Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 15 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1987 Chevrolet Nova, most frequently naming the seat belts, powertrain (other) and transmission categories.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 1995 | 1 | 2 |
| Dec 1995 | 1 | 3 |
| Feb 1996 | 1 | 4 |
| Sep 1996 | 1 | 5 |
| Jun 1998 | 1 | 6 |
| Aug 1998 | 1 | 7 |
| Jan 1999 | 1 | 8 |
| Aug 2000 | 1 | 9 |
| Oct 2000 | 1 | 10 |
| Feb 2001 | 3 | 13 |
| Nov 2005 | 1 | 14 |
| Feb 2006 | 1 | 15 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
1987 CHEVROLET NOVA DOES NOT SECURE PASSENGER PROPERLY. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT CATCH AND STOP WHEN HE GRABS THEM ABRUPTLY AS HE WOULD EXPECT IN AN ACCIDENT. *JB
{1}NORTH BOUND FREEWAY WORK RIGHT LANE FROM, LINDON EXIT TO SALT LAKE CITY. THERE ARE SEVERAL GROOVES, HOLES AND UNEVEN LANES. I PURCHASED NEW TIRES THIS YEAR, MY RIGHT FRONT AXLE IS BAD AS WELL AS THE INNER AND OUTER TIE RODS I NEED NEW TIRES AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE FREEWAY PROBLEMS. WILL YOU HELP? *JB
THE TRANSAXLE FLUID WAS 1.5 QUARTS LOW (EMPTY) CAUSING THE TRANSAXLE TO LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING. NLM
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. *SLC
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FRONT WHEEL LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING AT 50-55 MPH. VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIRS SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT LOCK UP WAS DUE TO LACK OF FRONT AXLE LUBRICATION. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN SPEEDOMETER CABLE SNAPPED. 10 MILES LATER, ENTIRE FRONT END LOCKED UP DUE A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. *AK THE MECHANIC DETERMIND THAT THE TRANS CASE, ALL GEARS AND RIGHT AND LEFT C.V. SHAFTS WERE BROKEN AS THE RESULT OF FRONT END LOCK UP. *YH
THE NHTSA HAS REPORTED TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE 1987 & 1988 CHEVROLET SPECTRUM. THESE PROBLEMS APPLY TO THE 1987 NOVA.
WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE OR PULL. DEALER SAYS TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT 12 TIMES. *AK
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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.