1996 Chevrolet C1500 Problems

What owners report

For this model year, owners most often write about windshield wipers that quit or run erratically, and about brakes that feel soft or make the pedal travel to the floor. Many complaints describe the wipers stopping in rain, often on trucks the owners say fall outside a wiper-motor recall by VIN. Other recurring reports involve front seats, automatic transmissions losing gears, and fuel pumps.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop or run intermittently

   • 51 complaints (22%)
   • median 78,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1997–2008

   Owners describe wipers that quit in rain, sometimes restarting on their own, or that keep running after the switch is turned off. Several say tapping the wiper motor gets them going again. Complaints mention the wiper motor circuit board and worn contacts inside it, and many owners say the dealer told them their truck was excluded from a wiper recall because of its VIN. Reported across a wide mileage range, from roughly 50,000 to about 104,000 miles, mostly in wet weather.

   What to check: Turn the wipers on through every speed setting, including intermittent, and watch for pauses or failure to park. Ask whether the wiper motor or its control board has been replaced, and check the VIN against any wiper recall yourself.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The windshield wipers stop working on my 1996 silverado without any notice. They turn on and then depending on how long they are kept on, they just stop. I've had to drive home in the rain with very little visibility because of this. Chevrolet did a recall for this in 1998 for a limited number of VIN's. There are apparently many more problems than just what they recalled in 1998. The internet has hundreds of complaints from various chevy truck owners in recent years. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10007487, filed 2002-10, 98,000 miles

   “Manufacturer claims this is not covered by recall even though they have one for models built from 8/94 through 6/96. My vehicle was built 8/96. I have had frequent intermitent failures of the windshield wipers.”

   NHTSA complaint #755123, filed 2001-11
2. 2
   Brakes

   Soft or low brake pedal, long stopping distance

   • 35 complaints (15%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 10.0 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2005

   Owners describe a pedal that feels spongy or sinks toward the floor, with some reporting that the truck takes much longer to stop or keeps rolling despite hard pedal pressure. Some tie this to ABS behaviour at low speed or a flashing ABS light. Complaints mention dealers saying no problem was found during warranty, and repairs including rotor replacement and work on the ABS system. Spread across the sample with no clear mileage pattern; reported from low-speed stops to highway driving.

   What to check: Press and hold the brake pedal with the engine running to see whether it stays firm or creeps down. Ask about ABS repairs and rotor or brake work, and have the brake and ABS systems inspected before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving 25-30 MPH and making a right turn the tie rod end broke on the left front side. The brakes failed, the pedal traveled to the floor, causing loss of vehicle control. *akplease give further details.”

   NHTSA complaint #812932, filed 1997-07

   “Upon applying force to the brake s the pedal goes to the floor, causing extended stopping distance/ brakes fade away; complete loss of the brakes. Also, dealer has replaced the rotors.”

   NHTSA complaint #809596, filed 1997-03
3. 3
   Seats

   Front seat and seat-track looseness

   • 24 complaints (10%)
   • median 123,000 mi at 8.4 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1996–2004

   Owners report front seats that slide or release unexpectedly, including a seat that moves forward when braking and a 60/40 split latch that lets go under braking. Others describe a cracked lower seat mount on a power seat, which gave way while the driver was leaning back. Some say the dealer knew of the problem without resolving it. Mostly reported on higher-mileage trucks, around 140,000 miles in the sampled complaints.

   What to check: Push and rock each front seat firmly and work the fore/aft adjuster to check for play or slipping. Look at the seat mount plates for cracks and ask whether the seat or track has been repaired.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Front seat mount, GM power seats. I am a automotive design engineer, my company makes the seat in question, but I do not work for that division. The lower front mount cracked and failed when I was leaning back on my seat while driving down the freeway, I was thrown into the back cab, I almost lost control of my truck. I investigated the failure and found that it is due to a very poor design. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10093426, filed 2004-10, 140,000 miles

   “Vehicle is missing two of the three seat belts in the rear seats. Also, VIN number is missing from the door, and the dash VIN number does not match the vehicle. In addition, title of the vehicle shows 89000 miles and the odometer shows 106000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10041889, filed 2003-09, 106,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission slips, loses 3rd and overdrive

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe harsh or slipping shifts between first and second gear and losing third and overdrive, sometimes within a single day. Several report repeated rebuilds of the same transmission, or a truck that will not go into gear at all. Complaints mention dealers repairing the problem under warranty and later declining further help. Reported from about 40,000 to 88,000 miles in the sample, with some failures noted at low mileage.

   What to check: Test drive from a cold start and feel for slipping or a late shift into third and overdrive. Check the fluid colour and smell, and ask for transmission service or rebuild records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1996 chevy 1/2 ton 2 wheel drive truck with less than 88000 miles. The automatic transmission started slipping while going from 2nd to 3rd and now has no 3rd or 4th. This all occurred in one day. In reading for recalls and TSB's it appears this has been a significant problem for some time and GM chooses not to address the problem. I called today and was told there was nothing that could be done by GM. I barely made it back home with my wife due to the problem. This known problem could cause a serious accident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10014525, filed 2003-04, 87,895 miles

   “Consumer cannot engage transmission//cannot shift or put it in gear to make it go. Incidents occurred three times; 2-11-98, 2,546/11-3-98 and 42,559. Dealer contacted and repaired each time. Incident continues to occur, no warranty, repairs at owners expense.”

   NHTSA complaint #830215, filed 1998-11

Buying note. Check the wipers and brakes carefully on any example, and ask for service records covering the wiper motor, brake and ABS work and any transmission repairs. A pre-purchase inspection that includes the seat mounts, fuel pump wiring and a highway test drive is worthwhile on a truck of this age.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.