENCY… Remedy: SUSPECT HYDRAULIC BRAKE FLUID WILL BE BLED FROM THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND REPLACED WITH GM DELCO SUPREME NO. 11 OR AN EQUIVALENT, WITHOUT CHARGE.
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 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.