American MotorsMatador1976Overview/american-motors/matador/1976/base/

1976 American Motors Matador

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1976 Matador.

The 1976 American Motors Matador occupies a transitional chapter in AMC's mid-size lineup, arriving as the model neared the end of its production run and the automaker increasingly shifted focus toward its smaller, more fuel-efficient offerings. This reference page consolidates the available overview data for the 1976 Matador, providing researchers with a centralized starting point for understanding the vehicle's positioning within American Motors' broader portfolio during a period of significant industry change. As a late-cycle entry in the Matador's history, the 1976 model year represents a useful data point for examining how AMC managed an aging platform in an era of tightening regulatory and market pressures.

Model year1978197719761975

Reliability & federal safety record

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

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

78V048000Electrical System:Ignition:ModuleReported 09/03/1978

THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM SENSOR CIRCUIT CONTAINS A TWO-WIRE CONNECTOR WHICH COULD CAUSE DIFFICULTY IN THE ENGINE IGNITION. THIS DIFFICULTY MAY BE CAUSED BY MECHANICAL OR CHEMICAL ACTIONS AT THE CONNECTOR. Remedy: THE TWO-WIRE CONNECTOR WILL BE MODIFIED BY THE DEALER BY CUTTING AND SOLDER-SPLICING THE WIRES.

77V144000Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:FanReported 14/09/1977

ENGINE COOLING FANS INSTALLED ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY BE SUBJECT TO BLADE SEPARATION DUE TO VIBRATIONS GENERATED DURING NORMAL OPERATION. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FAN WITH ONE OF A DIFFERENT DESIGN.

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 Matador. 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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

Does the 1976 Matador have open recalls?

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