FaultScore report
Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 1988 Chevrolet Caprice with NHTSA between 1995 and 2000. The largest single group is the electrical system.
16
Complaints
0
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
0 crashes, 1 fires
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
THROTTLE NON-RETURN
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Engine
A SMALL NYLON BUSHING IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BAIL (BRACKET) MAY SLIP OUT OF PLACE RESULTING IN POSSIBLE INTERMITTENT INCREASES IN ENGINE SPEED OR DIESELING. THIS CONDITION COULD ALSO CAUSE THE SERVO ROD ASSEMBLY TO WEAR THROUGH THE BALL AND CATCH ON OTHER COMPONENTS POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A STUCK THROTTLE. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE CRASH. CORRECTION: A BUSHING KIT WILL BE INSTALLED ON THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BAIL.
Electrical
NOTE: -VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POLICE CAR OPTION, 5.7 LITRE ENGINE AND HEATER ONLY- THE UNUSED AIR CONDITIONING WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR MAY NOT BE PROPERLY SECURED. THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW THE CONNECTOR TO CONTACT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHERE IT COULD MELT AND/OR SHORT OUT AND CAUSE AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. SUCH A FIRE COULD, IN TIME, SPREAD TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. CORRECTION: UNUSED AIR CONDITIONING WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR WILL BE REMOVED AND THE REMAINING WIRING PROPERLY SECURED.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME AT 9:30P.M. AND THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND OFF THE LIGHTS GOT VERY DIM AND SHE PULLED OFF THE ROAD. MY SON HAPPENED TO BE BEHIND HER AND GOT OUT TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. HE NOTICED SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM THE CAR. HE PULLED HER OUT OF THE CAR AND THEY GOT APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET FROM THE CAR AND IT EXPLODED IN A BALL OF FIRE. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
NHTSA complaint #731118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WAS COMING OUT OF A REST STOP AT 75MPH & FELT A BUMP. PULLED VEHICLE OVER & CHECKED THE TIRES & FOUND NOTHING WRONG. LATER, SAW A SLIVER OF THE TREAD COMING OFF & PULLED OVER AGAIN. STILL NOTICED NOTHING. HAD PUT VEHICLE ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE TIRE EXPLODED. STOPPED VEHICLE. TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED, BUT TTREAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED. WENT TO NEXT REST STOP & REPLACED TIRE WITH THE SPARE. DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL TIRE.
NHTSA complaint #871833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME AT 9:30P.M. AND THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND OFF THE LIGHTS GOT VERY DIM AND SHE PULLED OFF THE ROAD. MY SON HAPPENED TO BE BEHIND HER AND GOT OUT TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. HE NOTICED SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM THE CAR. HE PULLED HER OUT OF THE CAR AND THEY GOT APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET FROM THE CAR AND IT EXPLODED IN A BALL OF FIRE. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
NHTSA complaint #731118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #705790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT HAVE SHOULDER BELTS ONLY LAP BELTS.
NHTSA complaint #536037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT HAVE SHOULDER BELTS ONLY LAP BELTS.
NHTSA complaint #536037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WIRING CONNECTIONS IN THE TILT-STEERING WHEEL TOO TIGHT AND PULL OUT WHEN TURNING VEHICLE, CAUSING TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHTS TO FAIL.
NHTSA complaint #527169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
WINDSHIELD WASHER DOES NOT FUNCTION IN COLD WEATHER AND WITH DIFFICULTY IN WARM WEATHER.
NHTSA complaint #521003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING WHEEL LOCKS-UP IN COLD WEATHER.
NHTSA complaint #521003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT RESET.
NHTSA complaint #521003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLES CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS ACCELERATING TO HIGHER SPEEDS THAN DESIRED. TT
NHTSA complaint #974169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:STABILIZER BAR
STABILIZER BAR CRACKED, RESULTING IN UNCONTROLABLE WHEEL ACTION. TT
NHTSA complaint #971802 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY . PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
NHTSA complaint #968855 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY STALLS WHEN WARMING UP, AND THE VEHICLE HAS NO ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE WORKS FINE AFTER SERVICE FOR A WHILE AND THEN BACK TO THE SAME
NHTSA complaint #967232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
THE FRONT SEAT BRACKET BROKE TWO TIME AND IS BROKE NOW. TT
NHTSA complaint #966019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
VEHICLE SPEED INCREASES WHILE DRIVING. MUST DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD TO RESUME NORMAL SPEED. TT
NHTSA complaint #961925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE SPEED INCREASES WHILE DRIVING. MUST DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD TO RESUME NORMAL SPEED. TT
NHTSA complaint #961925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.