CHEVROLET CAPRICE · model year

1992 CHEVROLET CAPRICE

133 NHTSA complaints, 26 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1992CHEVROLETCAPRICE carries 133 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 26 crashes, 1 fire, 48 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 1992 CAPRICE is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 26 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (11) and seat belts:front:retractor (10). 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 1992 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.

133
Complaints
26
Crashes
1
Fires
48
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

133 filings

Crashes Reported

26 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP26
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL11
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION5
AIR BAGS4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE3
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH3
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER2
SUSPENSION2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL2
SUSPENSION:REAR2

Recent Complaints

20170419TIRES

TIRE FAILURE- CORD SEPARATION. AT 65MPH THE TIRE SUDDENLY FAILED AND LOST PRESSURE. PRESSURE HAD BEEN CHECKED 2 DAYS EARLIER. TREAD HAS BEEN WORN LESS THAN 25% HAVE PICTURES OF DAMAGE WHICH SHOWS MISSING PORTION OF RUBBER AND EXPOSED METAL BELTS ON OUTSIDE OF TIRE. STILL HAVE TIRE IN MY POSSESSION. CONTACTED COOPER BUT THEY STATED THIS DATE CODE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALLS FOR THIS TIRE LINE.

Mileage: 168,800

20080101UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I PURCHASED MY FIRST VEHICLE, NO LINE OF CREDIT AT A AUTO AUCTION, CAR COST 2,648.07 AND PAYMENTS $167.61 TOTAL 8,039.62 PAID $ 1,000.00 CASH DEPOSIT. THE CAR BROKE DOWN THE NEXT DAY, I HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE, THE WARRANTY WOULD NOT FIX THE CAR. GARAGE OWNER CALLED AUDITION OWNER TO PICK UP THE CAR AS REPO WITH MY APPROVAL, AND I ALSO CALL AND GAVE ADDRESS TO CAR AUCTION DEALER. THEY DID NOT RESPOND, THE GARAGE OWNER WITH MY PERMISSION SOLD THE CAR TO SOMEONE WHO WERE TO TAKE OVER THE CAR PAYMENTS. THE GARAGE PERSON SAID HE DID, AND GAVE ME $300.00, AND SAID THERE IS NO NEED FOR ME TO DO PAPER WORK A LIEN FROM THE PEOPLE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT, AND THEY WILL CONTACT THE AUTO AUCTION AND TAKE OVER THE PAYMENTS. I PLEADED CAN I GET PAPER SO I CAN FOLLOW UP, AND THE GARAGE OWNER KEPT AVOIDING ME. NOW I WAS GIVEN A CALL FROM THE AUTO AUCTION OWNER, THEY LOCATED THE CAR, IT WAS SOLD THREE TIMES ALL STILL HAVING ME AS THE OWNER, AND A LIEN WAS NEVER PLACED ON IT, NOR DID ANYONE CONTACT T

20060418SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

1992 CAPRICE DOES NOT GIVE MAXIMUM SLOW DOWN OR STOP ABILITY. *TS THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE ABS BRAKES DO NOT ADEQUATELY STOP THE VEHICLE DURING PANIC STOPS. *NM

20050811CrashAIR BAGS

AIRBAG AND BRAKES FAILED, AND CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES. TWO PEOPLE WERE THROWN INTO DASHBOARD,WINDSHIELD, WHEN SEAT BELTS FAILED TO HOLD, DRIVER NEVER TOOK FOOT OFF OF BRAKES, AIRBAG (DEPLOY SENSOR) ON GROUND, CAR IS IN BACKYARD IF YOU WANT TO SEE! I NOW FIND OUT THERE WAS 9 (PROBLEMS), RECALLS, TWO ON ABS!. *JB

Mileage: 110,000

20050811CrashSEAT BELTS

AIRBAG AND BRAKES FAILED, AND CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES. TWO PEOPLE WERE THROWN INTO DASHBOARD,WINDSHIELD, WHEN SEAT BELTS FAILED TO HOLD, DRIVER NEVER TOOK FOOT OFF OF BRAKES, AIRBAG (DEPLOY SENSOR) ON GROUND, CAR IS IN BACKYARD IF YOU WANT TO SEE! I NOW FIND OUT THERE WAS 9 (PROBLEMS), RECALLS, TWO ON ABS!. *JB

Mileage: 110,000

20050811CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

AIRBAG AND BRAKES FAILED, AND CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES. TWO PEOPLE WERE THROWN INTO DASHBOARD,WINDSHIELD, WHEN SEAT BELTS FAILED TO HOLD, DRIVER NEVER TOOK FOOT OFF OF BRAKES, AIRBAG (DEPLOY SENSOR) ON GROUND, CAR IS IN BACKYARD IF YOU WANT TO SEE! I NOW FIND OUT THERE WAS 9 (PROBLEMS), RECALLS, TWO ON ABS!. *JB

Mileage: 110,000

20050811CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

I'M NOT TRYING TO DO DUAL COMPLAINTS. WHILE BRAKING ,PRIOR TO IMPACT, THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING COMING FROM THE ABS CONTROL UNIT UNDER THE HOOD, ALSO THE COMPUTER ECM, SHOWS THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, SERIOUS LIFETIME INJURIES, I'M GOING INTO A POWERCHAIR, AT 42 THERE IS NO SURGERY THAT WILL HELP ME, AND LESLIE IS GOING TO NEED BACK SURGERY, AND A HIP,AND KNEE REPLACEMENT!*JB

Mileage: 110,000

20050811CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

I'M NOT TRYING TO DO DUAL COMPLAINTS. WHILE BRAKING ,PRIOR TO IMPACT, THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING COMING FROM THE ABS CONTROL UNIT UNDER THE HOOD, ALSO THE COMPUTER ECM, SHOWS THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, SERIOUS LIFETIME INJURIES, I'M GOING INTO A POWERCHAIR, AT 42 THERE IS NO SURGERY THAT WILL HELP ME, AND LESLIE IS GOING TO NEED BACK SURGERY, AND A HIP,AND KNEE REPLACEMENT!*JB

Mileage: 110,000

20050811CrashSEAT BELTS

I'M NOT TRYING TO DO DUAL COMPLAINTS. WHILE BRAKING ,PRIOR TO IMPACT, THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING COMING FROM THE ABS CONTROL UNIT UNDER THE HOOD, ALSO THE COMPUTER ECM, SHOWS THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, SERIOUS LIFETIME INJURIES, I'M GOING INTO A POWERCHAIR, AT 42 THERE IS NO SURGERY THAT WILL HELP ME, AND LESLIE IS GOING TO NEED BACK SURGERY, AND A HIP,AND KNEE REPLACEMENT!*JB

Mileage: 110,000

20050811CrashSTRUCTURE

I'M NOT TRYING TO DO DUAL COMPLAINTS. WHILE BRAKING ,PRIOR TO IMPACT, THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING COMING FROM THE ABS CONTROL UNIT UNDER THE HOOD, ALSO THE COMPUTER ECM, SHOWS THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, SERIOUS LIFETIME INJURIES, I'M GOING INTO A POWERCHAIR, AT 42 THERE IS NO SURGERY THAT WILL HELP ME, AND LESLIE IS GOING TO NEED BACK SURGERY, AND A HIP,AND KNEE REPLACEMENT!*JB

Mileage: 110,000

20050811CrashSTEERING:COLUMN

I'M NOT TRYING TO DO DUAL COMPLAINTS. WHILE BRAKING ,PRIOR TO IMPACT, THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING COMING FROM THE ABS CONTROL UNIT UNDER THE HOOD, ALSO THE COMPUTER ECM, SHOWS THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, SERIOUS LIFETIME INJURIES, I'M GOING INTO A POWERCHAIR, AT 42 THERE IS NO SURGERY THAT WILL HELP ME, AND LESLIE IS GOING TO NEED BACK SURGERY, AND A HIP,AND KNEE REPLACEMENT!*JB

Mileage: 110,000

20031101SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

UPON BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT "SNAPPED" AT THE NUT, RESULTING IN THE BALL JOINT SEPARATING FROM THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. *LA

Mileage: 119,635

20030826SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

ABS MODULE IS NOT PUMPING BRAKE FLUID, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

Mileage: 118,000

20020731ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

HORN BUTTON IS PLASTIC. CONSUMER CAN PUSH THE BUTTON STRAIGHT THROUGH, CAUSING IT TO GET STUCK. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK

20020702ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

HORN STOPPED WORKING AND WAS REPLACED IN NOVEMBER OF 2001. AT THIS TIME HORN STOPPED WORKING AGAIN.*AK

20020514CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DURING VEHICLE COLLISION, DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, RESULTING IN INJURY TO DRIVER, DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO NOSE AND EYES. *TT

20020514EQUIPMENT

CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT THE JAKE BRAKE IS NOISY WHILE DRIVE IN THE CITY. *JG

20020307EQUIPMENT

CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT THE JAKE BRAKE IS NOISY WHILE DRIVE IN THE CITY. *JG

20011030CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DURING VEHICLE COLLISION, DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, RESULTING IN INJURY TO DRIVER, DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO NOSE AND EYES. *TT

20010828TIRES:TREAD/BELT

THE TIRE ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE LOST ITS TREAD AND TORE OFF THE WHEEL WELL MOLDING AND DAMAGED THE INSIDE COVER,CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE, THE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE (GENERAL RADIAL SIZE 15). NLM

Compare 1992CHEVROLETCAPRICE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1992 CHEVROLET CAPRICE have?
The 1992 CHEVROLET CAPRICE has 133 NHTSA complaints, 26 crashes, 1 fires, 48 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 CHEVROLET CAPRICE?
The most-complained component for the 1992 CHEVROLET CAPRICE is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 26 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1992 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.