Total Complaints
16 filings
CHEVROLET CAPRICE · model year
1988 CHEVROLET CAPRICE
16 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988CHEVROLETCAPRICE carries 16 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, 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 1988 CAPRICE is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (1) and seats (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 1988 CAPRICE, 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.
16
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:STABILIZER BAR | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000929TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WAS COMING OUT OF A REST STOP AT 75MPH & FELT A BUMP. PULLED VEHICLE OVER & CHECKED THE TIRES & FOUND NOTHING WRONG. LATER, SAW A SLIVER OF THE TREAD COMING OFF & PULLED OVER AGAIN. STILL NOTICED NOTHING. HAD PUT VEHICLE ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE TIRE EXPLODED. STOPPED VEHICLE. TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED, BUT TTREAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED. WENT TO NEXT REST STOP & REPLACED TIRE WITH THE SPARE. DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL TIRE. *AK
20000918FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME AT 9:30P.M. AND THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND OFF THE LIGHTS GOT VERY DIM AND SHE PULLED OFF THE ROAD. MY SON HAPPENED TO BE BEHIND HER AND GOT OUT TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. HE NOTICED SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM THE CAR. HE PULLED HER OUT OF THE CAR AND THEY GOT APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET FROM THE CAR AND IT EXPLODED IN A BALL OF FIRE. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.*AK
19990420ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
19980526SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT HAVE SHOULDER BELTS ONLY LAP BELTS.
19980526SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT HAVE SHOULDER BELTS ONLY LAP BELTS.
19980220ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WIRING CONNECTIONS IN THE TILT-STEERING WHEEL TOO TIGHT AND PULL OUT WHEN TURNING VEHICLE, CAUSING TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL.
19971016STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING WHEEL LOCKS-UP IN COLD WEATHER.
19971016VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
WINDSHIELD WASHER DOES NOT FUNCTION IN COLD WEATHER AND WITH DIFFICULTY IN WARM WEATHER.
19971016POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT RESET.
19951030VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLES CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS ACCELERATING TO HIGHER SPEEDS THAN DESIRED. TT
19950908SUSPENSION:FRONT:STABILIZER BAR
STABILIZER BAR CRACKED, RESULTING IN UNCONTROLABLE WHEEL ACTION. TT
19950717SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY . PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19950619ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY STALLS WHEN WARMING UP, AND THE VEHICLE HAS NO ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE WORKS FINE AFTER SERVICE FOR A WHILE AND THEN BACK TO THE SAME
19950530SEATS
THE FRONT SEAT BRACKET BROKE TWO TIME AND IS BROKE NOW. TT
19950314VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE SPEED INCREASES WHILE DRIVING. MUST DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD TO RESUME NORMAL SPEED. TT
19950314SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
VEHICLE SPEED INCREASES WHILE DRIVING. MUST DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD TO RESUME NORMAL SPEED. TT
Compare 1988CHEVROLETCAPRICE 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 CAPRICE have?▼
The 1988 CHEVROLET CAPRICE has 16 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 CHEVROLET CAPRICE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 CHEVROLET CAPRICE is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and SEATS.
Is the 1988 CHEVROLET CAPRICE 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.