Total Complaints
17 filings
CHEVROLET C SERIES (LIGHT) · model year
1988 CHEVROLET C SERIES (LIGHT)
17 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988CHEVROLETC SERIES (LIGHT) carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1988 C SERIES (LIGHT) is suspension:front:control arm with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (2) and engine and engine cooling:engine (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1988 C SERIES (LIGHT), and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
17
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19960904EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
REAR TURN SIGNAL/STOP LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. *DH
19960624SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE SYSTEM DESIGNED TOO SMALL FOR VEHICLE, REQUIRING EXCESSIVE FORCE TO STOP VEHICLE. *DH
19960619SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES BOOSTER SYSTEM INSUFFICIENT FOR VEHICLE, RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE WHEN VEHICLE LOADED. *DH
19960601UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WARNING LIGHTS BLINK CONSTANTLY. *DSH
19960502SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
UPPER BALL JOINTS WORN. *SD
19960502SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
LOWER BALL JOINTS WORN. *SD
19960417LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
DOOR LATCH BROKE WHEN HANDLE PULLED. *DSH
19951207POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY FORWARD GEAR PRIOR TO SERVICE RECALL, RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO VEHICLE BEING OUT OF WARRANTY (90C-035). *AK
19950525SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BRAKE ROTORS FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL (93V-119), CAUSING LOUD NOISE/VEHICLE TO VEER SHARPLY. *SKD
19950525POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
REAR AXLE SEAL LEAKING ONTO BRAKE SHOES PRIOR TO RECALL.
19950413ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE LOSING OIL PRESSURE DUE TO CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK. *SKD
19950223STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
REPLACED LEFT FRONT OUTER TIE ROD.
19950223CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
BALL JOINT SEPARATED, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, ALSO PREMATURE WEAR OF TIRES (OTHER VEHICLE ON 479201). *AK
19950223STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
REPLACED LEFT FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE.
19950223POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
REPLACED LEFT FRONT/RIGHT FRONT CV BOOT.
19950216ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE OIL PUMP FAILED, RESULTING IN A BLOWN ENGINE. *AK
19950209SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
BALL JOINTS SEPARATED DUE TO BEING VERY DRY, CAUSING LEFT/FRONT "A" FRAME TO DROP DOWN ONTO THE ROAD. *AK
Compare 1988CHEVROLETC SERIES (LIGHT) to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 CHEVROLET C SERIES (LIGHT) have?▼
The 1988 CHEVROLET C SERIES (LIGHT) has 17 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 CHEVROLET C SERIES (LIGHT)?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 CHEVROLET C SERIES (LIGHT) is SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1988 CHEVROLET C SERIES (LIGHT) safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
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. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1988 CHEVROLET C SERIES (LIGHT); 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.