IllustrationWHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE ROAD SURFACE WAS DRY AND LEVELED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
31 reportsWHILE TRAVELING ON SNOW OR ON GRAVEL BRAKES WILL LOCK UP AT THE TAP OF THE PEDAL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE WIPERS TO FAIL, AFFECTING VISIBILITY. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. ALSO PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILING, WHICH MAY CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO CHEVROLET TAHOE 1996 IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH…
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WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE WIPERS TO FAIL, AFFECTING VISIBILITY. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. ALSO PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILING, WHICH MAY CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO CHEVROLET TAHOE 1996 IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER MALFUNCTIONING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#'S.)AK
THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. MJS
WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEY WOULD EITHER PULL TO RIGHT OR LEFT. SOMETIMES THE BRAKES WOULD GRAB WHEN APPLIED. AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKES FAILED. WHEN STOPPING BRAKES MADE A HISSING ( LIKE AIR RELEASING ).
BRAKES: WHEN DRIVING AND NEEDING TO STOP, APPLIED THE BRAKES,THEY LOCKED UP BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL. HAVE TO PUT PEDAL COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR, AND IT TAKES A WHILE FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. *AK
REMOTE DOOR OPENER FAILED.
ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; INTERMITTENTLY, WHILE DRIVING ON REGULAR ROAD CONDITIONS, DURING NORMAL BRAKING, THERE IS A METAL TO METAL SOUND AND THE BRAKES WILL LOCK UP. DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK
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.