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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

Power Train complaints

22 reports
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58,000 miles · May 10, 2005
Power Train

SINCE PURCHASED FROM MAHER CHEVROLET IN 2001, THE "C CLIP" IN THE "TRANSFER CASE" HAS BROKEN THREE TIMES AND WE HAVE NEVER USED THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THIS OCCURS DURING NORMAL DRIVING! THE FIRST TIME WAS WITHIN MONTHS AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE SECOND TIME WAS 30,000 MILES AFTER IT REPLACED. NOW LESS THAN 20,000 MILES LATER,…

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SINCE PURCHASED FROM MAHER CHEVROLET IN 2001, THE "C CLIP" IN THE "TRANSFER CASE" HAS BROKEN THREE TIMES AND WE HAVE NEVER USED THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THIS OCCURS DURING NORMAL DRIVING! THE FIRST TIME WAS WITHIN MONTHS AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE SECOND TIME WAS 30,000 MILES AFTER IT REPLACED. NOW LESS THAN 20,000 MILES LATER, ITS BROKE AGAIN. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING DEFECTIVE INTERNALLY IN THE TRANSFER CASE. WHEN DRIVING AND THE "C CLIP" BREAKS, THE GEARS START GRINDING LOUDLY. YOU CAN NOT EXCEED 3 - 5 MILES PER HOUR. SINCE THIS IS AN INSTANT MOVEMENT, THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WEHN TRAVLING ON THE INTERSTATE. WHICH MY HUSBAND FREQUENTLY DOES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED ON THE VEHICLE AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED SINCE IT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS AND SUPPOSEDLY, FIXED THEN. IS THE DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM OR AM I DEALING WITH UNSAFE DEFECT WITH THE TRANSFER CASE. I WILL LIST THE APPROX. DATE THAT THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED AT MY TRUCK LAST, AND THEN WANTED TO CHARGE ME OVER $2,500 TO "INVESTIGATE" WHY THE "C CLIP" KEEPS BREAKING.

NHTSA ODI #10120538

50,400 miles · Mar 3, 2004
Power Train

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…

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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.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10060308

Mileage unknown · Jun 23, 2003
Power Train

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHILE TRAVELING, TRANSMISSION GOES OUT DURING PASSING GEAR. CONSUMER IS NOW ON 3RD TRANSMISSION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10024756

Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 2002
Power Train

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR PROPERLY. VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS CURRENTLY CHANGING CORRECTLY, HOWEVER NOW THERE IS A FLUID LEAK, DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE CONSUMER FOR THESE REPAIRS. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #8002704

Mileage unknown · Nov 28, 2001
Power Train

Z71 TRUCK TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 55,000 MILES. GM STATES THAT MY VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION & THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I DID TO CAUSE THE FAILURE. GM SERVICE BULLETIN (DOC. #225207) STATES THAT THE VCM CAN CAUSE ERRATIC LINE PRESSURE WITH THE 4L60-E TRANSMISSION. ALTHOUGH THE BULLETINS ARE FOR TECH. INFO ONLY, THIS …

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Z71 TRUCK TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 55,000 MILES. GM STATES THAT MY VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION & THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I DID TO CAUSE THE FAILURE. GM SERVICE BULLETIN (DOC. #225207) STATES THAT THE VCM CAN CAUSE ERRATIC LINE PRESSURE WITH THE 4L60-E TRANSMISSION. ALTHOUGH THE BULLETINS ARE FOR TECH. INFO ONLY, THIS SERVICE BULLETIN DOCUMENTS A KNOWN PRE-EXISTING DEFECT THAT CAN "LEAD" TO PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO THE VCM COMMUNICATING INTERMITTENT, ERRATIC, UNSTABLE LINE PRESSURE. THE BULLETIN ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM & POTENTIAL "FAILURE OR DAMAGE" VERSUS BEING INFORMATIVE & TOOLS NEEDED FOR THE JOB. BECAUSE CONSUMERS ARE NOT NOTIFIED OF BULLETINS, THEY END-UP PAYING FOR THESE REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET, NEVER KNOWING THEY STEM FROM FACTORY DEFECTS & COULD BE REPAIRED FOR LITTLE OR NOTHING. NOTIFICATION PRECLUDES ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS & EXPENSE THAT COULD BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY OR HIDDEN WARRANTY (SO CALLED GOOD WILL PROGRAM).*AK

NHTSA ODI #755016

Mileage unknown · Jul 2, 2001
Power Train

THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THAT FAILED AT 10,000 MILES ON REPLACEMENT. EXACT THING HAPPEND LOUD NOISE LOST FORWARD GEARS AND REVERSE AND FORWARD CAME BACK WITHOUT REVERSE. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN USED TO TOW.*AK

NHTSA ODI #747654

Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2001
Power Train

1ST TRANSMISSION WENT AT 37,000 ON 3/10/2000 2ND TRANSMISSION WENT ON 06/24/2001 WITH ONLY 10,000 MI ON IT. 7 1996 VEHICLES AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE THAT WE KNOW HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ODI #747460

Mileage unknown · Apr 1, 2001
Power Train

THE TRANSFER CASE FAILED. NLM

NHTSA ODI #560622

Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2001
Power Train

I WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED BECAUSE A MODIFACATION WAS NOT MADE .WHY WAS I NOT NOTIFIED ?*AK

NHTSA ODI #742326

Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2001
Power Train

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDERS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #879807

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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