Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 B100.
The 1978 Dodge B100 enters the historical record with a notably sparse paper trail, tallying just a single owner complaint directed at the electrical system alongside five official recalls. This modest count of reported issues suggests a model year that largely avoided the widespread, chronic faults that can plague a vehicle's reputation. For a researcher, the data frames the 1978 B100 as a relatively quiet entry in the van's lineage, where the limited feedback points to a generally uneventful ownership experience rather than any systemic reliability crisis.
Condensed service procedures for routine maintenance. Procedures that require dealer diagnostic equipment are identified and summarized only.
| Tool required | DRBIII scan tool (dealer / locksmith) |
| Why | Transmitter codes are written into the receiver in the passenger door module |
| When needed | After Sentry Key Immobilizer Module (SKIM) replacement |
| Tool required | DRBIII scan tool |
| Also required | The vehicle's four-digit PIN code |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1978 Dodge B100 dominate in one area — the electrical system, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 5 recall campaigns target the electrical system, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the electrical system 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.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
AN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT CONTAINING A MISMATCHED POT COUPLING ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THIS COUPLING MAY HAVE AN OVERSIZED SERRATION DIAMETER. AN OVERSIZED SERRATION COULD PREVENT… Remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A REPLACEMENT SHAFT COUPLING.
Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT THE FUEL TANK VENT SYSTEMS FOR BLOCKAGE AND CORRECT, IF NECESSARY. FUEL TANKS WILL BE INSPECTED FOR CRACKING OF THE FRONT PANEL AND REPLACED, IF NECESSARY.
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 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.