Chevrolet Z71 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 99 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Chevrolet Z71 (1993–2002) that have at least 5 complaints. 1998 has the most, with 45. Across all years, the part named most often is visibility (27 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Z71 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 24 | 35,423 | 0 | 2 | — | Stable |
| 1998 | 45 | 78,500 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 15 | 70,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Stable |
| 1993 | 15 | 185,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)27 28%
- Brakes23 24%
- Steering12 12%
- Tires8 8.2%
- Air bags8 8.2%
- Seats7 7.2%
- Transmission and drivetrain6 6.2%
- Engine cooling6 6.2%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2002: “On 4-19-04 while pulling out of driveway and into my street, my tailgate on my 2002 chevy silverado fell from the vertical (latched position). I immediately stopped the vehicle, and upon walking to the rear of truck, I noticed that both tailgate support straps had snapped (broken) approximately 4 inches from the end. The taigate ended up resting on rear bumper at a downward angle.”
NHTSA complaint #10066530, filed 2004-04, 27,150 miles1998: “I am the new owner of a 1998 chevy k1500 Z71. My girlfriend and I were going to a football game and she tried to clean the windshield and the windshield wipers would not work. Two days later I was coming home when a rain storm started I turned on the wipers and they did not work. After getting out of vehicle and picking up the wiper blades they started to work. When I got home I turned off the engine, and my girlfriend got into the truck to leave and take daughter home and the wipers did not work. Picked up wipers and they worked once again. …”
NHTSA complaint #10170879, filed 2006-10, 127,390 miles1994: “Vehicle bought used at 132000. Wipers stop working intermittently. Must bang on wiper motor to engage blades. Headlamps, fuses, am/fm radio, and hazard lights also fail intermittently.”
NHTSA complaint #10597088, filed 2014-06, 132,000 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