Total Complaints
18 filings
Chevrolet Silverado · model year
18 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The verdict
The 1988 Chevrolet Silverado posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
The 1988ChevroletSilverado carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1988 Silverado is unknown or other with 3 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:front underhood (2) and power train:automatic transmission (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1988 Silverado, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
Total Complaints
18 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
THE TIRES WERE PUCHASED 04/03/01 AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 8,000 MILES OF USE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE SEPARATED TREAD TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE 20/59. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY INVOLVED.*AK
"WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THIS ISSUE?"NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
ON APRIL 17TH, 2001,I PURCHASED A 1989 CHEVY GMC FOR $4,200 AFTER LEAVING A $100 CASH DEPOSIT THE DAY BEFORE. I PAID $3,000 CASH AND $1,129 IN A CHECK. I DROVE THAT TRUCK FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS. I KEPT HEARING A RATTLE. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRUCK WAS GOING TO THROW A ROD. I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD DREW THE SITUATION. HE SAID HE WAS GLAD I CAME AND TALKED DIRECTLY TO HIM. I SAW THIS 1988 CHEVROLET SILVERADO ON HIS LOT. I TRADED THE CHEVY GMC FOR THE SILVERADO FOR AND ADDITIONAL $1,600 AND PAID THE DIFFERENCE. THIS WAS ON MAY 14, 2001. ON MAY 15TH, WHEN I DROVE MY 'NEW' TRUCK TO A FRIENDS' HOUSE, WE NOTICED A LEAK. WHEN WE LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, WE FOUND THE TRUCK LEAKED ANTIFREEZE. I TEMPORARILY STOPPED THE LEAK AND CONTACTED THE DEALER ON THE 16TH. HE TOLD ME TO BRING THE TRUCK IN. WHEN I GOT THE TRUCK TO HIS LOT, HE TOLD ME T TAKE THE TRUCK TO HIS MECHANIC. I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT TAKE IT THERE; HE HAD TO DO IT. HE DID SO AND HIS MECHANIC REPAIRED IT IN
ON APRIL 17TH, 2001,I PURCHASED A 1989 CHEVY GMC FOR $4,200 AFTER LEAVING A $100 CASH DEPOSIT THE DAY BEFORE. I PAID $3,000 CASH AND $1,129 IN A CHECK. I DROVE THAT TRUCK FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS. I KEPT HEARING A RATTLE. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRUCK WAS GOING TO THROW A ROD. I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD DREW THE SITUATION. HE SAID HE WAS GLAD I CAME AND TALKED DIRECTLY TO HIM. I SAW THIS 1988 CHEVROLET SILVERADO ON HIS LOT. I TRADED THE CHEVY GMC FOR THE SILVERADO FOR AND ADDITIONAL $1,600 AND PAID THE DIFFERENCE. THIS WAS ON MAY 14, 2001. ON MAY 15TH, WHEN I DROVE MY 'NEW' TRUCK TO A FRIENDS' HOUSE, WE NOTICED A LEAK. WHEN WE LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, WE FOUND THE TRUCK LEAKED ANTIFREEZE. I TEMPORARILY STOPPED THE LEAK AND CONTACTED THE DEALER ON THE 16TH. HE TOLD ME TO BRING THE TRUCK IN. WHEN I GOT THE TRUCK TO HIS LOT, HE TOLD ME T TAKE THE TRUCK TO HIS MECHANIC. I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT TAKE IT THERE; HE HAD TO DO IT. HE DID SO AND HIS MECHANIC REPAIRED IT IN
CONTINENTAL GENERAL AMER GHS TIRE (P235 75 R15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND TO THE TRUCK BED, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE FAULTY TIRE. *SLC
THE ORIGINAL PAINT HAS PEELED OFF IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS, THE HOOD, BOTH DOORS AND THE ROOF. IT APPEARS TO BE BUBBLING AND FLAKING OFF TO EXPOSE THE PRIMER.
WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL, ANOTHER DRIVER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER CONSUMER'S CAR, CONSUMER GOT OUT AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP, AND A MECHANIC SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TRAVELLING 55MPH VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT, ENGINE REVVED, AND TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. CONTACTED DEALER WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TRAVELLING 55MPH VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT, ENGINE REVVED, AND TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. CONTACTED DEALER WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP. *AK
BOTH SEAT RAILS ARE EXPERIENCING CRACKING. ONE SIDE ALREADY BROKE, AND THE OTHER SIDE IS CRACKING. ALSO, WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED IT CAUSES THE SEAT TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
BOTH SEAT RAILS ARE EXPERIENCING CRACKING. ONE SIDE ALREADY BROKE, AND THE OTHER SIDE IS CRACKING. ALSO, WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED IT CAUSES THE SEAT TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
MY PICKUP HAS BEEN CONSISTANTLY PEELING FROM PRIMER ON MY DOOR MY HOOD AND ON MY ROOF MY TRUCK IS 2 TONE BLACK ON GOLD THE BLACK IS CHIPPING THE WORST BUT NOW MY GOLD IS STARTING TO DO THE SAME. NO SAFETY DEFECT INDICATED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING ONGOING/ INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD TURN OFF BY THEMSELVES WHILE RUNNING, CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO BUMP MOTOR TO GET THE WIPERS STARTED AGAIN. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THATVEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN #. *AK
LEFT TANK ON DRIVER'S SIDE HAS RUSTED OUT AND FORMED A HOLE ON TOP OF TANK, WHERE ELECTRICAL WIRES ARE LOCATED. COULD RESULT IN A FIRE IF SPARKS ARE EXPOSED. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. REPAIRWORK DONE AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *AK *ML
TRANSMISSION REPLACED TWO TIMES.
WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AREA. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK WAS BURNED.THE TRUCK WAS TOTALLED. OWNER NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. *AK
UNSPECIFIED.
ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES ,PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR.
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1988 Chevrolet Silverado; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.