DodgeD3001976Overview/dodge/d300/1976/base/

1976 Dodge D300

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1976 D300.

The 1976 Dodge D300 enters the historical record with a notably quiet complaint profile, logging just two owner-reported issues across its service life with tires emerging as the sole recurring theme. That same restraint carries into its safety ledger, where only two recalls were issued — a figure that suggests either limited systemic faults or a model that largely avoided the regulatory scrutiny that plagued many contemporaries. For researchers, this sparse paper trail positions the 1976 D300 as a statistically uneventful year in the truck's reliability arc, meaning surviving examples owe their condition more to maintenance discipline than to any inherent design vulnerability.

Model year198019791978197719761975

Owner how-tos

Condensed service procedures for routine maintenance. Procedures that require dealer diagnostic equipment are identified and summarized only.

Common procedures

Key fob — remote (RKE) programming programming new fob buttons Dealer tool OEM · verified
Tool requiredDRBIII scan tool (dealer / locksmith)
WhyTransmitter codes are written into the receiver in the passenger door module
Anti-theft (SKIS) — module initialization after immobilizer module replacement Dealer tool OEM · verified
When neededAfter Sentry Key Immobilizer Module (SKIM) replacement
Tool requiredDRBIII scan tool
Also requiredThe vehicle's four-digit PIN code

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 1976 Dodge D300 dominate in one area — the tires, 2 of 2 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 2 recall campaigns target the tires, 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 tires 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
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
2
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 2 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Tires2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

80V073000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:CaliperReported 11/06/1980

DUE TO A COMBINATION OF DISC BRAKE PAD WEAR AND TURN STOP WEAR ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THERE MAY BE AN INCREASE IN BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL AND A REDUCTION IN FRONT BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS FOLLOWING A FULL TURN. ALSO, A FRAME… Remedy: UPON INSPECTION DEALER WILL REPLACE EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT TURN STOP BRACKET TO CORRECT THE FRONT BRAKES. IF FRAME IS CRACKED IT WILL BE WELDED AND A ROD REINFORCEMENT WILL BE…

80V027000Structure:Frame And MembersReported 14/03/1980

THE FRONT RAIL EXTENSION MAY EXPERIENCE FATIGUE CRACKING NEAR THE AREA WHERE THE POWER STEERING GEAR ATTACHES TO THE FRAME. IF THE CRACK PROGRESSES THROUGH MOST OR ALL OF THE RAIL SECTION, STEERING SYSTEM FREE PLAY… Remedy: AFFECTED VEHICLES WILL BE WELD REPAIRED AND A REINFORCEMENT ROD WILL BE INSTALLED OVER THE CRACKED AREA.

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 D300. 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 1976 D300 have open recalls?

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