Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 Impala.
The 1978 Chevrolet Impala is presented here as part of the model line whose owner‑complaint record is documented from 1991 through 2020. During that span the highest number of complaints occurred in 2004, with 1,071 reports, while the lowest point came in 1997, with just a single complaint. Because the 1978 model year falls outside the 1991‑2020 window, the complaint statistics do not directly locate it within that reliability trend. Consequently, any assessment of its dependability must rely on sources beyond the supplied complaint data.
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.