IllustrationUPON MAKING A LEFT TURN BRAKES LOCKED UP, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND WENT INTO A DITCH. THIS WAS DUE TO THE BRAKE ROTORS BREAKING AND JAMMING INTO THE BRAKE. THIS FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY POOR DESIGN OF THE ROTORS, PER THE DEALERSHIP.
1996 Chevrolet K1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all K1500 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: 15 of 94 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 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
13 reportsMY ABS BRAKE SYSTEM COMES ON UNDER 10MPH DURING NORMAL BRAKING. THERE IS NO PANIC STOP INVOLVED DURING THE NORMAL BRAKING EVENT. THIS SITUATION IS BECOMING VERY TROUBLESOME AND I'M WORRIED AS TO WHETHER I'LL BE ABLE TO PULL MY TRAVEL TRAILER.*AK
THE HUB OF THE BRAKE ROTOR BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE ROTOR DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. THIS RESULTED IN A SEVERE VIBRATION, LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND A PARTIAL LOSE OF CONTROL DURING BRAKING. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, ESSENTIALLY, ONE OF THE CALIPERS WAS RENDERED INOPERATIVE AS THE DISC IT CLAMPS ON HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HUB.…
Read full complaint
THE HUB OF THE BRAKE ROTOR BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE ROTOR DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. THIS RESULTED IN A SEVERE VIBRATION, LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND A PARTIAL LOSE OF CONTROL DURING BRAKING. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, ESSENTIALLY, ONE OF THE CALIPERS WAS RENDERED INOPERATIVE AS THE DISC IT CLAMPS ON HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HUB. THE HUB IS SHEET METAL WELDED TO THE DISC VS. A COMPLETE CASTING AS HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY THE STANDARD FOR THIS PART. WELD FAILED RESULTING IN THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THIS CRITICAL BRAKE COMPONENT. ADDITIONALLY, HAD THIS FAILED AT SPEED, IT IS UNKNOWN WHAT OTHER DAMAGE MAY HAVE RESULTED TO THE BRAKING AND/OR STEERING SYSTEMS.*AK
DON'T KNOW THE DATE OF OR MILEAGE AT FAILURE! NO SAFETY DEFEC TMENTIONED. *AK
WHEN MAKING A FIRM STOP (NOT PANIC) WHEN TIRES PASS OVER A RIDGE ON DRY ROAD SURFACE, PASS OVER A SEWER COVER (OR ANY KIND OF ROAD IRREGULARITY) ABS ACTIVATES AT APPROX 20MPH OR LESS.BRAKING FORCES LESSENS FOR ABOUT ONE TRUCK LENGHT AND PEDAL VIBRATES A LITTLE. IT SEEMS LIKE ABS STAYS ON EVEN THOUGH THE ROAD IS DRY AND SMOOTH. …
Read full complaint
WHEN MAKING A FIRM STOP (NOT PANIC) WHEN TIRES PASS OVER A RIDGE ON DRY ROAD SURFACE, PASS OVER A SEWER COVER (OR ANY KIND OF ROAD IRREGULARITY) ABS ACTIVATES AT APPROX 20MPH OR LESS.BRAKING FORCES LESSENS FOR ABOUT ONE TRUCK LENGHT AND PEDAL VIBRATES A LITTLE. IT SEEMS LIKE ABS STAYS ON EVEN THOUGH THE ROAD IS DRY AND SMOOTH. LOAD IN THE BED IS ABOUT 400LBS, TIRES ARE GOOD, BRAKES ARE CLEAN. DEALER DID NOT WANT TO GO FOR TEST DRIVE...SAID THERE MAY BE A RECALL FOR THIS. TRUCK HAS BEEN AT DEALER ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES THE FIRST YEAR AND A HALF FOR REAR BRAKE PULSATION AND LOCK UP. WENT TO ARBITRATION..."PERFORMING AS DESIGNED' EVEN THOUGH 4 DRUMS AND 6 PAIRS OF SHOES REPLACED . COVER. *AK
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE BRAKES BECOME WEAK, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING. DISTANCE, BRAKE SYSTEM IS WEAK, TOO MUCH PEDAL EFFORT. *AK
STEPPED ON BRAKES AND LEFT FRONT ROTORS BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS' HUB, CAUSING A SEVERE REDUCTION IN BRAKING, AND A HARD PULL TO THE RIGHT. BRAKE SHOP SAYS THEY'VE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. ALSO, RIGHT FRONT ROTORS APPEAR TO HAVE STRESS CRACKS AT ROTOR/HUB JUNCTURE. CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS, NO SATISFACTION. *AK
NO SUMMARY
DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKE BOOSTER, THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUCNTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER. *AK
NO SUMMARY
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.