1996 Chevrolet Silverado problems
Owners have filed 230 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Chevrolet Silverado. Wipers, windshield & visibility is the most reported problem area, at 32% of complaints. Next are brakes (14%) and seats (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 230 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Wipers, windshield & visibility 32% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 17 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 26 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 75,000 miles 31 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 5 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 10 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 31 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 75,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 17 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 26 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1996 ranks 14th most-complained-about out of 26 model years of the Chevrolet Silverado with enough data (125 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
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.
Chevrolet was contacted approx. Feb. 20th regarding the airbag failure. They filed a report and said someone would check the truck out. I called again in april because I had heard nothing and the vehicle was close to being repaired, and was told someone had dropped the ball and the complaint never got to the appropriate dept. They are now telling me that because the vehicle is repaired there is nothing they can do. The only way I can have it checked is to pay for it myself. I think this is totally ridiculous!!!
I was in a wreck going 65 miles per hr.I crashed head on into the side of another vehicle. Extensive damage to both vehicles. My air bag did not deploy.
Transmission started slipping and stopped shifting into 3rd gear at 50,000 miles. Was rebuilt at trans service shop. Cause was lack of ground wire between control module and transmission causing erratic fluid pressures. I paid the $1470.00 repair bill. TSB described the defect, I was not notified. This was preventable from chevy's perspective.
Metal hydraulic brake fluid line rusts, degrading to the leaking of fluid and total loss of braking ability. Metal line to be replaced with stainless-steel. Fuel line is in same condition, though not leaking fuel. Fuel line to be replaced with stainless steel.