1996 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 7 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
000
Wheels1
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal1
000
Service Brakes1
000
Seat Belts1
101
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes
Filed Jul 8, 201598,000 milesIN

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

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Sep 30, 2014OH

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

Wheels
Filed May 17, 2012150,000 milesAR

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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Sep 13, 201032,548 milesWI

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Mar 19, 2010122,500 milesIN

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

Seat BeltsCrash1 injured1 killed
Filed Jul 23, 200875,000 milesTX

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

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Jan 11, 2008172,000 milesNC

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.

7 of 7 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2014
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
202693310Do not drive
202598040Routine
2024306200Above average
2023373360Above average
2022619660Above average
20218178110Above average
20207281290Above average
20191,0781080Above average
2018516741Fatalities reported
20177116120Do not drive
201679311101Do not drive
20151,10411141Fatalities reported
20141,4346184Fatalities reported
2013301200Above average
2012216210Above average
2011563441Fatalities reported
2010362310Above average
2009444360Above average
2008914391Fatalities reported
20078492142Fatalities reported
20063590150Above average
20055250342Fatalities reported
2004797081Fatalities reported
2003805070Above average
2002509051Fatalities reported
2001468053Fatalities reported
2000614053Fatalities reported
1999587252Fatalities reported
19983612110Above average
19975552131Fatalities reported
1996 — this page7001Fatalities reported
19953000Routine
199410010Routine

Compare every Silverado 1500 year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.