RoadVitals

1979 Dodge B300

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Jun 7, 2005
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Jul 24, 1979
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1979 Dodge B300, most frequently naming the tires & wheels category. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Tires & wheels2100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

Jul 24, 1979
68,000 units potentially affected
The defect: CONDENSATE WATER MAY ACCUMULATE IN THE AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER HOUSING; THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT THIS WATER WILL CAUSE THE BLOWER MOTOR TO FAIL. BLOWER MOTOR FAILURE WOULD DISABLE THE AIR CONDTIONING UNIT AND THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO DEFROST OR DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD.
The remedy: DEALER WILL DRILL A 1/4 INCH DRAIN HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER HOUSING TO PREVENT WATER ACCUMULATION, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
CHRYSLER CORPORATIONView on NHTSA.gov

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

Apr 30, 1979
27,000 units potentially affected
The defect: LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY FRACTURE IN THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE LOWER BALL JOINT, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT FROM THE ARM.
The remedy: DEALER WILL INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS BY INSTALLING WELDED REINFORCEMENTS.
CHRYSLER CORPORATIONView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 7, 2005

I HAD TRAVELLED FOR ABOUT 25 MILES @C.45 MPH WITH A LOAD OF C.3000 LBS IN THE BACK OF A DODGE MAXIVAN (SCHOOL BUS CONVERSION) WHEN THE MARSHALL 9.50R16.5LT TIRE WITH THE DOT H2XLYC3E276 MARKING ON IT EXPLODED AFTER BRIEFLY ACCELERATING TO C.60 MPH. WHEN THIS TIRE (ON THE LEFT REAR) EXPLODED IT LEFT THE ENTIRE TREAD LAYING IN THE PASSING LANE OF I90. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS BESIDE THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME AS I BRIEFLY LURCHED INTO THE PASSING LANE BEFORE SAFELY COMING TO A STOP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AFTER WHICH I IMMEDIATELY RETRIEVED THE TREAD. ODDLY, THIS WAS THE NEWEST TIRE ON THE VEHICLE (PURCHASED C. OCT. 1996) WHILE ITS MATE ON THE SAME AXLE (ALL POSITION M&S) WAS HEAVILY CHECKED AROUND THE BEAD. WITH NO MORE THAN 20,000 MILES ON THE TIRE THE TREAD IS STILL VERY DEEP. GIVEN THE AGE OF THE TIRE I AM NOT EXPECTING ANY COMPENSATION BUT IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A DEFECT IN THE TIRE DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION THAT PRODUCED THIS TREAD SEPARATION. A SEARCH ON THE DOT WEBSITE REVEALS ONLY ONE OTHER TREAD SEPARATION ON A TIRE OF THIS DESCRIPTION BY MARSHAL TIRE CO.. MY ONLY MOTIVE IS TO LET THE MFG KNOW THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS OCURRED WHICH MIGHT AFFECT THEIR QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES IN THE FUTURE. I STILL HAVE THE REMAINS OF THE TIRE IF ANY PICTURES ARE NEEDED.

NHTSA ID
10124427
Incident
Jun 4, 2005
Mileage
143,280 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 21, 2000

LT31X1050X16.5 FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX ON 6 OCCATIONS IN PAST YEAR HAVE BLOWN OUT WITHOUT WARNING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.HAVE STOPPED DRIVING VEHICLE AND HAVE NOT GONE BACK TO DEALER AS I MUST PAY FOR PART OF THE TIRE LIFE FOR NEW ONES AND STILL HAVE BLOW OUTS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 31105016.5 )

NHTSA ID
728586
Incident
May 14, 1999

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Dodge B300 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1988010
1987001
1986001
1985001
1984001
1983010
1982010
1981010
1980010
1979Viewing220
1978040
1977020
1976220
1975130
1974020
1973040
1972010
1971090

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.