Chevrolet Celebrity Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 185 consumer complaints across the 7 model years of the Chevrolet Celebrity (1984–1990) that have at least 5 complaints. 1987 has the most, with 44. Across all years, the part named most often is steering (41 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Celebrity years →
All Celebrity model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7 | 201,000 | 2 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1989 | 39 | — | 1 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 39 | 75,000 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1987 | 44 | 79,000 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1986 | 33 | 191,500 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1985 | 15 | — | 2 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1984 | 8 | — | 3 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Steering41 23%
- Engine cooling31 18%
- Electrical system27 15%
- Seat belts20 11%
- Brakes19 11%
- Body and structure16 9.1%
- Transmission and drivetrain11 6.3%
- Tires10 5.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1988: “1988 cheverolet Celebrity. Manufacrurer does not stock or sell replacement seat belts or parts. The part is a plastic clip that goes over the seat belt buckle. Probably a $1.00 part. But the local dealer says that they cannot provide the clip or the belt. Am I supposed to throw away a car that is otherwise perfect?? Is not the manufacurer required to provide availability of replacement safety parts? There are millions of these GM cars still on the road.”
NHTSA complaint #10005627, filed 2003-02, 75,000 miles1989: “This tire failed 3 times, each time due to stud penetration. We purchased these tires from les schwab in november of 2000. The three stud penetrations occured on 2-1-01, 2-7-01 and 2-8-01. Each time we took the tire back to les schwab, they patched the area where the stud(s) had penetrated free of charge as stated in their service warranty agreement. …”
NHTSA complaint #740753, filed 2001-021985: “Purchased a use 1985 chev. Celebrity classic 10-16-2007 that only had 46,722 miles. It had a strong gas smell that would not let me drive the car because of health and safety concerns. I drove the car short distance and even now only have 74, 912 miles on it. I feel the car came from the factory like this because an old man that died had the car. It looked like new when I purchased it. Even now it drive like a new car. The gas is leaking from some where so the smell, leak and cost of gas make it where I can't afford to drive it. Right now I only drive it to keep the battery charged. …”
NHTSA complaint #10432380, filed 2011-10Other Chevrolet models
19,366 complaintsChevrolet Silverado 1500
18,111 complaintsChevrolet Impala
10,408 complaintsChevrolet Tahoe
10,060 complaintsChevrolet Equinox
9,208 complaintsChevrolet Silverado
8,790 complaintsChevrolet Blazer
8,199 complaintsChevrolet Suburban
8,170 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology