Chevrolet Pickup Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 501 consumer complaints across the 13 model years of the Chevrolet Pickup (1990–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 79. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (122 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Pickup 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 10 | 24,000 | 0 | 2 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 17 | 33,300 | 0 | 2 | — | Stable |
| 2001 | 17 | 35,750 | 0 | 2 | — | Stable |
| 2000 | 32 | 41,500 | 0 | 24 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 39 | 36,750 | 0 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 74 | 75,000 | 0 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 75 | 84,500 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 60 | 38,000 | 0 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 79 | 74,000 | 0 | 15 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 58 | 73,000 | 0 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1992 | 13 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 16 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1990 | 11 | 42,253 | 0 | 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.
- Brakes122 27%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)114 26%
- Tires57 13%
- Fuel system35 7.9%
- Steering33 7.4%
- Transmission and drivetrain32 7.2%
- Electrical system27 6.1%
- Seats25 5.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2002: “May of 2012 the brake line on the frame rail under the drivers seat failed, august 2013 brake line failed in two places at the same time just after a state inspection,repaired,and another brake line 1 foot from the mastercylinder along the drivers side frame rail just hours after the last repair, I have done my research this is not an isolated to just my truck failure g.m. …”
NHTSA complaint #10535896, filed 2013-08, 102,300 miles2000: “Vehicle did not stop, applied emergency brakes, I was backing out of my driveway went to apply brakes peddle went to the floor, lucky there were no vehicle passing while backing up. After further investigation found that brake lines were rusted, had to get towed to mechanic for repair at a cost of $1,000. The vehicle only has 86,000 miles, the only part on the whole vehicle that is rusted are the brake lines, I hope that this can be rectified because this was an expensive repair and could of become deadly. …”
NHTSA complaint #10609144, filed 2014-07, 86,000 miles1999: “Tire came apart while driving. No road hazards or anything on the road. Tire made a noise, pieces of rubber were falling on the road, tire completely failed as I pulled over. Tread was partially off and caused damage to the truck. I have electronic pictures. ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis***761431”
NHTSA complaint #10009194, filed 2002-05, 33,000 milesOther 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