Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 Horizon.
The 1979 Plymouth Horizon arrives in the historical record with a notably sparse complaint profile — just a single owner-reported issue logged, centered on latches, locks, and linkages — yet it carries three factory recalls, a pairing that suggests early production scrutiny outpaced real-world failure rates; this contrast positions the model year as a relatively quiet entry in the Horizon's reliability arc, where institutional caution appears to have exceeded actual owner experience.
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1979 Plymouth Horizon dominate in one area — the latches/locks/linkages, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 3 recall campaigns target the latches/locks/linkages, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the latches/locks/linkages pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
THE WHEEL MOUNTING NUTS INSTALLED MAY BE INCORRECT DUE TO A SUPPLIER ERROR IN MIXING STANDARD THREAD NUTS WITH SPECIFIED METRIC THREAD NUTS PRIOR TO PLANT SHIPMENT. AS A RESULT, THE NUT THREADS MAY STRIP WHEN TIGHTENED… Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE EXISTING NUTS WITH THE PROPER METRIC THREAD NUTS, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUEL LINE HOSES INSTALLED ON CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE FABRICATED FROM A DEFECTIVE RUBBER COMPOUND. WHEN SUBJECTED TO CONTINUOUS HIGH UNDERHOOD TEMPERATURES, THESE HOSES MAY BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACK. Remedy: THE DEALER WILL REPLACE FUEL SUPPLY AND VAPOR RETURN HOSES WITH A TYPE CONSTRUCTED OF HIGH TEMPERATURE-RESISTANT MATERIAL.
Showing 1 of 1 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21-15-80 | 1980-06-01 | Power Train | UNKNOWN |
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.