CHEVROLET Z71 · model year

1994 CHEVROLET Z71

17 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1994CHEVROLETZ71 carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 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 1994 Z71 is visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor with 5 filings, followed by seats (3) and visibility:windshield wiper/washer (3). 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 1994 Z71, 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.

17
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

17 filings

Crashes Reported

3 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/WASHER:MOTOR5
SEATS3
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER3
TIRES:TREAD/BELT2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1

Recent Complaints

20140609VISIBILITY/WIPER

VEHICLE BOUGHT USED AT 132000. WIPERS STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. MUST BANG ON WIPER MOTOR TO ENGAGE BLADES. HEADLAMPS, FUSES, AM/FM RADIO, AND HAZARD LIGHTS ALSO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

Mileage: 132,000

20100402VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 CHEVROLET Z71 EXTENDED CAB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE AFTER BEING TURNED ON. HE TAPPED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND WIPERS BEGAN TO WORK. THE CONTACT HAD NEITHER TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP NOR CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 27,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 29,000.

Mileage: 27,000

20030911VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INTERMITTANT OR QUIT WORKING. THERE IS A RECALL BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED.

Mileage: 30,000

20030825VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING INTERMITENTLY. *AK

Mileage: 110,000

20010807TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING 70MPH VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING, PULLED OVER AND CHECKED TIRES, NOTICED LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD A LARGE BULGE. TOOK SPARE AND REPLACED LEFT FRONT TIRE, ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, HEARD A LOT OF NOISE HITTING VEHICLE, PULLED OVER AND STOPPED TO CHECK, RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD LOST ITS TREAD, NOISE WAS WHERE TREAD HIT WHEEL WELL AND BUMPER AND BENT IT, TIRE MAINTAINED AIR PRESSURE. SPOKE TO CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE AND INFORMED CONSUMER TO TAKE TIRES TO TIRE RETAILER FOR REPLACEMENT, MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE 2ND TIRE, BUT NOT THE 1ST TIRE, RETAILER HAD THROWN IT AWAY, BF GOODRICH RADIAL LONG TRAIL, T/A P245/75R16.*AK DOT NUMBER AP70HL11346. *SLC

20010326SEATS

DRIVER'S SEAT HAS DISENGAGED FROM SEAT TRACK AND ANCHOR . PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

20010221VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL SHUT OFF ONCE IN WHILE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THE CONSUMER.*AK

20010108VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WHILE DRIVING AND USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS THEY STOP WORKING, AND SOMETIMES THEY WILL WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THEN, WILL STOP WITHOUT A WARNING. CONSUMER HAD SEEN A RECALL , BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDEDDUE TO VIN. *AK

20001012VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE IN RANIY WEATHER CONDITIONS, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

20000915TIRES:TREAD/BELT

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND FELT VIBRATION. LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. HE MOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE PEDAL AND THE TIRE EXPLODED, AND IT DESTROYED THE RIMS. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS #AT, P26575R16.*AK

20000907EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

CONSUMER HAD A PROBLM WITH BRAKE LIGHTS BEING INOPERATIVE. A MECHANIC FIXED THEM SO THEY WOULD WORK. CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER 4 YEARS AFTER PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED. PROBLEM RETURNED AS SOON AS CONSUMER GOT TO DESTINATION. *AK

20000824VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

THESE ARE BOTH POTENTIALLY ACCIDENT-CAUSING / LOSS-OF-CONTROL POSSIBILITIES.

20000824SEATS

THESE ARE BOTH POTENTIALLY ACCIDENT-CAUSING / LOSS-OF-CONTROL POSSIBILITIES.

20000803CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 40 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

20000711VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK ERRATICALY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

20000124CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CONSUMER HAD PARKED VEHICLE BY PUTTING THE PAWL ON PARK, BUT SEAT COLLAPSED AND HE GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL. THEN VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD. CONSUMER SAID THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE HILL. *AK

20000124CrashSEATS

CONSUMER HAD PARKED VEHICLE BY PUTTING THE PAWL ON PARK, BUT SEAT COLLAPSED AND HE GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL. THEN VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD. CONSUMER SAID THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE HILL. *AK

Compare 1994CHEVROLETZ71 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1994 CHEVROLET Z71 have?
The 1994 CHEVROLET Z71 has 17 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 CHEVROLET Z71?
The most-complained component for the 1994 CHEVROLET Z71 is VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER.
Is the 1994 CHEVROLET Z71 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.