CHEVROLET C10 · model year

1983 CHEVROLET C10

5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1983CHEVROLETC10 carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1983 C10 is steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion) with 2 filings, followed by steering:hydraulic power assist system (1) and structure:frame and members (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1983 C10, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)2
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1

Recent Complaints

20040927TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR TRUCK IN HEAVY ATLANTA, GA TRAFFIC, THE FRONT TIRE EXPLODED. IT IS A FIRESTONE "FIREHAWK, 235-70R15" WITH VERY GOOD TREAD. THE TIRE IS 8 YEARS OLD BUT I SELDOM USE MY TRUCK AND IT IS GARAGE KEPT. THE TIRES HAVE NO CRACKS OR DRY ROT. MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TOOK THE TIRE TO MY LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER AND THE MANAGER ADVISED THAT MY TIRES WERE NOT PART OF A MAJOR RECALL ALTHOUGH THEY WERE MADE IN THE SAME PLANT AND ARE THE SAME SIZE. THE STEEL BELTS COMPLETELY TORE APART AND RUPTURED THE FACE OF THE TIRE. I AM CONVINCED THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND HAVE PHOTOS TO SEND.*AK

20000319STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

STEERING GEAR BOX ATTACHMENT BOLTS ARE PULLED THROUGH MOUNTING HOLES OF FRAME. THE FRAME IS ALSO TORN AND TWISTED FROM TORQUE FORCES OF THE STEERING GEAR BOX. METAL FATIGUE IS OBVIOUS. STEERING WHEEL PLAY INCREASES TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL. POSSIBLE DISATTACHMENT OF STEERING GEAR BOX, LEADING TO TOTAL FAILURE OF STEERING CAPABILITY. EXTREAMLY DANGEROUS.

20000319STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

STEERING GEAR BOX ATTACHMENT BOLTS ARE PULLED THROUGH MOUNTING HOLES OF FRAME. THE FRAME IS ALSO TORN AND TWISTED FROM TORQUE FORCES OF THE STEERING GEAR BOX. METAL FATIGUE IS OBVIOUS. STEERING WHEEL PLAY INCREASES TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL. POSSIBLE DISATTACHMENT OF STEERING GEAR BOX, LEADING TO TOTAL FAILURE OF STEERING CAPABILITY. EXTREAMLY DANGEROUS.

19950915STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

FRAME WHERE STEERING GEAR BOX BOLTS TO TRUCK BROKE; CAUSED BY STRESS AND FATIGUE; LOSS OF STEERING POWER. TT

19950915STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

FRAME WHERE STEERING GEAR BOX BOLTS TO TRUCK BROKE; CAUSED BY STRESS AND FATIGUE; LOSS OF STEERING POWER. TT

Compare 1983CHEVROLETC10 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1983 CHEVROLET C10 have?
The 1983 CHEVROLET C10 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 CHEVROLET C10?
The most-complained component for the 1983 CHEVROLET C10 is STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1983 CHEVROLET C10 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 as of 2025. 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.