Selling an old Chevrolet Citation
Any Citation still around is more than 40 years old. If yours sits in a garage, a barn or a field and you want it gone, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.
- Sold
- 1980-1985 model years
- Data on this page
- 1984-1985 Citation II
- Platform
- Front-drive X-body
- Engines
- 2.5 Iron Duke four, 2.8 V6
- Complaints to NHTSA, 1984-1985
- 8
- Recalls, 1984-1985
- 2 (85V034, 84V132)
- Followed by
- Corsica and Beretta
What the Citation was
Chevrolet sold the Citation for the 1980 to 1985 model years on GM's front-drive X-body platform. It came as a two-door notchback, a three-door hatchback and a five-door hatchback, and four plants built it: North Tarrytown, New York; Oklahoma City; Willow Run in Ypsilanti, Michigan; and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
Engines were the 2.5-liter Iron Duke four, fuel injected from 1982, and a 2.8-liter V6 in three versions, the last with fuel injection for 1985. Transmissions were a three-speed TH-125 automatic or a four-speed manual. Chevrolet renamed the car the Citation II for 1984. The 1985 was the last; the coupe was gone by then, and the Corsica and Beretta took over.
What NHTSA has on file
Our NHTSA data begins with the 1984 model year, so the record below covers the Citation II only. It is short: 8 complaints and 2 recalls.
Recall 85V034 (1984 cars). Fuel could leak where the fuel feed pipe joins the throttle body injection unit. NHTSA's notice says the leak "could result in an underhood fire" that could spread into the cabin. The remedy was a new fuel feed pipe.
Recall 84V132 (1985 cars). The throttle body case could rub against the throttle linkage and make it bind, so the throttle might not close after the driver lifted off the pedal. Dealers inspected the cars and opened up the clearance where needed, at no charge.
The complaints. Seven of the eight are on the 1984. Three describe 1984 crashes involving motorcycles, and NHTSA's file counts six deaths across the complaints. One of those records says the car accelerated and then stalled during a left turn; another says the cause was never determined. No defect finding is attached to any of them. The other 1984 reports describe stalling that led to a new MAP sensor and ignition control module, a carburetor deceleration valve stuck closed, and a voltmeter circuit that overheated and damaged the battery or alternator. The lone 1985 complaint says the driver's seat belt was installed wrong.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1985 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 3 | 2 |
Both rows were counted from NHTSA's data files on October 10, 2026.
Before you sell it
- Paperwork. If the title went missing somewhere along the way, the no-title guide explains what still works.
- Leave it whole. Engine, wheels and catalytic converter stay on the car. Anything already removed should be mentioned, since it changes the offer.
Selling a Citation whole
- Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008, with the VIN, the mileage if it still reads, and its condition.
- Tell us where it's sitting and whether it rolls. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
- When the truck arrives, the signed title, a photo ID and whatever keys survive are all it takes. After you sell covers plates and registration.
Other older Chevrolets: the Corsica, Beretta and Chevette, or all Chevrolet models.
Questions people ask
- What recalls does NHTSA list for the 1984-1985 Citation?
- Two. Recall 85V034 covers 1984 cars whose fuel feed pipe could leak at the throttle body injection connection, a fire risk; the fix was a new pipe. Recall 84V132 covers 1985 cars whose throttle linkage could bind so the throttle stayed open. Recalls on 1980-1983 Citations are outside the data this page uses.
- Is a Citation II different from a Citation?
- Mostly in name. Chevrolet renamed the line the Citation II for 1984. For 1985, its final year, the two-door notchback was dropped and only the hatchbacks stayed.
- Will you pick up a Citation that hasn't run in decades?
- Yes. Flat tires, a seized engine or years in a barn don't rule it out. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and the pickup is free anywhere in the US.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 10, 2026.
- NHTSA complaints API, 1984 Chevrolet Citation (pulled October 10, 2026) api.nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA complaints API, 1985 Chevrolet Citation II api.nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 85V034: fuel feed pipe leak, 1984 Citation api.nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 84V132: throttle linkage binding, 1985 Citation api.nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Chevrolet Citation (years, plants, bodies, engines, Citation II, final year) en.wikipedia.org
- fueleconomy.gov: 1984 Chevrolet Citation II drivetrains fueleconomy.gov