CHEVROLET VAN · model year

1983 CHEVROLET VAN

5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1983CHEVROLETVAN carries 5 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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1983 VAN is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 2 filings, followed by tires (2) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump (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 1983 VAN, 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.

5
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE2
TIRES2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP1

Recent Complaints

20010709FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). NLM

20000918TIRES

TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED ON 2 OF THE 4 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. I REPLACED THE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND AND WILL NOT BUY FIRESTONE TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

20000914TIRES

TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED ON 2 OF THE 4 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. I REPLACED THE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND AND WILL NOT BUY FIRESTONE TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

20000323FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VAN EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS

19980420FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

FUEL PUMP FAILED.

Compare 1983CHEVROLETVAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1983 CHEVROLET VAN have?
The 1983 CHEVROLET VAN has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 CHEVROLET VAN?
The most-complained component for the 1983 CHEVROLET VAN is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP.
Is the 1983 CHEVROLET VAN 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.