Total Complaints
6 filings
CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO · model year
1986 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO
6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986CHEVROLETMONTE CARLO carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 4 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 MONTE CARLO is power train:manual transmission with 1 filings, followed by wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs (1) and seat belts:front:webbing (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 1986 MONTE CARLO, 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.
6
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
4
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:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20041209CrashFireFatalUNKNOWN OR OTHER
NAR 02/10/2003. THE CONSUMERS SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE ALL 4 OCCUPANTS DIED. ACCORDING TO A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT, THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. NO MENTION OF POSSIBLE DEFECT. *JB
20020412FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
AFTER BEING IN AN ACCIDENT VEHICLE STARTED TO FLIP. AFTERWARDS VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND OUT WHY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
19990228POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILS TO COME OUT OF LOCK UP CAUSING CAR TO STALL AND SHIFT ERRATICALLY WHEN RESTARTED. I FAILURE ANALIZED THE PSOLENOID WHICH WAS REMOVED AND FOUND THE MAL-FUNCTION TO BE CAUSED BY A BLISTERING OF THE PHENALIC CORE MATERIAL DUE TO OVERHEATING THUS CAUSING THE SOLENOID PISTON TO STICK OPEN AND NOT ALLOWING THE FEFLOW OF FLUID TO THE PROPER NON LOCK UP AREAS. I AM NOT ALONE .... THIS IS A FACTORY DESIGN DEFECT IN THE 400 TRANSMISSION. MY SOLUTION WAS TO DECREASE THE POWER ACROSS THE SOLENOID BY 20% BY ADDING A 4 OHM 1 WATT RESISTOR IN THE POWER FEED CIRCUITRY FROM THE NORMALLY CLOSED BRAKE SWITCH POWER FEED. ACTUALLY , GM HAS AN INCORRECT DESIGN HERE AND PERHAPS SHOULD HAVE USED A TEFLON CORE MATERIAL WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BLISTERED OR HAD A DIFFERENT POWER TYPE UNIT WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DEGRADED BY THE HEAT. PROBABLY NOT MANY 96'S AROUND BUT AT OVER A HUNDRED BUCKS A FIX AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS .... YOU MIGHT LOOK INTO. THANKS
19980204SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS HANGS UP ON TOP HOLDER WHEN TRYING TO EXTRACT TO USE IT.
19971106WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
WHEEL FELL OFF OF VEHICLE AND COLLIDED WITH TWO OTHER VEHICLES.
19950713POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
IT'S A MODEL 200 4R TURBO HYDRA 4 SPEED OVERDRIVE THE RINGS ARE NOT HARDENED. *AK
Compare 1986CHEVROLETMONTE CARLO 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 1986 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO have?▼
The 1986 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO has 6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 4 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO is POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING.
Is the 1986 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 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.