Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 Impala.
The 1978 Chevrolet Impala's long-term complaint record spans 1991 through 2020, a period that peaks sharply in 2004 with 1,071 reports before dropping to a single complaint in 1997, suggesting a reliability trajectory that worsened dramatically mid-life then virtually vanished in later model years.
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Impala of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Custom Hardtop Coupe 6.6L V8 | 11.20 sec | 20.50 sec | 170 hp | RWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
A CHILD COULD OPEN THE REAR SIDE COMPARTMENT DOOR AND ENTER THIS COMPARTMENT. THE CHILD COULD BECOME ENTRAPPED IF THE DOOR WERE TO CLOSE, AS IT CANNOT BE UNLATCHED FROM THE INSIDE. Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE THE ORIGINAL COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH, WHICH CAN BE LATCHED WITHOUT A KEY, WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY THAT REQUIRES A KEY TO LATCH AS WELL AS LOCK THE DOOR.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207, "ANCHORAGE OF SEATS", IN THAT THE FRONT SEAT ADJUSTER ASSEMBLIES HAVE LOCK BARS WHICH MAY NOT REMAIN ENGAGED WHEN TEST PROCEDURE… Remedy: DEALER WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL LOCK BAR RETURN SPRING WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
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.