EQUIPMENT
1987 Chevrolet P30
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1987 Chevrolet P30, most frequently naming the electrical and other / unspecified categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 4 NHTSA investigations name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical266.7%
- Other / unspecified133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
3 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
SEATS
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
FUEL EXPULSION
===
LOWER CONTROL ARM
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:MANUFACTURER IS IN RECEIPT OFONE COMPLAINT AND FIVE FIELD REPORTS.PRODUCT REPORT ANALYSIS STATES THELOWER CONTROL ARM FROM WAGGONER CORPORATION APPEARS TO HAVE A SMALL RADIUSAT THE TRANSITION OF THE SIDE WALL TO THE BALL STUD NOSE.CURRENT STAMPINGSOURCE, S.K.D., ALSO HAS A SMALL RADIUS IN THE SAME AREA.S.K.D. HASCHANGED THE TRIM TO INCREASE THE RADIUS TO 1 INCH AND PROVIDE ADDITIONALSTRENGTH IN THE BALL STUD AREA.ANALYSIS:FAILURE DATA INDICATES THE LEFT CONTROL ARM AND DIESEL ENGINEAPPLICATION ARE OVER REPRESENTED.ALL KNOWN FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED AT LOWSPEEDS, OR HAVE BEEN LOCATED AS A RESULT OF AN INCREASE IN THE FREQUENCY OFMAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS.BALL JOINT SEPARATION COULD RESULT IN COLLAPSE OFFRONT WHEEL SUSPENSION AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.ACTION: IR TO GM SENT 11/19/87 CONTACT FLEET OWNERS.===
LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILURE
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:MANUFACTURER IS IN RECEIPT OFONE COMPLAINT AND FIVE FIELD REPORTS.PRODUCT REPORT ANALYSIS STATES THELOWER CONTROL ARM FROM WAGGONER CORPORATION APPEARS TO HAVE A SMALL RADIUSAT THE TRANSITION OF THE SIDE WALL TO THE BALL STUD NOSE.CURRENT STAMPINGSOURCE, S.K.D., ALSO HAS A SMALL RADIUS IN THE SAME AREA.S.K.D. HASCHANGED THE TRIM TO INCREASE THE RADIUS TO 1 INCH AND PROVIDE ADDITIONALSTRENGTH IN THE BALL STUD AREA.ANALYSIS:DATA INDICATES 38 OF 40 FAILURES INVOLVE THE LEFT CONTROL ARM,39 OF THE VEHICLES ARE POWERED BY THE DIESEL ENGINE.ALL FAILURES HAVEOCCURRED AT LOW SPEEDS, OR HAVE BEEN LOCATED DURING INCREASED FREQUENCYMAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS.SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT FROM THE CONTROLARM COULD CAUSE ONE SIDE OF THE FRONT WHEEL SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE,POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.PROPOSED ACTION:UPGRADE THIS PE TO AN EA.===
EXHAUST SYSTEM HEAT
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:ANALYSIS OF THE 65 COMPLAINTSFORWARDED BY GM ON THIS ISSUE REVEALS THAT 15 OF THE COMPLAINTS MAY BESAFETY RELATED.COMPLAINTS IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AS A RED HOT EXHAUSTSYSTEM OR MUFFLER FAILURE WERE NOT COUNTED.GM ALSO INCLUDED NUMEROUSCOMPLAINTS PERTAINING TO FUEL EXPULSION IN THE MOTOR HOME CHASSIS.THEYWERE NOT COUNTED SINCE THAT PROBLEM IS ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION.CONCERNING BRUSH FIRES RESULTING FROM THE HIGH EXHAUST TEMPERATURES, GMSTATESOUR FIELD EXPERIENCE, AS EVIDENCED BY THE LOW NUMBER OF REPORTSPERTAINING TO THE EXHAUST TEMPERATURE, INDICATES TO US THAT OUR CUSTOMERSARE OBSERVING THE PRECAUTIONS CONTAINED IN OUR OWNER'S MANUAL AND AREEXERCISING THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.ANALYSIS:THE ALLEGED DEFECT ORIGINATES WITH THE GENERATION OF HEAT IN THEEXHAUST SYSTEM.HIGHER EXHAUST TEMPERATURES ARE OCCURRING AS A RESULT OFSTRINGENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) REQUIREMENTS WHICH WENTINTO EFFECT IN 1985 FOR VEHICLES WITH A GVW IN EXCESS OF 8,500 LBS.THEHIGHER EXHAUST TEMPERATURES CAN LEAD TO EXCESSIVE UNDERBODY TEMPERATURESWHICH MAY RESULT IN FUEL SYSTEM PRESSURIZATION AND A HIGHER POTENTIAL FORTHE EXPULSION OF LIQUID FUEL UPON REMOVAL OF THE FUEL TANK FILLER CAP.INADDITION, OTHER SIDE EFFECTS SUCH AS SMOLDERING ITEMS IN PICK UP BEDS,BURNT TIRES AND MUDFLAPS HAVE BEEN REPORTED.PROPOSED ACTION:UPGRADE THIS PE TO AN EA.SINCE SOME MODELS ARE ALREADYBEING INVESTIGATED, AND COMPLAINT DATA IS SPARSE ON OTHER MODELS, THE NEWEA SHOULD BE DIRECTED ONLY TO VEHICLE MODELS C AND K WHICH UTILIZE THEHEAVY DUTY (VEHICLES WITH A GVW IN EXCESS OF 8,500 LBS) EMISSION SYSTEM.===
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNSA 1987 CHEVROLET P30. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THEINSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE CONTACTSTATED THAT HEAT EMITTED FROM THE FLOORBOARD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THEWIRING HARNESS BOX WAS EXTREMELYHOT AND THE COVERINGS WERE MELTED. THERE WAS ALSO AN ABNORMAL ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 88V097000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10898903
- Incident
- Aug 25, 2016
- Mileage
- 42,000 mi
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1987 CHEVROLET P30. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2852. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REFRIGERATOR WAS NOT COOLING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A RV SERVICE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE COOLANT LEAKED OUT AND THE REFRIGERATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DOMETIC WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE IN MARCH OF 2006 AND STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN OCTOBER OF 2005. DOMETIC WAS NOTIFIED AGAIN IN JANUARY OF 2007 AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF THE RECALL. DOMETIC WAS NOTIFIED AGAIN 2 TO 3 MORE TIMES WITH NO RESOLUTION. THE CONTACT THEN RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL, WHICH ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING UNIT INSTALLED. DOMETIC WAS EMAILED AGAIN IN MARCH OF 2008 AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE CENTER, AND TO HAVE THE SERVICE CENTER CALL THE RECALL DEPARTMENT. THE RECALL DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER SUPPLYING A REFRIGERATOR OR THE REPAIR PARTS. THEY WERE ONLY SUPPLYING SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING UNITS. THE PART AND RECALL NUMBERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,500. UPDATED 07/16/08.*LJ
- NHTSA ID
- 10231616
- Incident
- Mar 9, 2006
- Mileage
- 60,000 mi
BATTERY CABLE SHORTED OUT ON GAS LINES.
- NHTSA ID
- 536904
- Incident
- Mar 1, 1998
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 9 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 1989 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1987Viewing | 3 | 3 | 4 | — |
| 1986 | 3 | 2 | 6 | — |
| 1985 | 2 | 6 | 6 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | 4 | 5 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
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.