Engine
4.3L 6-cyl
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.
Fault profile
Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.
When it fails
The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.
Vehicle age when the failure occurred
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 73 of 89 complaints with a usable failure date.
Known issues
The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.
Brakes
35 complaint records5 crash reports
"WHILE TRAVELING IN SNOW ABS BRAKES DID NOT KICK IN, AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse brakes parts in the directory →
Electrical system
17 complaint records1 fire report
"HORN BUTTON IS PLASTIC. CONSUMER CAN PUSH THE BUTTON STRAIGHT THROUGH, CAUSING IT TO GET STUCK. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse electrical system parts in the directory →
Air bags
16 complaint records13 crash reports
"CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT AND DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER DID NOT SUSTAIN SERIOUS INJURIES, JUST BUMPS AND BRUISES. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse air bags parts in the directory →
Federal defect investigations
Formal investigations opened by the federal safety agency into this vehicle. An investigation is the step between a complaint pattern and a recall; not every one results in one.
| Investigation | Status | Component | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE93098 opened Nov 1993 | closed Mar 1994 | Suspension | LWR BALL JOINT ASSEM.FAILS There is no summary currently available |
| PE92079 opened Sep 1992 | closed Jan 1993 | Seat Belts | R SEAT BELT WEBBING LENGTH There is no summary currently available |
Recall campaigns
Safety-recall remedies are normally provided at no charge. Under US federal law the mandatory free remedy applies when the vehicle was no more than 15 years old at the time the defect was determined; manufacturers often cover older vehicles voluntarily. Canadian rules differ. Confirm eligibility with the manufacturer using the VIN. Each campaign number links to the federal record.
| Campaign | Component | Summary | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97V217000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) MODULATOR CAN CORRODE AND LEAK FLUID FROM THE FRONT BRAKE CIRCUIT. | Normally free |
| 96V020000 | Suspension | THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM CAN CRACK AT THE REAR STABILIZER BAR ATTACHMENT. | Normally free |
| 93V018000 | Electrical System | SYSTEM: ELECTRICAL.VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SEQ 9C1 POLICE CARS IN CORROSION AREAS OF THE US AND CANADA ONLY. | Normally free |
| 93V010000 | Fuel System, Gasoline | THE ENGINE MOUNTED FUEL FEED AND RETURN PIPES MAY FRACTURE DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE ENGINE FRAME DURING OPERATION. | Normally free |
| 92V089000 | Wheels | THE STEEL WHEELS EXHIBIT FATIGUE CRACKING AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE WHEEL LUG NUT MOUNTING SURFACE DUE TO WHEEL BENDING CAUSED BY FREQUENT MISUSE OF TIRE MOUNTING EQUIPMENT, LUG NUT OVERTORQUING, AND THE UNUSUAL... | Normally free |
| 91V186000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages | SECONDARY HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLIES CAN CORRODE, CAUSING A HIGH LATCH RELEASE EFFORT AND POSSIBLY PREVENTING THE HOOD FROM LATCHING PROPERLY WHEN IT IS CLOSED. | Normally free |
Transport Canada recalls
Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.
| Recall | System | Units (CA) | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997219 1997-12-11 | Brakes | 5,594 | THE ABS MODULATOR MAY CORRODE AND LEAK FLUID FROM THE FRONT BRAKE CIRCUIT. BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE COULD REDUCE BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS AND INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. |
| 1996026 1996-02-12 | Suspension | 8,627 | NOTE: POLICE SEDANS AND TAXI CABS. THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM MAY CRACK AT THE REAR STABILIZER BAR ATTACHMENT AND EVENTUALLY COULD CAUSE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO FRACTURE COMPLETELY. |
| 1993029 1993-03-05 | Electrical | 2,414 | On certain vehicles, an electrical "ground out" condition between the 12 volt junction block and the metal inner fender skirt may cause a melted junction block, smoke and burned underhood wiring. |
| 1992075 1992-06-25 | Suspension | 2,031 | NOTE: POLICE SEDANS AND POLICE STATION WAGONS. THE 15" X 7" (CODE RDL) STEEL WHEELS ON THESE VEHICLES COULD FRACTURE AND BECOME SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO WHEEL DISTORTION. |
| 1991147 1991-10-31 | Structure | 13,897 | THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCHES ON THESE VEHICLES CAN CORRODE CAUSING A VERY HIGH LATCH RELEASE EFFORT AND POSSIBLY PREVENTING THE HOOD FROM LATCHING PROPERLY WHEN IT IS CLOSED. |
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 020730024A Aug 2005 | Power Train | DIAGNOSIS OF CRACKED OR BROKEN TRANSMISSION CASE. *TT 2006 AND PRIOR CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *TT | |
| 438206A Jun 1995 | Visibility | UNKNOWN | |
| 438206 Dec 1994 | Visibility | WIPER CHATTER DURING COLD WEATHER. *TW |
Before you buy this vehicle
A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.
- Brake hard once from speed on an empty road.A pull to one side, a pulsing pedal, a pedal that sinks at a stop, or an ABS light that stays lit are the brake complaints on this vehicle presenting themselves.
- Sit in it with the engine off and test everything that has a switch.Windows, locks, lights, the cluster, the radio. Electrical faults are this vehicle's story and the hardest to see on a drive: an intermittent no-start waits for the second week of ownership. Ask for the battery's age and whether any control module has been replaced.
- Watch the airbag warning light through a full key cycle.It should light on start and go out within seconds. A light that stays on, or never lights at all, means the system needs attention. Run the VIN for inflator recalls specifically.
- Run the VIN against open recalls before you negotiate.This vehicle has 6 recall campaigns on file. An open recall needs VIN-specific confirmation. Many are quick, no-charge fixes and worth negotiating over; an unresolved do-not-drive advisory, or a remedy the manufacturer has not yet made available, should stop the purchase until it is resolved.
- Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.
Parts search directory
The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.
Open the parts directory for this Chevrolet Caprice →