1988 Chevrolet 1500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1988 Chevrolet 1500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes222.2%
- Seat belts222.2%
- Tires & wheels222.2%
- Airbags111.1%
- Steering111.1%
- Visibility111.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE RECALL COMPONENT AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT, DEALERSHIP CHARGED CONSUMER AND WOULD NOT HONOR RECALL REPAIR. *MJS
WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS APPLIED THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, THE BACK BRAKES HAVE NO PRESSURE, THE VEHICLE IS SLOWED DOWN BY THE FRONT BRAKES. THIS CAUSES THE STOPPING DISTANCE OF THE VEHICLE TO BE ABNORMAL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: CONSUMER STATES HIS 1988 CHEVROLET 1500 HAD THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT REPLACED IN 1998 AT THE MANUFACTURER'S EXPENSE. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BROKE AGAIN. THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK. THE CONSUMER USED THE SEAT BELTS WITH HOOKS. THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WILL NOT HOLD THE SEAT BELT. CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW THE EXACT DATE THAT THE PROBLEM STARTED. *AK UPDATED 01/19/06. *JB
WHEN FASTENING SEATBELT SOMETHING BROKE INSIDE AND NOW BELT WILL NOT LOCK. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
AT 45 MPH R.REAR TIRE FAILED. TREAD SEPARATION LEAVING THREE FEET OF TREAD WHIPPING AROUND WHICH DAMAGED UNDERSIDE OF FENDER SUPPORTS AND SKIN. ALSO DAMAGED REAR PANNEL OF BED. EXPERICENCED FISHTAILING. HAVE SENT SEVERAL ESTIMATES TP GENERAL AND COMPLETED THEIR FORM. CLAIM #C-00-2438.GENERAL HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF MY VEICHLE. THEY HAVE SENT A FINAL NUMBER OF $494.36. THEY INSIST THAT I HAVE MY INSURANCE PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND GENERAL WILL REIMBURSE ME THE $250..00 DEDUCTABLE AND THE REPLACEMENT COST FOR TWO TIRES. PLEAS INTERVENE AND ADVISE ME YOUR SUCCESS.*AK (DOT NUMBER: ACHL439 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)
TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPPARATION CAUSING FISHTAILING AND DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE AND LEFT SIDE OUTER PANEL. CLAIM SUBMITTED TO GENERAL TIRE ON OCTOBER 23. HAVE BEEN GETTING THE RUN AROUND SINCE THEN. THEY OFFERED TO PAY LESS THAN HALF OF THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST AND WANT ME TO HAVE MY INSURANCE PAY THE REPAIR AND THEY PAY MY DEDUCTABLE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. PLEASE MAKE A RECORD OF THES. SENCERRLY. GILBER F DICOB. *AK (DOT NUMBER: ACHL439445 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE AIR LIGHT HAS COME ON AND STAYS ON WHICH IS CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO GET HOT WHILE THE CONSUMER IS DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER. MR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE AIR LIGHT HAS COME ON AND STAYS ON WHICH IS CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO GET HOT WHILE THE CONSUMER IS DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER. MR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON AN OFF BY THEMSELVES ONCE THE KNOB WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION. *AK WIPERS WERE REPAIRED AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE BY THE DEALERSHIP. A FEW YEARS LATER, THE SAME THING. CONSUMER FEELS GM SHOULD COVER THE COST OF THE NEXT REPAIR. SHE NOTED SHE CAN'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE IF THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF RAIN AND NORMALLY THERE ARE CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. ONE TIME IT STARTED TO RAIN, SHE HAD TO PULL OVER AND WAIT UNTIL THE RAIN SLOWED DOWN TO DRIVE HOME. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. *PH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .