FaultScore

1996 Chevrolet Lumina headlight problems

18 of the 312 complaints about the 1996 Chevrolet Lumina are about the lighting — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 121,000 miles.

A

18

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Switch 6 33.3%
Brake Lights 5 27.8%
Tail Lights 2 11.1%
Exterior Lighting 1 5.6%
Switch 1 5.6%
Switch 1 5.6%
Flasher Unit 1 5.6%
Switch 1 5.6%

Lights across every Chevrolet Lumina year

1995 30 39.5%
1996 18 23.7%
1997 18 23.7%
1998 10 13.2%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 90,000 miles East Wenatchee, WA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A RECURRING FAILURE WITHIN THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WHICH WOULD SUDDENLY STOP FUNCTIONING, CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO STOP WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES AND WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 308,000.

NHTSA complaint #10331179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 180,000 miles Brooklyn Center, MN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T ALWAYS WORK ON 1996 LUMINA DUE TO FAULTY TURN SIGNAL SWITCH, I'VE NOTICE THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER 1995 -2001 LUMINAS AS WELL.

NHTSA complaint #10192391 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 180,000 miles Brooklyn Center, MN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T ALWAYS WORK ON 1996 LUMINA DUE TO FAULTY TURN SIGNAL SWITCH, I'VE NOTICE THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER 1995 -2001 LUMINAS AS WELL.

NHTSA complaint #10192391 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 115,000 miles King William, VA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAS THREE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS. THE LOWER TWO LIGHTS FAIL TO ILLUMINATE. WHEN HE CHANGED THE BULBS, THEY ILLUMINATED BRIEFLY AND THEN QUICKLY BURNED OUT AGAIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 135,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

NHTSA complaint #10191528 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 58,000 miles Lawson, MO

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

1996 CHEVROLET LUMINA, BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING EXCEPT FOR IN THE REAR WINDOW. IF THAT BULB WERE TO BURN OUT, I WOULD HAVE NO BRAKE LIGHTS AT ALL. I HAVE DISCOVERED, AND I AM SURE, THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN CORRECTED?

NHTSA complaint #10165369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Woodridge, IL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IN CHEVROLET LUMINA CAUSING BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT WORK. (EXCEPT 3RD BRAKE LIGHT) FROM MY RESEARCH, THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE. FOR WHATEVER REASON THE MAIN BRAKE LIGHTS GO THROUGH THAT SWITCH. THE DEFECTIVE SWITCH IS CAUSING THEM NOT TO WORK. THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT IS NOT AFFECTED BECAUSE IT'S NOT WIRED THROUGH THAT SWITCH. I KNOW SWITCHES GO BAD, BUT THIS SWITCH HAS WENT BAD ON A LOT OF VEHICLES CAUSING NO MAIN BRAKE LIGHTS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

NHTSA complaint #10144798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Flatlick, KY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1996 CHEVY LUMINA. THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. SOMETIMES THEY WILL WORK AND SOMETIME THEY WILL NOT. SHE HAS ALSO NOTICED THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER LUMINAS. THE CONSUMER SAYS THAT SHE HAS CHANGED THE BULBS ON THE BRAKE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES AND SHE STILL NOTICES THIS PROBLEM FROM TIME TO TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10121642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Flatlick, KY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1996 CHEVY LUMINA. THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. SOMETIMES THEY WILL WORK AND SOMETIME THEY WILL NOT. SHE HAS ALSO NOTICED THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER LUMINAS. THE CONSUMER SAYS THAT SHE HAS CHANGED THE BULBS ON THE BRAKE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES AND SHE STILL NOTICES THIS PROBLEM FROM TIME TO TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10121642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Little Canada, MN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

DT: THE BRAKES LIGHT ONLY WORKED EVERY NOW AND THEN, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER LUMINAS. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE BULBS AND FUSE HAVE BEEN CHECKED. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER.

NHTSA complaint #10120877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 127,000 miles Omaha, NE

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR CAUSES MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH TO FAIL. THIS CAUSES SAFETY PROBLEMS. A SMALL TRUCK WAS BEHIND ME A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, AND SLAMMED HIS BRAKES ON BEHIND ME. HE THEN PULLED NEXT TO ME AND TOLD ME MY TWO REAR BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK, BUT THE THIRD (TOP) ONE DOES. ALSO, REAR TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK. RIGHT SIGNAL WORKS MOST OF THE TIME, BUT SWITCH WILL NOT SIGNAL A LEFT TURN. ALL BULBS ARE FINE. IN RESEARCHING JUST IN A COUPLE HOURS, I FOUND ABOUT 40 OTHER REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH REPLACEMENT IS THE REPAIR MOST REPORTS CITE AS WORKING. THE REPAIR IS COSTLY, REQUIRING DISASSEMBLY OF STEERING COLUMN.

NHTSA complaint #10068507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Alburquerque, NM

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUNM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURE WERE CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM. TS

NHTSA complaint #8022375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Norfork, VA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE. BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT SHOWING IN REAR, BUT VEHICLE DASH INDICATES THAT THEY ARE ON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8018183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Norfork, VA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE. BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT SHOWING IN REAR, BUT VEHICLE DASH INDICATES THAT THEY ARE ON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8018183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Norfork, VA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE. BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT SHOWING IN REAR, BUT VEHICLE DASH INDICATES THAT THEY ARE ON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8018183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cincinnati, OH

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT

FAILURE OF MFS CAUSES BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK UNLESS PULL BACK ON TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. THIS IS THE 2ND LUMINA THE COMPANY HAS OWNED THAT I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. OTHER CAR WAS 1992 SAME MODEL & TYPE. DEALER SAYS THEY REPLACE A LOT OF THEM. NO INDICATION IS OBVIOUS THAT YOUR BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING!! RATHER COSTLY REPAIR CHARGE $300.00 RANGE AS I RECALL FROM THE 1992. STRANGE IT HAPPENED ON 1996 MODEL ALSO. IS THERE A SECRET RECALL OR FACTORY REPAIR AT NO CHARGE??

NHTSA complaint #763716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orangeburg, SC

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

OVERHEATING OF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND RADIO DIALS.

NHTSA complaint #512375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sparta, WI

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CONSUMER BELIEVES DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE USELESS.

NHTSA complaint #780414 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Plano, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH

HAZZARD BUTTON ON THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN COMES OFF, REPAIRED, CAME OFF AGAIN. (QCAW)

NHTSA complaint #538091 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1996 Chevrolet Lumina problems

← Full 1996 Chevrolet Lumina report