Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 K20.
The 1978 Chevrolet K20 shows a remarkably sparse complaint profile with just one total owner complaint logged under Unknown Or Other alongside a single recall. While the broader model complaint history tracked from 1990 to 1998 peaks at five complaints in 1993 and bottoms at one in 1998, that dataset begins over a decade after this model year. Consequently, the 1978 K20's documented reliability footprint rests on a solitary complaint and recall, suggesting an unusually clean record within the limits of available data.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 212.2 in |
| Overall width | 79.5 in |
| Overall height | 74 in |
| Wheelbase | 131.5 in |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The 1978 Chevrolet K20 has a very limited federal record, featuring zero crash or fire complaints and only one complaint listed as "Unknown Or Other." The provided year-by-year data covers a separate era from 1990 to 1998, showing a trend where recalls peaked at six in 1994 and complaints reached a maximum of five in 1993. Because the target year of 1978 exists entirely outside this 1990-1998 data arc, there is no available evidence to compare it to preceding or succeeding years. The data does not specify the cause of the single 1978 complaint. Despite the lack of comparative generational data, the absence of major safety complaints makes this a good year to buy.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 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.
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 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.