RoadVitals

1996 Chevrolet S Series

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
2
Latest Jan 15, 2004
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet S Series, most frequently naming the brakes and driver assistance categories. 26 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes150.0%
  • Driver assistance150.0%

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

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.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed Jan 15, 2004

WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS GOES DOWN TO THE FLOOR. THERE IS A LOUD SNAPPING SOUND AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS AS IF IT IS DRAGGING ON GRAVEL. NO STOPPING OCCURS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN CHECK AND ARE IN GOOD CONDITION.

NHTSA ID
10069516
Incident
Aug 15, 2003
Mileage
48,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed May 17, 1999

THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE IS THE ENGINE IDLE SPEED WILL NOT REMAIN CONSTANT, AND OR FLUCTUATES SUDDENLY AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME, (PARKING, ETC). THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT CAN FIND NO REASON WHY THIS HAPPENS, ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW IT IS HAPPENING. I AM SATISFIED THAT THERE IS NO BINDING OR STICKING LINKAGE PROBLEM. IN FACT, SOMETIMES THE IDLE JUMPS SUDDENLY FROM 600 RPM TO 2000 RPM OR MORE, WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL.

NHTSA ID
706580
Incident
Apr 12, 1999

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

17-NA-073

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

130089009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

99066D

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

SOME OWNERS MAY EXPERIENCE A SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT, MISFIRE, ROUGH IDLE ORHARD START DUE TO A DEPOSIT BUILD-UP ON THE SEQUENTIAL CENTRAL PORT FUEL INUJECTOR (SCPI) POPPET VALVE(S). *TT

000604003A

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON ROUGH IDLE AFTER START UP, ESPECIALLY AFTER SETTING OVERNIGHT. *TT

000601023A

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

INFORMATION USED WHEN DIAGNOSING NOISE CONDITIONS SUCH AS ENGINE RATTLE NOISE, SPARK KNOCK AT 2000 - 2500 RPM RANGE, UNDER A MODERATE TO HEAVY LOAD WITH A WARMED UP ENGINE. *TT

010863001

STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

SUBJECT ON HOOD HINGE RATTLE COMING FROM EITHER OR BOTH FRONT CORNERS OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL NEAR THE HOOD HINGE AREAS FOR 1995 - 2002 PICKUP AND UTILITY MODELS. *ET

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet S Series by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2002200
2001100
2000500
1999100
1998700
1997100
1996Viewing200
1995000
1994300
1993000
1992000
1991000
1990000
1989000
1988100

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.