IllustrationFAILURE OF BRAKE LINES ON 1996 CHEVY TRUCK. *TR
1996 Chevrolet C/K Pickups
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet C/K Pickups do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 23.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all C/k Pickups 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 22 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 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
4 reportsBRAKES DEFECTIVE, FRONT CROSSOVER BRAKE LINE UNDER TRANSMISSION SUPPORT BURST. UPON EXAMINATION OF BRAKE SYSTEM, ALL BRAKE LINES AND BRAKE HOSES REPLACED, DUE TO CORROSION, FRONT ROTORS AND PADS REPLACED, REAR DRUMS AND LININGS REPLACED, WITH NEW BRAKE HARDWARE AS WELL, AND REAR BRAKE WHEEL CYLINDERS. BRAKES BLED ACCORDING TO PR…
Read full complaint
BRAKES DEFECTIVE, FRONT CROSSOVER BRAKE LINE UNDER TRANSMISSION SUPPORT BURST. UPON EXAMINATION OF BRAKE SYSTEM, ALL BRAKE LINES AND BRAKE HOSES REPLACED, DUE TO CORROSION, FRONT ROTORS AND PADS REPLACED, REAR DRUMS AND LININGS REPLACED, WITH NEW BRAKE HARDWARE AS WELL, AND REAR BRAKE WHEEL CYLINDERS. BRAKES BLED ACCORDING TO PROCEDURE, BUT PEDAL STILL SPONGY. BRAKES BLED TWO MORE TIMES WITH NO IMPROVEMENT IN SPONGINESS. BRAKES HAVE TIME DELAY BETWEEN STEPPING ON PEDAL AND ACTIVATION OF BRAKES. BRAKES ARE INADEQUATE FOR EMPTY TRUCK. CARRYING LOAD ON TRUCK OR PULLING TRAILER IS JUST PLAIN SCARY AND DANGEROUS, AS BRAKES DO NOT STOP TRUCK. ANTILOCK SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. PUTTING ALL MY WEIGHT, 275 POUNDS, AND ALL MY STRENGTH, ON BRAKES WHEN TRUCK IS EMPTY, AND ON A WET ROAD, WILL LOCK THE FRONT BRAKES, BUT NO ANTILOCK FUNCTIONS. BAD BRAKES ARE A COMMON GM PROBLEM ACROSS ALL MODEL LINES. I HAVE OWNED 3 CHEVY LUMINAS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I DEMAND THAT THE GOVERNMENT DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! IF YOU DON'T, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU THERE AND US PAYING YOUR SALARIES? I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED WHEN THE PLAIN STEEL BRAKE LINE BROKE. THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? GET OFF YOUR DEAD ASSES AND MAKE GM FIX THE PROBLEM! IF YOU FORCE THEM TO DO RECALLS, THEY MIGHT THINK TWICE ABOUT MAKING SUBSTANDARD, UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED, VEHICLES. THE ENGINE IN THIS TRUCK IS VERY POWERFUL, THE BRAKES CAN'T HOPE TO KEEP UP WITH THE POWER AND SPEED THAT THIS TRUCK IS CAPABLE OF. *NM
PROBLEMS WITH ABS BRAKES ENGAGING WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO STOP. HAD THE ABS SENSOR ( FRONT DRIVERS SIDE) REPLACED WHICH CORRECTED PROBLEM. *NM
BRAKES DON'T WORK. WHEN CONSUMER APPLIES BRAKES THE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. *AK
Official recalls
103V159000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer
Apr 28, 2003
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
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
2EA02006 · Windshield Wiper Failure
Opened May 31, 2002 · Closed Jul 23, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
EA00024 · Headlight
Opened Sep 26, 2000 · Closed Dec 21, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
No summary supplied.