Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 Dasher.
The 1978 Volkswagen Dasher is a model year best understood through its thin reliability record, which points to limited long-term owner-reported trouble but flags a specific vulnerability. With just one logged owner complaint concentrated in the Fuel System, Gasoline category, the data suggests gasoline fuel-system components drew the only documented owner concern. Two recalls add a manufacturer-initiated layer to the profile, meaning official action rather than anecdotal wear accounts for much of what researchers can verify. Taken together, the 1978 Dasher sits near the quiet end of the model's reliability history: low complaint volume makes broad failure judgments difficult, while the fuel-system focus and recall count remain the clearest signals for anyone studying this year.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 172 in |
| Overall width | 63 in |
| Overall height | 53.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 96.9 in |
| Curb weight | 2163 lb |
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Dasher of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Fastback Sedan 1.5L I-4 | 12.70 sec | 19.00 sec | 78 hp | FWD |
| 1974 | Fastback Sedan 2-door 1.5L I-4 | 10.60 sec | 17.80 sec | 75 hp | FWD |
| 1974 | Fastback Sedan 1.5L I-4 | 14.90 sec | 20.09 sec | 75 hp | FWD |
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 Volkswagen Dasher 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 83V-117 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.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
THE FUEL PUMP MAY STOP FUNCTIONING WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAN OCCUR BECAUSE AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR IN THE FUSE PANEL MAY OVERHEAT AND INTERRUPT THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT. Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT THE FUSE BOX AND ITS CONNECTORS FOR CORROSION, AND CORRECT WHERE NECESSARY. A BYPASS ADAPTER TO THE FUEL PUMP ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT WILL BE INSTALLED.
ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE TWO GUIDE BOLTS FOR EACH OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE FREE-FLOATING FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS DURING ASSEMBLY. Remedy: THE DEALER WILL TIGHTEN THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER GUIDE BOLTS TO SPECIFICATIONS, FREE OF CHARGE, WHERE FOUND 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 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.