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1996 Chevrolet Beretta

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet Beretta do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 39.

About this comparison →
72Owner complaints

Model-year median: 39

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
37
199385
199493
199572
19961
19972
19981
1999
Compare all Beretta years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling
18Service Brakes, Hydraulic
16Electrical System
9Power Train
9Air Bags
5
All reported categories
Suspension
5Seats
4Vehicle Speed Control
4Exterior Lighting
3Fuel System, Gasoline
3Steering
3Visibility
3Structure
2Tires
2Engine
1Fuel/propulsion System
1Interior Lighting
1Parking Brake
1Seat Belts
1Service Brakes, Air
1Unknown Or Other
1

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: 8 of 72 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.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports0 fire reports8 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

16 reports
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125,000 miles · Sep 2, 2004
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

I HAVE A 1996 BERETTA Z26 3.1L V6 AND EVERY MORNING WHEN I GET UP AND GO TO WORK MY BACK BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME UNTILL I GET THEM WARMED UP. AND MY ABS LIGHT STAYS ON IN THIS CAR ALL THE TIMES.ALSO SOMETIMES WHEN I HIT MY BRAKES I DONT HAVE ANY BRAKES THE FIRST TIME THEN I HIT THEM AGAIN AND THEY WORK I HAVE RECENTLY HAD BOTH FR…

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I HAVE A 1996 BERETTA Z26 3.1L V6 AND EVERY MORNING WHEN I GET UP AND GO TO WORK MY BACK BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME UNTILL I GET THEM WARMED UP. AND MY ABS LIGHT STAYS ON IN THIS CAR ALL THE TIMES.ALSO SOMETIMES WHEN I HIT MY BRAKES I DONT HAVE ANY BRAKES THE FIRST TIME THEN I HIT THEM AGAIN AND THEY WORK I HAVE RECENTLY HAD BOTH FRONT AND BACK BRAKES REPLACED AND THIS DIDNT FIX THE PROBLEM THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM I FOUND OUT BY SURFING AND INVESTIGATING ON THE WEB. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10089031

Mileage unknown · Aug 8, 2003
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10032493

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE VECHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TTOLD THEY "LUBED THE ROTORS". THE ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND OFF RECENTLY. TODAY I WENT TO STOP AND THE BRAKES KEPT GOING I HAD TO PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE.*AK

NHTSA ODI #752606

Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2001
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

HAD VEHICLE IN A GM REPAIR SHOP ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM DEALER COULD NO FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BECAUSE IT IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THAT PROBLEM IS BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. (BRAKE FLUID IS FULL ) THIS SEAM TO HAPPEN AFTER VEH. HAS SET OVERNIGHT, OR DRIVING AT HIWAY SPEED O…

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HAD VEHICLE IN A GM REPAIR SHOP ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM DEALER COULD NO FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BECAUSE IT IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THAT PROBLEM IS BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. (BRAKE FLUID IS FULL ) THIS SEAM TO HAPPEN AFTER VEH. HAS SET OVERNIGHT, OR DRIVING AT HIWAY SPEED ON A LONG TRIP. FINALLY INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION AS LISTED ABOVE. FORTUNATLY NO ONE HURT THIS TIME.THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY SELF, MY WIFE AND MY SIXTTEEN YEAR OLD SON. THIS THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG AND NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE OR REALLY LOOK INTO THIS UNTILL SOME IS KILLED. I HAVE CHECKED @ ASKJEEVES ? FOUND 1 ACCURANCE OF 1996 CHEV BERETTA BRAKE FAILURE .W/ONE INJURY. SO I KNOW THAT IS OUT THERE. YOUR HELP MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ODI #750949

Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2000
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Hydraulic

CONSUMER HAS MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. BRAKES & ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 17,495 MILES. DEALER SAID IT WAS NORMAL WEAR. ON OCTOBER 5TH, THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR A LUBE JOB, AND DEALER NEVER DETECTED THAT HEAD GASKET & FREEZE PLUG WERE LEAKING. CONSUMER TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO BE CHECKED. VEHICLE HAS NOW 19,000 MIL…

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CONSUMER HAS MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. BRAKES & ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 17,495 MILES. DEALER SAID IT WAS NORMAL WEAR. ON OCTOBER 5TH, THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR A LUBE JOB, AND DEALER NEVER DETECTED THAT HEAD GASKET & FREEZE PLUG WERE LEAKING. CONSUMER TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO BE CHECKED. VEHICLE HAS NOW 19,000 MILES.*AK

NHTSA ODI #872708

Mileage unknown · Dec 14, 1999
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Hydraulic

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #716038

Mileage unknown · Oct 21, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ABS SYSTEM IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AND KEEPS FAILING. CONSUMER HAD THE BRAKE ROTORS AND T BRAKE DRUMS REPLACED FOUR TIMES BECAUSE THE BRAKE DRUMS AND THE BRAKE ROTORS KEPT WEARING OUT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #851353

Mileage unknown · Jul 22, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHEN DRIVING ON WET ROADS ON A DECLINE THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. ABS BRAKES LOCK UP. DEALER CANT FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML

NHTSA ODI #842986

Mileage unknown · May 13, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

REAR FRONT WHEEL BEARING BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE LEFT WHEN SLOWING DOWN. CONSUMER HAD BRAKE'S REPLACED ABOUT FOUR TIMES, AND STILL DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #837893

Mileage unknown · Jan 22, 1999
Service Brakes, AirService Brakes, Hydraulic

CHEVROLET HAS ALSO REPLACED MY LEFT FRONT MOUNT ASSEMBLYWITH THE FRONT STRUT BEARING TWICE. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND THEY SEEM TO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PERSISTANT PROBLEM IS.

NHTSA ODI #702488

Official recalls

1

98V027000 · Interior Lighting

Feb 17, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR THE INTERIOR LAMPS TO COME ON UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE THE VEHICLES ARE BEING DRIVEN. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 101, "CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE INTERIOR LAMPS COMING ON UNEXPECTEDLY COULD STARTLE A DRIVER CAUSING A MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE LAMP CONTROL MODULE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IT.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.