IllustrationPOWER STEERING LOOSES ASSIST AND BECOMES STIFF. POWER STEERING PUMP LEAKS
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
Steering complaints
4 reportsFRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED EVERY 20,000 MILES ON THREE OCCASIONS. CURRENTLY, AT 90,000 ROTORS NEED REPLACEMENT AGAIN. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT WOULD BE DONE AT THE EXPENSE OF CONSUMER. ALSO, LOWER END OF STEERING COLUMN GEAR REPLACED WITH A REBUILT PART UNDER WARRANTY. *AK *ML
WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT STEERING WILL LOSE POWER ASSIST,IT WILLBECOME STIFF, WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
DRIVING AT APPROX 55 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE CAME FROM RIGHT STOPPING AT STOP SIGN, SUDDENLY PULLED OUT FROM RIGHT SIDE OF CONSUMER VEHICLE, ENDING UP HITTING DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. HIT HEAD ON. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY/SEAT BELT WAS WORN AT TIME, CONSUMER RECEIVED HEAD/ DISC/ BACK/ NECK INJURIES. DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIND PROBLEM. CLAI…
Read full complaint
DRIVING AT APPROX 55 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE CAME FROM RIGHT STOPPING AT STOP SIGN, SUDDENLY PULLED OUT FROM RIGHT SIDE OF CONSUMER VEHICLE, ENDING UP HITTING DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. HIT HEAD ON. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY/SEAT BELT WAS WORN AT TIME, CONSUMER RECEIVED HEAD/ DISC/ BACK/ NECK INJURIES. DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIND PROBLEM. CLAIM SENSOR WAS TOGGLED, NEEDEDTO GET NEW BUMPER/ FAN WAS INTO MOTOR PART CRACKED. *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.