IllustrationWHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
1996 Chevrolet Silverado
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Silverado years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet Silverado are substantially higher than the model-year median of 76.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 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: 26 of 186 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 73 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports3 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
186 reportsINTERMITTENTLY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPING TO WORK DURING OPERATION. CONSUMER REPLACED CIRCUIT BOARD OWNER EXPENSE. DEALER /MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE NHTSA TO INFORM HER WHY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL. *…
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VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPING TO WORK DURING OPERATION. CONSUMER REPLACED CIRCUIT BOARD OWNER EXPENSE. DEALER /MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE NHTSA TO INFORM HER WHY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
SHOULDER BELTS DO NOT OPERTATE PROPERLY. WHEN TRYING TO PULL THE STRAPS TO LOCK THE SEAT BELT, THEY DO NOT EXTEND FAR ENOUGH TO LOCK THE BELT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
MY SON AND HIS FRIEND HIT A BANK HEAD ON AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I HAVE TALKED TO MANY DIFFERENT BODY SHOPS AND THEY TOLD ME THIS IS REALLY A PROBLEM WITH THE 1996 AND 1997 CHEVY TRUCKS. I REALLY THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLEY STOP WORKING DURING OPERATION. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE NOT UNDER RECALL AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER BECAUSE IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL ON ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PART AND PROBLEM. BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NO…
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WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLEY STOP WORKING DURING OPERATION. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE NOT UNDER RECALL AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER BECAUSE IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL ON ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PART AND PROBLEM. BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE ROAD SURFACE WAS DRY AND LEVELED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPING WHILE ON. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. OWNER INFORMED THAT IF PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPLICATED, CORRECTIVE MEASURES COULD NOT BE TAKEN . *AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON SNOW OR ON GRAVEL BRAKES WILL LOCK UP AT THE TAP OF THE PEDAL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *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.