Vehicle make

Chevrolet

246,565 NHTSA complaints and 622 safety recalls across 272 models, every figure pulled straight from federal records.

Complaints: 246,565
Recalls: 622
Models: 272

The verdict

Chevrolet pairs above-average complaint volume with an above-average recall count.

3rd pctile
complaint volume, US makes: 3rd pctile
recall volume, US makes

Compiled by PlainCars

How does Chevrolet compare?

Compare with

ChevroletDodgeAll makes

Average NHTSA crash rating(higher is safer)Beats Dodge

Chevrolet4.59 ★

Dodge4.39 ★

All makes4.67 ★

Complaints per model(lower is better)Beats Dodge

Chevrolet906

Dodge1,149

All makes507

Recalls per model(lower is better)Beats Dodge

Chevrolet2.3

Dodge2.8

All makes3.6

Lab-measured rollover risk vs. real-world deaths

Chevrolet's average NHTSA rollover_risk score (0.157) against its total recorded deaths (60) across all model-years, plotted against 28 other makes. A low lab risk score does not guarantee a low real-world death total, the two metrics diverge across several makes in this dataset.

NHTSA rollover_risk score vs. recorded deaths, Chevrolet vs. 28 other makes.

Malibu

28,985
Silverado 1500

22,161
Impala

15,184
Tahoe

12,508
Equinox

12,122
Blazer

11,033
Silverado

10,928
Suburban

10,368
Cobalt

10,106
Trailblazer

9,214
Traverse

7,542
S10

7,345

What this shows Within Chevrolet's lineup, the Malibu carries the most NHTSA complaints. High-volume nameplates accumulate more filings simply because more of them are on the road, drill into a model for its per-year and per-component breakdown.

Chevrolet is registered with NHTSA as a vehicle manufacturer and carries 246,565 consumer safety complaints across 272 nameplates in the Office of Defects Investigation public database. The brand has been the subject of 622 safety recalls and is currently tied to 57 active or historical federal investigations, of which 2 remain open and under review. Every one of those figures is pulled directly from NHTSA's published datasets, not from owner forums, manufacturer marketing, or third-party reliability surveys, so the numbers you see reflect the same data federal regulators use when they decide whether to escalate a preliminary evaluation into an engineering analysis or a formal defect order.

Model-level volume varies widely inside any automaker's portfolio: best-sellers accumulate complaints simply because more vehicles are on the road, while limited-run trims and discontinued nameplates often carry disproportionately high complaint rates per unit sold. Inside Chevrolet's lineup, the single highest complaint count sits with the Malibu (28,985 filings, model years 1974–2025), followed by Silverado 1500 and Impala. Use the table below to compare nameplate-by-nameplate counts, then drill into a specific model to see which components dominate and which model years concentrate the crash, fire, and fatality reports.

Active NHTSA investigations involving Chevrolet are the most forward-looking signal on this page, they precede recalls and typically focus on a specific component family or model-year cohort. Recall status, by contrast, is backward-looking: it tells you what the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy, not what they are being asked to remedy next. Together, complaints, investigations, and recalls form the three-layer early-warning system federal safety regulators have relied on since the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.

Which Chevrolet models get the most complaints?

Model	Complaints	Years	Recalls
Malibu	28,985	1974–2025	116
Silverado 1500	22,161	1994–2026	104
Impala	15,184	1977–2020	85
Tahoe	12,508	1988–2026	145
Equinox	12,122	2005–2026	47
Blazer	11,033	1973–2025	22
Silverado	10,928	1980–2017	139
Suburban	10,368	1977–2024	127
Cobalt	10,106	1996–2017	35
Trailblazer	9,214	1999–2026	43
Traverse	7,542	2009–2026	67
S10	7,345	1981–2018	25
Cavalier	6,452	1982–2005	23
Corvette	6,278	1975–2025	63
Cruze	5,702	2010–2019	44
Silverado 2500	4,862	1994–2025	95
HHR	4,744	2006–2011	28
Colorado	4,682	2004–2026	50
Camaro	4,276	1979–2024	49
Lumina	4,006	1987–2008	10
Astro	3,757	1984–2005	15
Venture	3,068	1988–2005	42
Monte Carlo	2,961	1974–2010	47
Volt	2,895	2011–2019	12
Avalanche	2,472	2000–2013	45
Aveo	1,929	2004–2012	9
Suburban 1500	1,732	1994–2026	16
Sonic	1,408	2011–2020	23
Silverado 3500	1,395	1994–2025	97
Malibu Maxx	1,389	2004–2007	13
Trax	1,272	2015–2026	20
Bolt EV	1,267	2017–2023	38
Corsica	1,163	1987–1997	0
Avalanche 1500	1,109	2002–2013	14
Trailblazer EXT	1,070	2002–2006	13
C1500	969	1988–1996	0
Uplander	923	2005–2009	11
Caprice	912	1977–2014	10
Express	832	1995–2024	128
Beretta	783	1984–2002	0
Spark	739	2013–2022	19
Chevrolet Truck	638	1972–2003	0
Pickup	618	1972–2003	0
Lumina APV	598	1987–1999	0
Tracker	587	1989–2004	0
Captiva	465	2011–2015	1
K1500	452	1988–1996	0
C/K Pickups	432	1990–2002	1
Malibu Classic	406	1997–2008	2
Trailblazer EXT 370	370	2002–2006	0
G20	355	1971–1999	0
Cobalt SS	353	2008–2010	0
Equinox EV	342	2024–2025	7
1500	278	1988–1996	0
VAN	276	1983–2002	0
C15	270	1984–1996	0
C2500	269	1988–1996	0
Celebrity	267	1982–1992	0
Silverado 1500 HD	223	2001–2005	0
Trailblazer 360	208	2002–2009	0
C3500	206	1989–1996	0
Suburban 2500	200	1994–2011	1
Prizm	195	1990–2002	3
Chevrolet	189	1985–2003	0
C10	186	1976–2000	1
Bolt EUV	182	2022–2023	4
Corvette Z06	175	2005–2008	2
Malibu ECO	173	2013–2014	1
Express 3500	162	1997–2024	11
K15	155	1982–1996	0
Captiva Sport	153	2012–2014	2
Malibu Hybrid	150	2008–2019	1
Blazer EV	140	2024–2025	8
Tahoe Hybrid	139	2008–2012	0
Express 1500	133	1996–2014	9
C Series (LIGHT)	130	1981–1998	0
K2500	122	1989–1996	0
Z71	120	1993–2002	0
C Series	118	1982–2008	2
Classic	118	2004–2005	2
Cheverolet SS	117	2014–2017	0
G Series	116	1984–2000	1
Chevy VAN	116	1984–2003	0
Redundant Silverado 2500	116	2001–2001	0
Motor Home	110	1985–2002	0
Express 2500	104	1998–2023	8
Avalanche 2500	102	2002–2007	4
C20	100	1970–1997	0
SSR	96	2003–2006	1
G30	93	1982–2002	0
K10	90	1975–1999	0
C35	67	1988–1996	0
Silverado EV	66	2024–2026	9
K25	64	1988–1996	0
K3500	62	1988–1996	0
Yukon	59	1998–2003	0
P30	57	1985–1999	0
C30	55	1975–1998	0
C/K Series	55	1993–2003	0
Conventional	53	1993–2003	0
C25	51	1988–1996	0
Sierra	46	1999–2003	0
G10	45	1985–1998	0
Explorer	44	1995–2002	0
S Pickup	41	1994–2002	0
Nova	40	1984–1990	0
S/T Blazer	40	1994–2005	0
Kodiak	38	1993–2007	22
S10 Pickup	38	1986–1996	0
Silverado Classic	38	2004–2007	0
G25	35	1988–1997	0
Sonoma	35	1991–2003	0
G VAN	34	1992–2002	0
K20	33	1974–1998	0
S Series	33	1988–2002	0
Pickup Truck	32	1993–1993	0
C5500	29	2003–2008	16
Spark EV	29	2014–2016	8
Citation	28	1980–1988	0
Envoy	28	1998–2002	0
W3500	28	1998–2007	8
Impala (GMX 211)	27	2006–2006	1
Jimmy	26	1995–2001	0
Silverado 2500 HD	26	1998–1999	0
C/K 3500	25	1996–1999	0
Spectrum	23	1985–1989	0
K Series	23	1979–2001	0
Beauville	23	1985–2000	0
G35	23	1993–2002	0
3500	22	2016–2022	0
P Series	21	1987–1999	0
K35	20	1989–1996	0
Sierra PU	20	1994–1996	0
C4500	20	2003–2006	6
City Express	20	2015–2018	5
Chevette	19	1980–1986	0
Tahoe Police Pursuit	17	2010–2016	9
C SERIES(MEDIUM)	16	1989–1995	0
Denali	16	2000–2006	7
Express Cutaway VAN	16	2006–2022	6
Metro	15	1997–2000	0
Express 4500	14	2009–2016	0
Silverado HD	14	2015–2016	5
P30 Chassis	13	1996–1997	0
Optra	13	2004–2007	4
S-Blazer	12	1992–1995	0
2500hd	12	2001–2001	1
N300	12	2014–2015	0
C6500	11	1998–2007	1
W4500	11	2000–2010	8
Sprint	10	1985–1991	0
Pick UP C&K Series	10	1975–1991	0
S/T Pickup	10	1994–2001	0
K30	9	1981–2000	0
P3	9	1991–1998	0
Silverado 3500 HD	9	1997–1998	0
S/T Series	9	1994–1997	0
T-Series	9	1999–2008	4
G1500	9	2005–2008	3
Ck1073	8	1994–1994	0
L Series	8	1995–2002	0
C Pickup	8	1999–2000	0
5500hd	8	2019–2019	4
W4	7	1993–2000	0
APV	7	1991–1995	0
S Utility	7	2000–2002	0
W-Series	7	2001–2010	4
GMT-400	7	1998–1999	0
Scottsdale	6	1988–1988	0
Fleetside	6	1987–1995	0
EL Camino	6	1978–1986	0
M Series	6	1995–2001	0
C7500	6	2000–2007	6
G3500	6	2004–2008	3
Caprice Police Pursuit	6	2014–2014	7
Silverado 4500	6	2020–2023	4
G15	5	1992–1996	0
Sport VAN	5	1989–1995	0
C3500hd	5	1994–1996	0
Z24	5	1993–1993	0
H Series	5	1995–2001	0
Vandura	5	1988–1990	0
T10	5	1995–2001	2
Caprice Classic	5	1992–1992	0
L VAN	5	1996–2000	0
INCOMPLETE/CUTAWAY C3	5	1999–2005	0
G2500	5	1998–2005	1
Silverado Hybrid	5	2006–2006	0
Silverado LT	5	2018–2018	0
30hd	4	1994–1994	0
K1	4	1992–1998	0
S15	4	1985–1995	0
Chevy VAN G20	4	1979–1992	0
M VAN	4	1995–2002	0
T Pickup	4	1994–2000	0
T Utility	4	1995–2002	0
Express Cutaway	4	2013–2013	0
LOW CAB Forward 3500	4	2016–2016	2
GEO	3	1994–1994	0
Trans Sport	3	1998–2002	0
T7500	3	1998–2009	0
C8500	3	2006–2008	1
T6500	3	2004–2007	0
M/L	3	1998–1998	0
C/K 1500	3	1993–1996	0
Orlando	3	2015–2015	0
B Series	3	2000–2000	2
Duplicate Silverado 5500	3	2019–2019	1
Silverado 6500	3	2021–2021	1
R Series	3	1988–2000	0
Silverado 5500	3	2023–2023	1
3500hd	3	2024–2024	0
Astr0	2	1992–1992	0
C60	2	1974–1988	0
R3500	2	1991–1991	0
Ck30	2	1975–1992	0
Truck AND VAN UNK	2	1988–1995	0
B7	2	1995–1996	0
Topkick	2	2002–2002	0
BUS Chassis	2	1999–1999	0
V Series	2	1999–2001	0
C/K Chassis CAB	2	1999–2000	1
Cheyenne	2	1991–1991	0
S/T Utility	2	2001–2001	0
Crew CAB	2	1996–1996	0
Yukon XL	2	2000–2000	0
T8500	2	2004–2004	0
P1500	2	1978–1978	0
P	2	1998–1999	0
B7 Medium Duty	2	1998–1998	0
C3	2	2002–2002	0
7H	2	1996–1996	0
G VAN BUS	2	2006–2006	0
6500	2	2019–2019	1
R30	1	1995–1995	0
W7	1	1992–1992	0
P300	1	1990–1990	0
P35	1	1993–1993	0
Citation II	1	1985–1985	0
LUV Pick UP	1	1981–1981	0
S10507	1	1987–1987	0
P10	1	1981–1981	0
P6	1	1993–1993	0
K2	1	1998–1998	0
Beauville Sport VAN	1	1996–1996	0
V20	1	1987–1987	0
P Model	1	1995–1995	0
Monza	1	1976–1976	0
Pick UP C10	1	1980–1980	0
2 Series	1	1997–1997	0
R20	1	1987–1987	0
D Series	1	1984–1984	0
G350	1	1994–1994	0
V10	1	1987–1987	0
U-VAN	1	1999–1999	0
C7	1	1995–1995	0
T20	1	1990–1990	0
F Series	1	1998–1998	0
G3 VAN	1	1999–1999	0
K Pickup	1	1999–1999	0
Medium Duty	1	1999–1999	0
C70	1	1986–1986	0
C4500 NA	1	2008–2008	2
Lumina Minivan	1	1994–1994	0
Roadtrek	1	2002–2002	0
Corvette ZR1	1	2009–2009	0
6500hd	1	2019–2019	2
Onix	1	2021–2021	0
4500hd	1	2021–2021	2
G4500	1	2018–2018	2
4500	1	2022–2022	0
LOW CAB Forward 4500	1	2024–2024	0

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen2025-10-23

Loss of motive power due to engine failure

PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed2023-11-29

Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module

PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed2020-10-09

Electric Vehicle Battery Fires

EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed2020-08-31

Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed2020-07-05

Fuel Line Leak

PE20009Preliminary EvaluationClosed2020-06-01

Momentary Increased Steering Effort

EA19005Engineering AnalysisClosed2019-12-13

Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative

PE19013Preliminary EvaluationClosed2019-09-17

Passenger Sensing System

RQ19003Recall QueryClosed2019-05-28

Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

AQ18006Audit QueryOpen2018-12-01

Sale of noncompliant school bus

View all 57 investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints has Chevrolet received?▼

Chevrolet has received 246,565 NHTSA complaints across 272 models and 622 safety recalls.

Is Chevrolet reliable?▼

Chevrolet has 246,565 total NHTSA complaints across all models. Compare complaint counts per model and model year to identify which Chevrolet vehicles have the fewest reported issues.

How do I check for Chevrolet recalls?▼

Browse Chevrolet models on PlainCars to see recall history by model and year, or visit NHTSA.gov and enter your VIN for official recall status. All recall data on PlainCars comes directly from NHTSA.

Where does Chevrolet complaint data come from?▼

All complaint and recall data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are filed by vehicle owners and NHTSA publishes them publicly.

What do Chevrolet complaints cover?▼

NHTSA complaints include consumer-reported issues with brakes, engines, airbags, steering, electrical systems, and other safety-related components. Each complaint may note crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths associated with the defect.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

Top Chevrolet Models

Malibu

28,985 complaints

Silverado 1500

22,161 complaints

Impala

15,184 complaints

Tahoe

12,508 complaints

Equinox

12,122 complaints

Nationwide makes with similar ODI profiles

Two cross-make peer sets for Chevrolet. Same-make model lists stay above; these neighborhoods are nearest other makes by published NHTSA totals (complaint floor ≥100, recall floor ≥10).

Similar complaint volume

Nearest makes by total ODI complaints (246,565 here).

Dodge151,708 Toyota135,394 Jeep120,631 Ford372,583

Similar recall volume

Nearest makes by recall campaigns (622 here), excluding the complaint-volume set.

BMW433 recalls Mercedes-Benz388 recalls Freightliner364 recalls Honda355 recalls

Compare ChevroletMalibu vs ChevroletSilverado 1500 →

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Chevrolet counts on this page are computed from the NHTSA rows shown in the linked model records; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.