IllustrationWINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MALFUNCTIONED WHILE IN USE, CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
1996 Chevrolet C1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most C1500 years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet C1500 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 41.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all C1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 14 of 229 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Visibility. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports3 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
229 reportsWINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL . DEALER REPLACED WIPER DELAY BOARD, BUT STATED MY 96 CHEV TRUCK WAS NOT ONE THAT WAS INCLUDED IN RECENT RECALL. I WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THIS 96 CHEV TRUCK HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE OTHER 95-96 GM TRUCKS IN RECENT RECALL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A U-TURN POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES, VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. *AK
WATER GETS INTO AIR BAG SWITCH,CAUSING AIR BAG SWITCH NOT TO WORK. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIRS, AND DEALER REPLACED THE AIR BAG SWITCH. *AK
ENGINE WOULD ABRUPTLY STOP RUNNING. FAILURE WAS NOT DEPENDENT ON VEHICLE SPEED, ENGINE RPM, THROTTLE POSITION, OR OPERATING TEMPERATURE. SHUTOFFS WERE FREQUENT AND CAME COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. AT ANY TIME, THE ENGINE COULD COMPLETELY AND UNRECOVERABLY SHUT DOWN. SHUTOFFS WERE VIOLENT DUE TO HIGH COMPRESSION OF THE DIESEL…
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ENGINE WOULD ABRUPTLY STOP RUNNING. FAILURE WAS NOT DEPENDENT ON VEHICLE SPEED, ENGINE RPM, THROTTLE POSITION, OR OPERATING TEMPERATURE. SHUTOFFS WERE FREQUENT AND CAME COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. AT ANY TIME, THE ENGINE COULD COMPLETELY AND UNRECOVERABLY SHUT DOWN. SHUTOFFS WERE VIOLENT DUE TO HIGH COMPRESSION OF THE DIESEL ENGINE, AND RESULTED IN PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING AND STEERING. DRIVING VEHICLE IN PRESENCE OF TRAFFIC WOULD CERTAINLY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT! FAILURE WAS CORRECTED THROUGH INSTALLATION OF A "PUMP-MOUNTED SOLENOID DRIVER." I KNOW OF OTHERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS.
THIRD GEAR AND OVERDRIVE FAILURE. DEALER THINKS ELECTRICAL. NO FLUID ON DIPSTICK - NO LEAKAGE. ADDING FLUID DID NOT HELP .
PASSENGER'S SIDE OF 60/40 LATCH RELEASES WHEN BRAKING, PINNING PASSENGER SINCE SEAT BELT LOCKS. INJURY COULD OCCUR DEPENDING ON BRAKING CIRCUMSTANCES.
CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED AT RIGHT REAR EXHAUST VALVE,CHEVROLET DEALER SAYS THE OWNERS MANUAL IS INCORRECT FOR OIL CHANGES OF 7000 MILE INTERVALS
WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY WORK OR DO NOT WORK AT ALL. IN RAIN WILL AUTOMATICALLY STOP WORKING. RECALL ESTABLISHED AND DEALER WAS CONTACTED. VEHICLE DOES NOT COMPLY TO THE RECALL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 8 MPH AND MAKING A U-TURN THE STEERING PUMP FAILED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.