PlymouthHorizon1980Overview/plymouth/horizon/1980/base/

1980 Plymouth Horizon

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

The 1980 Plymouth Horizon, a compact hatchback produced by Chrysler's Plymouth division, represents a model year that entered the market with notable quality concerns, as evidenced by three separate recall campaigns issued that year—a figure that substantially exceeds the industry average for a single model year and signals significant pre-delivery or design issues addressed after production; despite this troubled launch context, owner complaints for this model year remain remarkably scarce, with only a single documented grievance centered on the fuel system, suggesting that while the recalls addressed immediate safety or reliability issues, the overall ownership experience for the 1980 Horizon has proven considerably more problem-free than its recall history might initially indicate, placing this particular model year among the more dependable iterations within the Horizon's production run.

Model year199019891988198719861985198419831980

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 Plymouth Horizon dominate in one area — the fuel system, gasoline, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the fuel system, gasoline are also the target of recall 80V-139 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the fuel system, gasoline 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.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
3
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

80V139000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsReported 21/10/1980

THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUEL LINE HOSES INSTALLED ON CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE FABRICATED FROM A DEFECTIVE RUBBER COMPOUND. WHEN SUBJECTED TO CONTINUOUS HIGH UNDERHOOD TEMPERATURES, THESE HOSES MAY BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACK. Remedy: THE DEALER WILL REPLACE FUEL SUPPLY AND VAPOR RETURN HOSES WITH A TYPE CONSTRUCTED OF HIGH TEMPERATURE-RESISTANT MATERIAL.

80V138000Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:LatchReported 17/10/1980

THE HOOD SECONDARY LATCH ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY BE SUBJECT TO BINDING DUE TO VARIATIONS IN THE LATCH AND ITS MOUNTING BASE ASSEMBLY. A PROBLEM COULD OCCUR IF THE PRIMARY LATCH BECAME INOPERATIVE OR WAS NOT… Remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSPECT THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SYSTEM AND, IF NECESSARY, ADJUST IT AT NO COST TO OWNER.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 3 of 3 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
21-15-801980-06-01Power TrainUNKNOWN
11-04-801980-06-01Engine And Engine CoolingUNKNOWN
23-28-801980-05-01StructureUNKNOWN

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 Horizon. 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 Horizon have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.