PontiacCatalina1978Overview/pontiac/catalina/1978/base/

1978 Pontiac Catalina

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 Catalina.

The reference material identifies the subject solely as the 1978 Pontiac Catalina Overview, offering no further detail on its body style, underlying platform, or powerplant. Consequently, no standout specifications such as displacement, horsepower, or unique equipment can be drawn from the source. Likewise, the overview does not situate this model year within any broader reliability trajectory of the Catalina line. As a result, the paragraph cannot conclude with an assessment of how 1978 fits into the model's dependability history.

Model year1981198019791978197719761975

Reliability & federal safety record

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

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

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

78V139000Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:FanReported 13/06/1978

THE HUB PORTION OF THE FAN BLADE ASSEMBLY COULD CRACK DUE TO HIGH STRESS LEVELS GENERATED DURING ENGINE OPERATING CONDITIONS. EVENTUALLY, THE BLADE COULD BREAK APART AT THE HUB AND BLADE PIECES COULD BE PROPELLED INTO… Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE THE FAN BLADE ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.

77V200000Wheels:Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/StudsReported 16/11/1977

THE REAR WHEEL MOUNTING BOLTS ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, ARE BRITTLE AND THEREFORE MAY FRACTURE. THIS BRITTLENESS IS DUE TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT DURING MANUFACTURE. IF THE BOLTS BREAK, THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY MAY… Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, WILL REPLACE DEFECTIVE BOLTS ON ALL AXLES AND THE TEN REAR AXLE WHEEL MOUNTING BOLTS, FREE OF CHARGE.

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 Catalina. 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 1978 Catalina have open recalls?

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