Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 D300.
The 1979 Dodge D300 enters the reference record as a model-year entry in Dodge's D300 truck line, and its ownership footprint is notably thin by any longitudinal measure: just two owner complaints on file, with tires identified as the single leading category, and two recalls issued against the platform. That narrow complaint base, anchored entirely in one component area, suggests the truck's broader systems drew little friction from owners during the period covered, while the recall count indicates the issues that did emerge were addressed through formal manufacturer remediation rather than left to the field. Read against surrounding model years, the 1979 stands as one of the quieter entries in the D300's reliability ledger, a data point that researchers can treat as a baseline rather than an outlier.
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 1979 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.
All 2 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
CONDENSATE WATER MAY ACCUMULATE IN THE AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER HOUSING; THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT THIS WATER WILL CAUSE THE BLOWER MOTOR TO FAIL. BLOWER MOTOR FAILURE WOULD DISABLE THE AIR CONDTIONING UNIT AND… Remedy: DEALER WILL DRILL A 1/4 INCH DRAIN HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER HOUSING TO PREVENT WATER ACCUMULATION, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY FRACTURE IN THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE LOWER BALL JOINT, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT FROM THE ARM. Remedy: DEALER WILL INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS BY INSTALLING WELDED REINFORCEMENTS.
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 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.