1996 Chevrolet K10

Routine

Owners filed 8 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 Slip2
101
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control1
000
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Seats1
000
Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch1
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood1
010
Air Bags › Frontal1
100

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Suspension › Rear › Springs › Leaf Spring Assembly › U-bolt, Leaf Spring to Axle96V082000
Filed May 7, 199616,918 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THE FOUR U-BOLTS NUTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE REAR AXLE WERE UNDER-TORQUED.

Risk. VEHICLE USAGE COULD CAUSE THE NUTS TO LOOSEN AND EVENTUALLY FALL OFF THE U-BOLT. THIS COULD RESULT IN SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL CHECK THE U-BOLT NUT TORQUE AND RE-TORQUE ANY LOOSE U-BOLTS TO SPECIFICATION.

Vehicle Speed Control96V057000
Filed Apr 4, 1996379,004 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH THE THROTTLE CABLE CONTACTING THE DASH MAT WHICH COULD BIND THE THROTTLE. THIS DOES NOT MEET WITH THE MAXIMUM RETURN TIMES REQUIRED BY FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 124, "ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEMS."

Risk. CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: THE ENGINE SPEED MAY NOT RETURN TO IDLE INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR ADEQUATE THROTTLE CABLE TO DASH MAT CLEARANCE, AND IF THERE IS INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE, CUT OUT A PORTION OF THE DASH MAT TO PROVIDE PROPER CLEARANCE.

Seats96E010000
Filed Mar 25, 19962,400 vehiclesVehicle Safety Systems

Defect. THE SEAT RECLINER TO SEAT FRAME ATTACHING BOLTS ON THESE VEHICLES 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.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Oct 8, 2003101,000 milesMN

MY WIFE HAD HER TIRE SEPARATED AT 60 MPH. I HAD CHECKED THE PRESSURE (40 PSI) 2 HOURS BEFORE THE INCIDENT. IT NEVER HAD PRESSURE LOSSES WITH THIS TIRE OR THE SET. THE OUTER SIDEWALL COMPLETELY SEPARATED, THE INNER SIDE HALF DIAMETER WAS ALSO SEPARATED. THE TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS LE P265/70R16 DOT 8X72 WL2 3501, WHICH IS 2 YEARS OLD, AND HAS 25,000 MILES ON RIGHT REAR. *LA

Electrical System › Wiring › Front UnderhoodFire
Filed Apr 15, 2001SC

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN GARAGE. UNKNOWN ORIGIN OTHER THAN SOMETHING ELECTRICAL LIKELY SHORTED AND STARTED FIRE. VEHICLE COMPLETELY GUTTED, ONLY METAL REMAINS. ALL OTHER PARTS BURNED/MELTED. FIRE DETECTED AT 12:30 AM ON 4/14/01 BUT LIKELY STARTED EARLIER. PROPERTY DAMAGE ALSO TO GARAGE/$19K DAMAGE VALUE IS ONLY FOR VEHICLE/$$ VALUE OF OTHER DAMAGE STILL UNDETERMINED.*AK

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch
Filed Oct 21, 2000OH

NO SUMMARY

Seats
Filed Jun 6, 1997MI

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR A RECALL ON A RECLINING SEAT AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Dec 30, 1996MI

VEHICLE IDLES HIGH.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipCrash1 injured
Filed Dec 5, 1996UT

ABS: BRAKES FAILED TO HOLD WHILE TRAVELING DOWNHILL ON SNOW COVERED DIRT ROAD, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, THEN STARTED KICKING BACK, VEHICLE LEFT ROAD, WENT OFF MOUNTAIN, HIT LARGE BOULDERS; NO PRIOR WARNING.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Nov 13, 1996NM

WHEN CONSUMER IS DRIVING BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR AND THERE ARE NO BRAKES, HAS ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Jun 24, 1996CA

HIT VEHICLE BROAD SIDE AT 45-50 MPH AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

8 of 8 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20000100Routine
19994000Routine
19984000Routine
19974000Routine
1996 — this page8310Routine
199518200Routine
19948600Routine
19934200Routine
19924310Routine
19912200Routine
19902310Routine

Compare every K10 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: May 7, 1996. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.