1993 Chevrolet C20

Routine

Owners filed 16 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip3
000
Visibility › Windshield1
000
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Suspension › Front1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum › Shoes/Linings1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1
100
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Abs Warning Light1
000
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage1
000

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Seats95V246000
Filed Dec 21, 1995675,661 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THE SEAT RECLINER TO SEAT FRAME ATTACHING BOLTS ON THESE VEHICLE COULD LOOSEN, FATIGUE AND FRACTURE, ALLOWING THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE.

Risk. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THIS COULD RESULT IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REMOVE ALL FOAM AND/OR FABRIC SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE RECLINER ASSEMBLY AND THE SEAT FRAME, INSTALL WASHERS BETWEEN THE SEAT RECLINER AND THE SEAT FRAME AT EACH ATTACHMENT POINT, AND INSTALL NEW ATTACHING BOLTS TORQUED TO A HIGHER SPECIFICATION. THESE CORRECTIONS WILL BE MADE TO BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATS.

Fuel System, Other › Storage › Tank Assembly94V044001
Filed Apr 5, 19942,595 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. VEHICLES ALTERED BY PAS, INC. HAVE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS FUEL TANKS THAT CAN DEVELOP STRESS CORROSION, WHICH CRACK THE E-GLASS WRAPPING. THIS STRESS CORROSION CRACKING CAN LEAD TO TANK RUPTURES.

Risk. IF THE TANK RUPTURES, PERSONAL INJURY TO INDIVIDUALS IN OR NEAR THE VEHICLE MAY OCCUR.

Remedy. GM IS OFFERING TO EXCHANGE THESE VEHICLES WITH A COMPARABLY EQUIPPED 1994 GASOLINE 1/2 OR 3/4 TON GM PICKUP. IF THE OWNER CHOOSES NOT TO EXCHANGE THE NATURAL GAS VEHICLE, GM WILL REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission93V016000
Filed Feb 1, 19931,702,880 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. UNANTICIPATED HEAT IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT OF THE VENT TUBE.

Risk. THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy. INSTALL A LONGER TRANSMISSION VENT HOSE ROUTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Jun 8, 2001FL

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS LOCATED TOO FAR BEHIND DRIVER. THIS CAUSES IT TO RUB AGAINST DRIVER'S NECK. THEN, NECK BECOMES CHAFFED. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Lever and Linkage › Column Shift
Filed Jan 26, 2001IL

GEAR SHIFT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STICK/LOCK UP IN PARK. DEALER/MFR'S NOTIFIED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS FIXED ON RECALL BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE TO THE CONSUMER TO DO IT AGIAN. *YH

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Oct 23, 2000NY

WAS TRAVELING 65MPH & HEARD A RUMBLING IN REAR. PULLED OVER & TIRES WERE STILL INFLATED. HAD EXITED THE HIGHWAY & PULLED OVER AGAIN BECAUSE OF NOISE. CHECKED THE TIRES AGAIN & THIS TIME NOTICED TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE WAS BALD. TOOK VEHICLE TO TIRE SHOP & BOUGHT ANOTHER TIRE. DO NOT HAVE TIRE. GENERAL, AMERITECH ST, P225/75R15 WITH 30,000 MILES ON IT.*AK

Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft
Filed Feb 12, 2000MO

IN 21 MONTHS AND 35,000 MILES I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BEARINGS 4 TIMES, SEALS 6 TIMES & AXLES 2 TIMES

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jul 22, 1999MD

WHEN VEHICLE REACHES 15 MPH AND HIGHER THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *ML

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jul 7, 1999VA

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THERE IS A VIBRATION IN THE PEDAL, AND BRAKES BUILD UP AND WON'T RELEASE UNTIL OWNER BLEEDS THE BRAKES. THIS HAPPENS DURING ANY BRAKING SITUATION. DEALER/MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. ALSO, OWNER FOUND OUT THAT THE BRAKE FLUID GOES THROUGH THE RUBBER FLEX LINE SLOWLY. THE CLAMP AROUND THE RUBBER FLEX LINE IS VERY TIGHT WHICH CAUSES THIS PROBLEM. OWNER REPAIRED BRAKE PROBLEM HIMSELF. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Dec 29, 1998TN

HAD RECEIVED RECALL (#93V016000). HAD THE WORK DONE ON TRANSMISSION. OWNER NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS. DOES NOT FEEL REPAIRS DONE CORRECTLY. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Oct 21, 1997NM

RECALL 95V246000; AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFOMED ON THE SEAT RECLINER , THE SEAT RECLINER BROKE AND THE DEALER WILL NOT REDO THE RECALL. NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE SEAT RECLINER BEFORE THE RECALL WORK. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum › Shoes/Linings
Filed Jan 15, 1997NY

REPLACED BRAKE SHOES FIVE TIMES; ALSO THE ROTORS WERE WARPED ON TWO TO THREE DIFFERENT TIMES, THE RUNNING BOARD LIGHT SHORTED OUT. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Mar 19, 1996FL

DRIVERS SHOULDER/LAP BELT FAILS TO ENGAGE, ALLOWING FREE MOVEMENT EVEN W/BRAKE APPLIED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Feb 21, 1996WA

(ABS) POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE ON THE BRAKES, BRAKES NEED TO BE REPAIRED. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation ComponentsCrash
Filed Oct 13, 1995MA

APPLIED BRAKES, DID NOT WORK, HAD AN ACCIDENT. TT NO INJURIES. *SLC

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed May 4, 1995FL

TRUCK W/DIESEL ENGINE WILL STALL WITH NO WARNING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Suspension › Front
Filed Feb 24, 1995MD

SUSPENSION FRONT AND REAR TOO LIGHT FOR VEHICLE CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF TIRES, VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH PASSENGER TIRE. TT

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Abs Warning Light
Filed Feb 13, 1995FL

WHILE DRIVING ABS BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, DEALER FIX ONCE. TT

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Feb 7, 1995NY

INTERIOR FRONT DRIVERS WINDOW GLUED IN PLACE KEEPS RELEASING. RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. TT

16 of 16 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1993
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20010100Routine
20000100Routine
19980100Routine
19972200Routine
19960500Routine
199514700Routine
1994121000Routine
1993 — this page16300Routine
19922300Routine
19916110Routine
19905330Routine

Compare every C20 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Dec 21, 1995. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.