ChevroletP201980Overview/chevrolet/p20/1980/base/

1980 Chevrolet P20

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1980 P20.

The 1980 Chevrolet P20 is documented in this reference page as a model year carrying a notably slim owner-complaint record of just two filings, alongside two recalls — a relatively quiet footprint that suggests this particular year did not generate the volume of chronic issues seen in some of its contemporaries. The complaints that did surface cluster around a broad but modest set of areas, namely the gasoline fuel system, seat belts, structure, and seats, indicating that when problems did arise, they spanned both mechanical and cabin-related concerns rather than concentrating in a single failure point. With only two recalls on file, this model year sits toward the more stable end of the P20's reliability history, meaning researchers and owners can approach it as a comparatively well-behaved entry in the lineup, even if the scattered nature of the complaints leaves no single dominant weak link to flag.

Model year198919881987198619841982198119801979

Reliability & federal safety record

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

Owner complaints about the 1980 Chevrolet P20 dominate in one area — the fuel system, gasoline,seat belts,structure,seats, 1 of 2 reports (50%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 2 recall campaigns target the fuel system, gasoline,seat belts,structure,seats, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 1 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the fuel system, gasoline,seat belts,structure,seats pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
2
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 2 complaints on record, top 2 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline,Seat Belts,Structure,Seats1
Structure1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

07E088000EquipmentReported 24/10/2007

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.

81V010000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:VacuumReported 13/01/1981

FATIGUE CRACKS MAY DEVELOP IN THE BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER HOUSING. THIS MAY CAUSE A VACUUM LEAK AND REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAKES. AFTER PROLONGED USE, THE CRACKS MAY DEVELOP TO THE EXTENT THAT THE BOOSTER MAY… Remedy: VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED FOR FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER. THOSE WITHOUT CRACKS WILL HAVE A SUPPORT BRACE INSTALLED. THOSE WITH EVIDENCE OF CRACKING WILL HAVE A…

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 P20. 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 1980 P20 have open recalls?

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