Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 G20.
The 1979 Chevrolet G20, as recorded in the reliability data, generated a single owner complaint—focused on the fuel system—and three recalls, placing it early in a model history that would later see complaint numbers rise to 87 in 1995 before dropping to just two in 1998. This sparse complaint count for the 1979 model year, combined with its modest recall total, positions it as a relatively low-concern entry in a broader model lineage that experienced a significant spike in issues during the mid-1990s.
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 spans 1990 through 1999, placing the 1979 target year entirely before the documented arc with no overlapping model-year data for direct comparison. Within that record, complaints escalate from 17 in 1990 and 5 in 1991 to a peak of 87 in 1995, then collapse to single digits by 1996, while recalls remain active through 1996 and TSBs appear only from 1994 onward. The available 1979 data is limited to one fuel-system complaint and one fire complaint, with zero crash complaints recorded, offering minimal parallel to the later spike in complaints and recalls. Because the data does not specify root causes or whether the 1979 model shares the failure modes seen in the 1990s window, buyers must treat age-related wear as the primary risk factor rather than any mirrored federal trend. Ultimately, with only one fire complaint and no crash complaints on file, 1979 presents a comparatively clean federal profile relative to the high-volume years that follow, making it a reasonable year to buy provided a thorough inspection addresses its age.
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.
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.
Remedy: INSTALL PROPER MOUNTING HARDWARE AND SEAT BELTS.
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.