CHEVROLET CITATION · model year

1980 CHEVROLET CITATION

7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1980CHEVROLETCITATION carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1980 CITATION is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components with 1 filings, followed by visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor (1) and steering:hydraulic power assist system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1980 CITATION, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE1

Recent Complaints

19990921SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKES GRAB WHEN PAVEMENT IS DAMP CAUSING VEHICLE TO SWING INTO OTHER LANES OF TRAFFIC. MJS

19990921VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL WHEN CIRCUIT BOARD OVERHEATS. MJS

19990921STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

POWER STEERING LEAKING. MJS

19990921ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

VALVE COVER FAILED CAUSING LEAKAGE. MJS

19990921POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

KNOB CENTER ON SHIFTER POPPED OUT, REPLACED PREVIOUSLY. MJS

19990921ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

ENGINE COOLING FAN CONTINUES TO RUN WHEN ENGINE IS NOT. MJS

19990921VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE

HEATER CORE FAILED. MJS

Compare 1980CHEVROLETCITATION to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1980 CHEVROLET CITATION have?
The 1980 CHEVROLET CITATION has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1980 CHEVROLET CITATION?
The most-complained component for the 1980 CHEVROLET CITATION is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR and STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM.
Is the 1980 CHEVROLET CITATION safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.