GMC TruckC351978Overview/gmc-truck/c35/1978/base/

1978 GMC Truck C35

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 C35.

The 1978 GMC Truck C35 appears in the manufacturer’s archive as a distinct model-year entry, though the available technical brief omits specific details regarding body style, platform designation, or engine specification. Within the model’s documented complaint history—which only tracks 1990 through 1996, peaking at three recorded issues in 1996 and bottoming at two in 1994—the 1978 production year falls well outside the observation window. This chronological gap means the truck’s reliability standing remains uncharted relative to the later period’s narrow complaint variance, leaving its service history to be assessed through means other than this particular dataset.

Model year19781977

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
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

78V177000Equipment:Mechanical:Carrier/RackReported 15/08/1978

THE NUT ON THE CARRIER SUPPORT BOLT ASSEMBLY MAY BREAK WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE ENTIRE WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TIRE AND WHEEL CARRIER BOLT ASSEMBLY AT NO CHARGE.

78V116000SuspensionReported 01/06/1978

THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER STRUT RODS, WHICH GIVE ADDED STRENGTH, MAY HAVE BEEN OMITTED DURING ASSEMBLY. CONSEQUENTLY, A FRAME CROSSMEMBER CRACK COULD EVENTUALLY DEVELOP AT THE FORWARD VERTICAL… Remedy: DEALER WILL INSTALL THE NECESSARY FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT RODS WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.

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 C35. 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 C35 have open recalls?

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