RoadVitals

1996 Chevrolet C1500 Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints 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.
14
Latest Mar 12, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 229 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Chevrolet C1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Mar 12, 2010

WHEN EVER IT RAINS OR IF I GO THROUGH THE CARWASH, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD. FEELS LIKE SOMEONE HIT YOU FROM BEHIND. SEEMS LIKE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION HARNESS GETS WET IS WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10319228
Incident
Aug 29, 2009
Interior & seatsTransmission
Filed Jan 24, 2005

TRANSMISSION THIS IS THE THIRD TIME FOR REBUILDING THIS TRANSMISSION EVERY TIME IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM,ROUGH SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND & NO SHIFT TO 3RD OR OVERDRIVE & EVERY REBUILD IS $1,000.00. NOT TO MENTION THE HOW UNSAFE THIS COULD BE . IS SOMEONE GOING TO HAVE TO GET KILLED AS A RESULT FROM THE FAILURE OF THESE TRANSMISSIONS BEFORE SOMEONE HAS THEM RECALLED? *NM

NHTSA ID
10107844
Incident
Dec 19, 2004
Mileage
70,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 17, 2003

I HAVE A 1996 CHEVY 1/2 TON 2 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK WITH LESS THAN 88000 MILES. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING WHILE GOING FROM 2ND TO 3RD AND NOW HAS NO 3RD OR 4TH. THIS ALL OCCURRED IN ONE DAY. IN READING FOR RECALLS AND TSB'S IT APPEARS THIS HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME AND GM CHOOSES NOT TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. I CALLED TODAY AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE BY GM. I BARELY MADE IT BACK HOME WITH MY WIFE DUE TO THE PROBLEM. THIS KNOWN PROBLEM COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WISH TO LODGE A FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST GM AND ASK THAT YOUR AGENCY CHECK INTO THE SEVERITY AND EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM AND HOW LONG GM HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID
10014525
Incident
Apr 9, 2003
Mileage
87,895 mi
Transmission
Filed Oct 24, 2000

TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS (GENERAL MOTORS SERVICE BULLETIN 667103). SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED 6/96, BUT CONSUMERS AREN'T NOTIFIED UNTIL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. FIVE COWORKERS ARE CURRENTLY HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS CAN BE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST. TWO OF THESE WERE LEFT STRANDED WITH DISABLED TRUCKS. G.M. IS TAKING NO ACTION ON THIS.

NHTSA ID
735058
Incident
Oct 10, 2000
Transmission
Filed Oct 20, 2000

TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY WHEN GOING FORWARD. CAN SHIFT INTO REVERSE FINE. WAS AT STOP SIGH & APPLIED GAS, TRANSMISSION STOPPED. MOTOR WAS STILL RUNNING. SHIFTED INTO REVERSE TO AVOID BEING HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. BEEN TO DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 4 TIMES, BUT MECHANIC CAN NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
873530
Transmission
Filed Apr 11, 2000

AT 50,000 MILES TRANSMISSION IS BEING REBUILT. WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR AT LOW SPEEDS, THERE IS ROUGH SHIFTING AND LOUD NOISES. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID
860115
Incident
Feb 2, 2000
Transmission
Filed Apr 11, 2000

WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, AT LOW SPEED, A LOUDER THAN NORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD AND A ROUGH SHIFT WAS FELT. TRANSMISSION WAS BEING REBUILT WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES. THE MECHANIC WASNOT SURE WHY THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
860112
Incident
Apr 10, 2000
Transmission
Filed Nov 17, 1999
Fire reported

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION CAUGHT ON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID
841230
Incident
Jun 16, 1999
Transmission
Filed May 6, 1999

THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OVERFLOWS, SPRAYING FLUID ONTO EXHAUST PIPE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A FIRE AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
837541
Incident
Apr 24, 1999
Transmission
Filed Jan 11, 1999

THIRD GEAR AND OVERDRIVE FAILURE. DEALER THINKS ELECTRICAL. NO FLUID ON DIPSTICK - NO LEAKAGE. ADDING FLUID DID NOT HELP .

NHTSA ID
701332
Incident
Dec 8, 1998
Transmission
Filed Nov 5, 1998

CONSUMER CANNOT ENGAGE TRANSMISSION//CANNOT SHIFT OR PUT IT IN GEAR TO MAKE IT GO. INCIDENTS OCCURRED THREE TIMES; 2-11-98, 2,546/11-3-98 AND 42,559. DEALER CONTACTED AND REPAIRED EACH TIME. INCIDENT CONTINUES TO OCCUR, NO WARRANTY, REPAIRS AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *AK

NHTSA ID
830215
Incident
Oct 11, 1996
Transmission
Filed Sep 19, 1997

CLUTCH FLYWHEEL PILOT BEARING FAILED.

NHTSA ID
605182
Incident
Feb 1, 1996
Powertrain (other)SuspensionTransmission
Filed Sep 10, 1997

TRANSMISSION DRIVE SHAFT FAILED.

NHTSA ID
604883
Incident
Jul 24, 1996
Transmission
Filed May 27, 1997
Fire reported

CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF HIS WHEEL WELL WHEN HE PULLED OVER TO SIDE, BEFORE HE COULD GET HIS FAMILY OUT OF TRUCK, THE FIRE HAD SPREAD TO DASH AREA. THERE WAS A TRAIL OF TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE ALONG THE ROAD, CONSUMER THINKS THAT A TRANSMISSION HOSE MAY HAVE BURST. *AK

NHTSA ID
812515
Incident
May 24, 1997

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .