1993 Chevrolet Silverado Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about seat backs that give way, usually because the bolts holding the recliner to the seat frame break, and about windshield wipers that stop working without warning, most often in rain. A smaller group describes brake problems, mainly in the ABS and hydraulic system, and seat belt buckles or retractors that do not latch, release or retract reliably. Most complaints describe failures that recur after repair, not one-time events.

1. 1
   Seats

   Seat back bolts break and the seat falls back

   • 21 complaints (30%)
   • median 241,000 mi at 15.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2008

   Complaints describe the bolts or screws that attach the seat back to the frame breaking, so the back of the driver or passenger seat falls rearward, sometimes into the extended cab area. Owners say the same part has broken repeatedly, in some cases after a recall repair was performed, and some report that a dealer declined to repair it again or cited the vehicle's age. Several describe the seat rails or recliner mechanism cracking or separating as well. Reported across a wide mileage range, from trucks with no mileage listed to ones above 240,000 miles, and often recurring after an earlier repair.

   What to check: Sit in both front seats and push back firmly against the seat back; check the bolts and washers at the recliner joints for wear or replacement. Ask whether the seat bolt recall work was done and whether the bolts have broken since.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving to work (3/10/08) and was just getting to the highway when the back of the drivers seat broke sending the seat-back all the way to the back seat. This pulled my hands off of the steering wheel and caused me to loose control of the truck. The truck went across the road before I gained control. If it had happened 5 minutes later I would have been in heavy two way highway traffic and the results could have been deadly. Is there a recall on the bucket seats for this truck? …”

   NHTSA complaint #10220676, filed 2008-03, 245,000 miles

   “On my 1993 Chevrolet Silverado k1500 extended cab fleetside long box pickup, there has been four failures of the drivers side seatback 60/40 split seat. The first failure was in february of 1996. After this was fixed, we received notification from Chevrolet of a potentially dangerous problem where the seatback bolts could break and fall backwards leading to lose of control of the vehicle. Now this is the fourth time we have had this happen. …”

   NHTSA complaint #726379, filed 2000-08
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop working intermittently

   • 20 complaints (29%)
   • typically at 6.8 yrs old
   • filed 1998–2003

   Owners describe wipers that quit mid-sweep, fail to start, or only come on after hitting a bump or tapping the wiper motor, leaving poor visibility in rain. Several complaints point to the wiper motor circuit board and note that the same part was covered by a recall on other model years but their truck was excluded by VIN. A few say a dealer could not duplicate the problem or charged for the repair. Described as an ongoing problem over years of ownership, occurring in wet weather and at highway speeds; one sampled complaint lists about 102,000 miles.

   What to check: Turn the wipers on and off repeatedly, including in the intermittent setting, and listen for the motor. Ask whether the wiper motor or pulse board has been replaced and whether the vehicle was included in any wiper recall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Windshield wiper circut board failure on my vehicle not covered by recall, due to VIN # not on manufactures recall list. I had to pay for new circut board out of my pocket. ; seat back recliner bolt/washer recall # 94c62 accomplished, but broke again 2 1/2 years later, and the cost for repair was paid for by owner. Dealer service rep. Said it had been too long scince recall, and Chevrolet would not pay for repairs . ; right front passenger seatbelt has not worked correctly many times. Cost of replacement very high and not affordable.”

   NHTSA complaint #714493, filed 1999-11

   “Intermittently windshield wipers quit working in the middle of operation. The driver has to tap the windshield wiper motor before operation resumes. Sometimes the windshield wipers do not come on at all. The dealer /manfacturer are aware of this problem. The problem has not been corrected. 1993 trucks not included in recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #836681, filed 1999-04
3. 3
   Brakes

   ABS and hydraulic brake problems

   Mentioned in 5 of 53 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the brake pedal going to the floor, extended stopping distance, or ABS that works only some of the time, in one case while towing a trailer downhill. One owner reports rust buildup inside a brake line support clamp restricting fluid flow and causing a front brake to hang. Owners say dealers could not identify the problem, and some paid for master cylinder, caliper or valve work. Most sampled brake complaints do not list mileage; one describes the problem while towing at highway speed and another at 40-45 mph.

   What to check: Test the brakes at low speed and check for a firm pedal and straight stopping. Have the brake lines and the clamp area on the front suspension inspected for rust, and ask about any ABS or master cylinder repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Front brake lines restrict flow of fluid to calipers due to rust buildup inside support clamp attached to upper a arm. Problem - steering jerks to l or r when brakes are applied quickly. After a period of time the rust builds up enough that the affected brake will not release. Outside of the clamp does not show corrision. I initiaaly bled lines, replaced calipers and pads, swapped rotors, and finally stumbled on the clamp support problem throught my parts man and a mechanic that walked into the parts store. …”

   NHTSA complaint #728921, filed 2000-08

   “The ABS failed on my 1993 Chevrolet pickup. When I took the truck in to get repair estimates I was advised by mechanics a recall is pending for GM ABS systems on pick up trucks from 1991 to present. When I called the Chevrolet dealer service dept, they could not provide any information as to what will be paid/for covered. I would like to get the ABS repaired. It is a little unnerving when the ABS sporadically decides to work or fail. I have spent over $300 to have the brakes re-done to make sure I can stop, but the ABS keeps acting up. …”

   NHTSA complaint #709353, filed 1999-07

Buying note. On this model year, check the front seat backs, the wipers and the seat belts carefully and ask for records of any recall repairs, since owners often report the same failure returning after a fix. A pre-purchase inspection of the brake system and these three items is worth the cost on a truck this age.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 53 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.