What breaks most · 1990 to 2014 model years
Chevrolet Caprice problems by year
Owners have filed 609 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Caprice across model years 1990 to 2014. Two years stand out: 1994 for electrical system complaints and 1991 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints. The quietest years are 2003, 2011 and 1997.
- Years to check closely: 1994, 1991
- Fewest complaints: 2003, 2011, 1997
- Complaints on file
- 6091990 to 2014, all trims
- Worst year
- 1994146 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 7518 fires · 53 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 85kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 68Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | 2 | Seat belts (2) | |
| 131 | 24 | 10 | Brakes (hydraulic) (31) | |
| 89 | 17 | 11 | Brakes (hydraulic) (30) | |
| 61 | 9 | 6 | Electrical system (15) | |
| 146 | 13 | 10 | Electrical system (32) | |
| 88 | 10 | 11 | Suspension (13) | |
| 65 | 1 | 8 | Suspension (12) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 3 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 4 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | Steering (8) |
What fails on the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 22% |
32 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 18% |
27 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 11% |
16 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 9% |
13 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
12 | 7 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 8% |
12 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 6% |
9 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice |
| Tires | 6% |
9 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Fuel pump failure. Wire connected to fuel pump melted bare. Wire connector melted onto fuel pump. Wire harness melted. *jb
-
While driving at any speed vehicle shook uncontrollably. Consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that brakes needed to be replaced, and replaced them. However, the problem recurred. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Caprice years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1994, 1991 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Caprice. The 1994 alone has 146 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Chevrolet Caprice problem?
On the 1994 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 32 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Caprice problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Caprice complaints that include mileage is about 85,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.