Total Complaints
29 filings
CHEVROLET C3500 · model year
29 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996CHEVROLETC3500 carries 29 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury, 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 1996 C3500 is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads with 3 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (3) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2). 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 1996 C3500, 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.
Total Complaints
29 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 2 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | 1 |
TRUCK SHUTS DOWN WHILE MOVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A 1996 CHEVROLET C3500 DIESEL. PARTS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL 120,000 MILES. PROBLEM NEVER SOLVED AND VEHICLE STILL SHUTS DOWN AND YOU HAVE NO CONTROL. *TR
Mileage: 20,000
OVER TWO YEARS, I HAVE HAD 3 BELT FAILURES ON B.F GOODRICH LT 225/75 R16 TIRES. ONE FAILURE RESULTED IN A BLOWOUT THE OTHER TWO WERE DETECTED BY EXTREME VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. NOTIFIED B.F. GOODRICH ON THE LAST FAILURE. 3 FAILURES OF THE SAME TYPE SEEM ABOVE NORMAL FOR A TIRE IN THIS CATEGORY. B.F. GOODRICH STATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD NO COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYP OF FAILURE BUT AGREED TO GIVE ME A CREDIT OF 20% OFF A NEW TIRE BASED ON THE TREAD REMAINING ON THE OLD ONE.
1996 CHEV. 1 TON DUALLY 6.5 DIESEL, ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING LIKE IT'S STARVING FOR FUEL. AFTER READING THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE WITH THE DOZENS OF EXACT SAME PROBLEMS I REALIZED THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM THAT CHEVROLET NEEDS TO ADDRESS. WHAT IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD OUR 4 HORSES AND 3 CHILDREN WITH US ON A HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENED? WHY ARE SO MANY OF US SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CAUSE IS AND REPLACING SO MANY PARTS WHEN THE DEALERSHIPS ARE APPARENTLY AWARE OF THIS ONGOING PROBLEM? HTTP://WWW.DIESELDOCTOR.COM/MESSAGEBOARD/DATA/119.HTML THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE LIFT, TRANSFER AND FUEL PUMPS AND A WIRE CHECK (TO ENSURE NO WIRES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED) TO PREVENT A SERIOUS DISASTER.
Mileage: 118,350
1996 CREWCAB DULEY 3500 PROBLEMS WITH EARLY WARE OF BRAKE. ROTORS TURNED AT 12000 AND NOW REPLACING BRAKE PADS EVERY FEW THOUSAND MILES DUE TO EXCESIVE WARE. DEALERS HAVE HAD TRUCK IN AT LEAST 10 TIMES FOR BREAKING ISSUES SINCE PURCHASE IN 1996. PUT NEW PADS ON IN DEC AND AT 2000 MILES THEY ARE BEING REPLACE AGAIN. MAJOR WEAR TO THE PADS
Mileage: 12,000
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN TREAD SEPARATED ON THE REAR TIRE , ALSO OTHER TIRES WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF CRACKING AND TREAD SEPARATION. AMERI STAR TIRE SIZE LT22575R16M+S DOT NUMBER AD1LCWA285. *AK THE REMAINING TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND WERE FOUND TO HAVE TREAD CRACKS AND SPLITS. THE MANUFACTURER WANTS THE DAMAGED TIRE TO BE RETURNED FOR PROCESSING THE CLAIM. *YH
BATTERY ACID WAS LEAKING ONTO ENGINE. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 2YEARS AGO. DEALER & MANUFACTURER KNEW IT WAS A PROBLEM, BUT WON'T DOING ANYTHING UNTIL A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. *AK
MOTOR SHUTS OFF AT ANYTIME,PARKED OR ON HIGHWAY. THE DEALERS SAY THEIR IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE INJECTOR PUMPS. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THAT , THIS VEHICLE IS DESIGNED TO HAUL AND PULL VERY HEAVY LOADS. I CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND G. M. REFUSES TO ASSIST IN ANYWAY. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND G.M. IS NOT RESPONSIBLE,EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BEING WORKED ON FOR THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, ACTUALLY THE MILEAGE WENT OVER WARRANTY WHILE IT WAS BEING REPAIRED. I HAVE TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT THIS VEHICLE COULD KILL SOMEONE ,IF THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AT THE WRONG TIME E.G. DOWN HILL WITH TRAVEL TRAILER IN TOW, CROSSING A RAILROAD, OR ANY OTHER SCENARIO YOU MAY THINK OF. HOW MANY UNEXPLAINED ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THIS INJECTOR PUMP. I AM TOLD BY MANY MECHANICS THAT THE CHANGE TOOK PLACE AFTER 1994 AND THEY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM SINCE.I CAN NOT STRESS ENOU
PASSENGER SIDE DOOR STRICKER PIN CRACKED. YH
WHEN THERE IS COLD TEMPERATURE OR HUMID CONDITIONS WINDSHIELD WIPERS GET WET, AND WHEN CONSUMER TURNS THE SWITCH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK. *AK
THE FRONT BRAKES ON MY CHEVROLET TRUCK HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY 3000MI. THEY FIRST NEEDED REPLACEING AT 12000MI WITH ALL OF THIS BEING UNLOADED HIGHWAY MILES THIS IS EXCESSIVE. THE PROBLEM HAS STEADILY GOTTEN WORSE TO WHAT IT IS NOW AT 3000MI REPLACEMENT. I HAVE HAD 2 RELATIVES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ON C-1500 AND C-2500 TRUCKS. I WAS TOLD THAT YOU ALREADY HAD AN OPEN IVESTIGATION ON THE PROBLEM BUT I COULD NOT FIND IT ON YOUR WEB SIGHT. A LITTLE INFO IF YOU PLEASE. SHOWGOOD1@AOL.COM
REAR BRAKE SHOES AND DRUMS WORN OUT. YH
WINDSHIELD WIPERS OPERATE ERRATICALLY ON ALL SETTINGS. WHEN WIPERS ARE TURNED ON MIST THEY OPERATE ON HIGH. A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER , THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT FUNCTION WHEN IT RAINS. THEY WON'T COME ON AT ALL WHEN RAINING. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
CHEVROLET RECALL FRAME ON VEHICLE RUBBING AGAINST TANK. DEALERSHIP DID NOT REPAIR, WILL NOT REPAIR SAFETY ISSUE. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY, THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH ALMOST RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
OIL SENDING UNIT FAILED.
DIFFERENTIAL FAILED.
TRANSFER CASE FAILED SEVERAL TIMES, CAUSING GEAR TO STICK INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE.
ENGINE CONTINUOUSLY MISFIRES AND RUNS ROUGH WITH HESITATION.
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.