Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Chevrolet Lumina submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 31 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.
The 25 most recent of 31, in the owner's own words
1996 CHEVROLET LUMINA, BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING EXCEPT FOR IN THE REAR WINDOW. IF THAT BULB WERE TO BURN OUT, I WOULD HAVE NO BRAKE LIGHTS AT ALL. I HAVE DISCOVERED, AND I AM SURE, THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN CORRECTED? *JB
ON 7/20/03 THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED IN MY 1996 CHEVROLET. LUMINA. UPON STARTING THE CAR, WHILE STILL IN PARK, THE GAS PEDAL PULLED TO THE FLOORBOARD & THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL. THE BRAKES FAILED. WHILE DODGING PEOPLE, HOMES, AND VEHICLES, I TRIED STOPPING THE CAR BY TURNING OFF THE IGNITION TO CUT POWER TO THE MOTOR BUT THIS ONLY OPENED THE THROTTLE. THE LAST THING I REMEMBER WAS A LOUD WHINE, SCREAMING & BLACKING OUT. I AWOKE FROM A CONCUSSION CRASHED INTO A TREE WITH FACIAL, BRAIN, AND SPINAL INJURIES. GM INVESTIGATED AND STATED THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND WILL NOT RELEASE THE INVESTIGATION REPORT TO ME. I CANNOT FIND AN ATTORNEY TO SUE THEM. THIS WAS NOT DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE CAR WAS IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER PRIOR TO THE BATTERY BEING CHANGED CORRECTLY. THE 2004 OLDS ALERO WAS RECALLED FOR A STICKING ACCELERATOR. THE MPH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MALFUNCTION OF THE CAR, 0 (ZERO); WHEN THE CAR PLOWED INTO THE TREE SPLATTERING ME INTO THE WINDSHIELD HEAD FIRST LIKE A BUG, 60+ ESTIMATED BY WITNESSES. INSURANCE TOTALED THE CAR & SOLD TO SALVAGE EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE HOLDING IT FOR ME WHILE UNDERGOING EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT. I TRACKED DOWN THE SALVAGE YARD FOR GM AND AN INVESTIGATOR EXAMINED THE CAR BUT WILL NOT TELL ME WHAT HE FOUND OUT. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE BELTWAY VEHICLE'S SECURITY SYSTEM FAILED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST HIM $1400.00 TO REPAIR IT. *AK
ON 7/20/03 THE BATTERY WAS GETTING WEAK SO I BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY COMPATIBLE WITH THE CAR. ON THE FIRST START WITH THE NEW BATTERY THE CAR BEHAVED NORMALLY. HOWEVER, WHEN I STARTED IT THE SECOND TIME AND WAS BACKING UP A SLIGHT SLOPE OF A DRIVEWAY, THE CAR DIED. I PUT THE CAR BACK IN PARK AND RESTARTED THE CAR. WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY FOOT, THE GAS PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE CAR RACED FORWARD WITH THE GEAR SHIFT STILL IN PARK. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. I STEERED THE CAR TRYING TO LOCATE THE EMERGENCY BRAKES BUT THEY WERE TOO FAR AWAY FOR ME TO REACH AND STILL MAINTAIN THE RACING CAR. I THOUGHT TURNING OFF THE ENGINE WOULD STOP THE CAR SINCE THE BRAKES HAS FAILED BUT EVEN TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, IT RACED EVEN FASTER AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW I HAD CRASHED INTO A TREE TOTALLING OUT THE CAR. I CRACKED MY HEAD INTO THE WINDSHIELD BREAKING MY NOSE. LUCKILY, THE VISOR WAS DOWN AND PROTECTED MY FACE. I ALSO SUSTAINED BRUISING AND BACK INJURIES ALONG WITH THE CONCUSSION. ALSO, THE AIR BAG DID NOT ACTIVATE. THANKFULLY, AS I AM SHORT AND IF IT HAD, THEN I WOULD HAVE BEEN DECAPITATED OR KILLED FROM IT. MY INSURANCE ONLY GAVE BLUE BOOK VALUE TO THE CAR AS IT WAS UNREPAIRABLE AND HAD TO BE TOTALLED. I AM WANTING TO SEEK LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER. IS THERE ANY CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM ON THE LUMINA'S? I FEEL IT WAS COMPUTER PROBLEM THAT SHUT DOWN THE CAR MADE IT BEHAVE LIKE IT WAS POSSESS. NO LIGHTS CAME ON INSIDE THE CAR TO INDICATE THERE WAS A COMPUTER PROBLEM OR ANY OTHER PROBLEM. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO PUT IN A BATTERY SO IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE BATTERY. DEBRA K. OLIVER
ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON CAR STOPPED WORKING, AND I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO MY HOUSE. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE ALTERNATOR. WHAT A HASSLE.*AK
INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE WILL NOT CRANK, OTHER TIMES IT WILL HESITATE, RESULTING IN VEHICLE NOT BEING OPERABLE. MECHANIC HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, AND STATED COULD NOT FIND CAUSE, REPORTED BY OWNER OF VEHICLE.*AK *TT
CONSUMER HAD NOTICED SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH ALTENATOR WICH HAD TO BE REPLACED ONES A YEAR. DEALER WA CONTACTED, PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE PARKED CONSUMER TRIED TO START VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ALTERNATOR WENT OUT TWICE WITHIN TWO YEARS. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED ALTERNATOR, WHICH WAS THE SECOND ONE TO BE REPLACED.*AK
AIR BAG MODULE WIRING TRAPPED BEHIND MODULE PREVENTING HORN TO WORK PROPERLY. WIRING NOT IN CLIP ON BACK OF AIR BAG TO PREVENT THIS. *AK
OWNER OF REPAIR SHOP NOTICED THAT WIRING WHICH LED TO FUEL PUMP MELTED WITHIN FUEL TANK. *AK
SINCE I PURCHASED THIS CAR I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR 3 DIFFERENT TIMES. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THE ALTERNATORS LAST IS SHORTENING EACH TIME. I HAVE SEARCHED THE GM WEBSITE FOR A POSSIBLE SOLUTION AND DISCOVERED THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR IT HAD 29, 179 MILES ON IT. THE FIRST ALTERNATOR WENT OUT AT 34,000 MILES (THE DEALER REPLACED IT). THE SECOND ALTERNATOR WENT OUT AT 65,000 (AT A COST OF $265). THE MOST RECENT REPLACEMENT WAS AT 97,000+ MILES. THERE WAS A POSSIBLE FIX POSTED ON THE GM WEBSITE SUGGESTING THAT IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW. *AK
ORIGINAL BATTERY FAILED 8/29/97, REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ON 5/10/00 REPLACEMENT LEAKED ACID ON CABLE, STARTER AND ENGINE. FLORIDA DEALER CHARGED $410.12 TO REPLACE BATTERY, CABLE AND CLEAN STARTER. SUSPECTED CAUSE, OVERHEATING. BATTERY IS MOUNTED OVER LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL WITH COVER ALLOWING LITTLE IF ANY COOLING.
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEELWHILE HE WAS TURNING AROUND THE CURB. VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER TWICE. CONSUMER CRAWLED OUT OF VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THEN CAR BURSTED INTO FLAMES, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. CONSUMER WASN'T HURT. *AK
VEHICLE HAD STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. WAS INFORMED THE ALTERNATOR CAUSED THE STALLING. NO INDICATION OF WHY ALTERNATOR FAILED. *AK
THE RELEASE SHIFT LEVER BUTTON FREEZES IN FREEZING WEATHER ONLY RELEASING WHEN THAWED OUT.
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH HORN INTERMITTENTLY GOING OFF FOR NO REASON. DEALER REPAIRED HORN APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO, AND PROBLEM REOCCURRED A YEAR LATER, GIVEN A DAY OR TWO. *AK
THE STARTER MOTOR HAS A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH AND THE SOLENOID IS ATTACHED, AND EVENTUALLY THE VEHICLE WILL GO DEAD/WILL NOT START. HAD TO BE TOWED. THE VEHICLE NOW MAKES A HISSING NOISE WHEN STARTING UP. THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. POSSIBILITY IT HAS TO DO WITH THE KEYS OR JUST THE MOTOR. *AK
SPARK PLUG CRACKED.
HORN IS VERY HARD TO PRESS DUE TO DESIGN.
BATTERY FAILED.
SPARK PLUG FAILED.
PCM COMPUTER FAILED.
COMPUTER FAILURE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
RECALL WORK ON SHOULDER BELTS NOT DONE DUE TO PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE.
ALTERNATOR FAILURE. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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