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.
7
Latest Jul 8, 2015
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.
1
1 injuries, 1 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, most frequently naming the brakes, driver assistance and engine categories. 3 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Monthly complaints peaked at 1 in Jan 2008. Most recent month: 1.View as table
Monthly owner complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Month
Complaints filed
Cumulative
Jan 2008
1
1
Jul 2008
1
2
Mar 2010
1
3
Sep 2010
1
4
May 2012
1
5
Sep 2014
1
6
Jul 2015
1
7
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Brakes333.3%
Driver assistance111.1%
Engine111.1%
Other / unspecified111.1%
Seat belts111.1%
Steering111.1%
Visibility111.1%
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 Jul 8, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND AS THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 09/14/15*LJ UPDATED 11/08/2017*CN
NHTSA ID
10732704
Incident
Jul 4, 2015
Mileage
98,000 mi
EngineVisibility
Filed Sep 30, 2014
1996 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE ENGINE PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER NOTICED ANTI-FREEZE ON THE GROUND TOWARD THE REAR OF THE ENGINE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TOOK THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. A GM SERVICE MANAGER STATED, THEY WERE AWARE OF COOLANT LEAKS. ESPECIALLY INTAKE LEAKS. THE CONSUMER STATED ONE DAY IT STARTED RAINING, AND HE SOON DISCOVERED THE WIPERS DIDN'T WORK. HE DROVE TO THE DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOME TRUCKS FOR A WIPER BOARD DEFECTS. HOWEVER, HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONSUMER EVENTUALLY RECEIVED A REFUND FOR THE WIPER BOARD, AFTER RECEIVING A RECALL LETTER. THE CONSUMER HAD THE INTAKE FIXED ON FEBRUARY 11, 2004. IN THE WINTER OF 2010, THE CONSUMER NOTICED ANTI-FREEZE TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. THE RADIATOR HOSE WAS LEAKING. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE RADIATOR HOSES, WATER PUMP AND RADIATOR CAP. HE ALSO CHANGED THE THERMOSTAT. THE COOLANT WAS DARK AND WITH SLUDGE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE TRUCK AS LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE AT THE INTAKE BELOW THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING. *JB
NHTSA ID
10637901
Incident
Feb 11, 2004
Other / unspecified
Filed May 17, 2012
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THE CABLE THAT HOLDS THE SPARE TIRE UNDER HIS VEHICLE BROKE CAUSING THE TIRE TO FALL OFF. THE CONTACT HAD A FLAT TIRE AND NOTICED THE CABLE HAD BROKEN WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO RETRIEVE THE SPARE TIRE. HE HAD NO IDEA WHEN THE TIRE FELL OFF OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THE LAST PERSON WHO REMOVED THE SPARE TIRE REWIND CAUSED IT TO FALL OFF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
NHTSA ID
10458787
Incident
May 16, 2012
Mileage
150,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 13, 2010
UPON BEING APPLIED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CHEVY TRUCKS AND THAT IT IS VERY COMMON IN THE STATES THAT HAVE SNOW AND ICE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ABS SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REMOVED & CLEANED. I REQUESTED THAT GM PAY FOR THIS SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AND THEY DENIED THE REQUEST. *TR
NHTSA ID
10355300
Incident
Aug 30, 2010
Mileage
32,548 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 19, 2010
VEHICLE'S ABS ENGAGES IN UNWANTED FASHION AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN BRAKING FOR A STOP. EXACTLY DUPLICATES SYMPTOM IN RECALL BELOW. EXTENDS STOPPING DISTANCE AND CRASH POTENTIAL. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 05V379000 VEHICLE MAKE / MODEL: MODEL YEAR(S): CHEVROLET / AVALANCHE 2002 CHEVROLET / SILVERADO 1999-2002 CHEVROLET / SUBURBAN 2000-2002 CHEVROLET / TAHOE 2000-2002 GMC / SIERRA 1999-2002 GMC / YUKON 2000-2002 GMC / YUKON XL 2000-2002 MANUFACTURER: GENERAL MOTORS CORP. MFR'S REPORT DATE: AUG 29, 2005 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V379000 PE05020 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE05020 COMPONENT: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 1353718 CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE UNWANTED ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) ACTIVATION. THIS CONDITION IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN ENVIRONMENTALLY CORROSIVE AREAS. THIS RECALL WILL BE LAUNCHED IN THE "SALT BELT" STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ONLY. CONSEQUENCE: THIS CAN CAUSE INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKE APPLICATIONS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. REMEDY: DEALERS ARE TO REMOVE THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND THOROUGHLY CLEAN THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR MOUNTING SURFACE ON THE BEARING, APPLY RUST INHIBITOR TO THE CLEANED SURFACE, GREASE THE MOUNTING SURFACE, REINSTALL THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR, AND CHECK THE PEAK-TO-PEAK OUTPUT VOLTAGE TO ENSURE THE WHEEL SPEED SIGNAL IS WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. THE RECALL BEGAN SEPTEMBER 22, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463. NOTES: GM RECALL NO. 05068. GM REVISED THE INVOLVED VEHICLES BY AMENDING THE ORIGINAL 573 REPORT ON OCTOBER 4, 2005. GM REVISED THE ORIGINAL 573 REPORT ON DECEMBER 16, 2005, TO INCLUDE ADDTL STATES AND VEHICLES. *TR
NHTSA ID
10320986
Incident
Mar 15, 2010
Mileage
122,500 mi
Seat beltsSteering
Filed Jul 23, 2008
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported
TL*THE CONTACT'S FRIEND OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO USE THE SEAT BELT, THE CONTACT'S SON REALIZED THAT IT WAS LOCKED IN PLACE. THEREFORE, HE WAS UNABLE TO USE THE SEAT BELT. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE AND HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER ENTERED A PRIVATE DRIVEWAY AND HAD A HEAD-ON CRASH WITH A PICKUP TRUCK. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000. UPDATED 10/15/08 *BF UPDATED 10/16/08. *JB
NHTSA ID
10235486
Incident
Apr 26, 2008
Mileage
75,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 11, 2008
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE WIRES ON THE INSIDE OF THE THROTTLE CABLE HAVE COME APART AND CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THE PART FROM EITHER A CHEVROLET DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT PART NUMBER 15735411 WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 172,000.
NHTSA ID
10214492
Incident
Jan 11, 2007
Mileage
172,000 mi
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
CHEVROLET:GMC: ENGINEERING INFORMATION-FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR, DTCS P0446, P0451 OR P0454 SET. GMC ENGINEERING IS ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ABOVE CONCERN. *PE
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
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.