Total Complaints
87 filings
CHEVROLET CAPRICE · model year
1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE
87 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996CHEVROLETCAPRICE carries 87 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, 1 injury, and 1 fatality. 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 CAPRICE is power train:automatic transmission with 4 filings, followed by suspension:front (4) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (4). 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 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.
87
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
1
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 4 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 4 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT | 4 |
| TIRES | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 3 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER | 2 |
| STEERING | 2 |
Recent Complaints
20230519STRUCTURE:BODY
The vats system is the problem on my 96 Impala it just shut my car off for the past 3 mos
20230519ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vats system is the problem on my 96 Impala it just shut my car off for the past 3 mos
20230519ENGINE
The vats system is the problem on my 96 Impala it just shut my car off for the past 3 mos
20120320ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
SAFETY EMISSIONS. *KB
20120320ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
SAFETY EMISSIONS. *KB
20110914FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN HE HEARD A DRAGGING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STRAPS WHICH HELD THE FUEL TANK IN PLACE WERE FRACTURED DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS SAFELY DRIVEN HOME AND PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 145,000.
Mileage: 145,000
20080709ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER LIGHTS BEGAN BLINKING ON AND OFF. THE FAILURE CONTINUED FOR APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS UNTIL IT COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PANEL CLUSTER WAS A RECURRING FAILURE WITH THAT MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PANEL CLUSTER WITH THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER, WHICH CORRECTED THE FAILURE FOR TWO YEARS. RECENTLY, WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN TO FLICKER ON AND OFF AGAIN. WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY TURN BACK ON. THE FAILURE CAUSES THE CONTACT TO BE UNSURE OF THE SPEED THAT SHE IS TRAVELING OR HOW MANY MILES ARE ON HER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.
Mileage: 59,000
20070313STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
DURING MAINTENANCE OF MY VEHICLE IT WAS FOUND TO BE MISSING THE BOLTS, GUIDES, WASHERS, BUSHINGS AND NUTS THAT CONNECT THE RADIATOR SUPPORT TO THE FRAME. THIS 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE CLASSIC MAY BE ONLY ONE OF MANY WHEREIN THESE CRITICAL BOLTS AND ASSEMBLIES WERE NEVER INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. *JB
Mileage: 131,000
20050418TIRES
THE TIRE ON THE CONSUMER'S 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE BLEWOUT WHILE PARKED DAMAGING THE ENTIRE FRONT END (COOPER CORNELL TIRE).*MR *NM
Mileage: 89,544
20041029TIRES
DEFECTIVE TIRES, RESULTING IN TIRES EXPLODING WHILE CAR WAS PARKED, DAMAGING ENTIRE FRONT END OF VEHICLE. *BF THE TIRE STATED THEY SOLD THE CONSUMER THE WRONG TIRES FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE TIRES STORE'S FAULT, THE CONSUMER STILL HAD TO PAY FOR THE UPGRADE. *JB
20040708SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
20040708SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
20031006ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN DRIVING BELOW 20 MPH VEHICLE WOULD STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE DISTRIBUTOR/SPARK PLUGS AND SOMETHING ON THE DRIVESHAFT. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP WAS REPLACED DUE TO A BROKEN SCREW ON THE CAP AND ROTOR. *SCC *JB
Mileage: 225,000
20030811SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH ITS LOWER CONTROL ARM AS STATED IN RECALL 96 V 018 001; BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK
Mileage: 42,016
20030419SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINTS BROKE. *JB
Mileage: 80,305
20030410VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
THE ACCELERATOR IDLED WHILE DRIVING. *JB
Mileage: 50,000
20030410VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
THE ACCELERATOR IDLED WHILE DRIVING. *JB
Mileage: 50,000
20030410VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE CONSUMER MUST APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO GAIN SPEED. *JB
20030216STEERING:RACK AND PINION
I HAVE A 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE WITH ONLY 28, 000 MILES ON IT. SEVERAL OCCURANCES OF STEERING LOOCKUP WHEN GOING AT VERY SLOW SPEEDS AND TURNING EITHER LET OR RIGHT. RACING THE ENGINE SEEMS TO CLEAR THE PROBLEM SOMETIMES. THE STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINES TO OCCUR OCCASIONALLY.
Mileage: 28,000
20030124STEERING
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 15MPH ON FLAT SURFACE AND WITHOUT WARNING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
Compare 1996CHEVROLETCAPRICE 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 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE have?▼
The 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE has 87 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 CHEVROLET CAPRICE is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1996 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.