CHEVROLET CHEVROLET · model year

1986 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET

5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1986CHEVROLETCHEVROLET carries 5 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, 6 injuries, and 15 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 1986 CHEVROLET is visibility:windshield wiper/washer with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1) and electrical system:starter assembly (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 49 investigation files overlapping the 1986 CHEVROLET, and 1 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
1
Crashes
0
Fires
6
Injuries
15
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

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

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

19980424ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE HEAD BOLT FAILED.

19960404VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WINDSHIELD LEAKS. *SD

19960404CrashFatalENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT/ FATALITIES. *SD

19960404ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

STARTER FAILED. *SD

19960404SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

BRAKE PADS REPLACED. *SD

Compare 1986CHEVROLETCHEVROLET to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1986 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET have?
The 1986 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 15 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET?
The most-complained component for the 1986 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET is VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1986 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET 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.