What breaks most · 1990 to 2003 model years
Chevrolet Pickup problems by year
Owners have filed 472 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Pickup across model years 1990 to 2003. Three years stand out: 1995 for visibility complaints, 1997 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 1996 for visibility complaints. The quietest years are 1992, 1990 and 1991.
- Years to check closely: 1995, 1997, 1996
- Fewest complaints: 1992, 1990, 1991
- Complaints on file
- 4721990 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 199579 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 346 fires · 20 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 46kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 5Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (4) | |
| 16 | 0 | 0 | Tires (5) | |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (2) | |
| 58 | 4 | 1 | Visibility (30) | |
| 79 | 4 | 1 | Visibility (36) | |
| 60 | 5 | 1 | Visibility (21) | |
| 75 | 7 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (25) | |
| 50 | 6 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (15) | |
| 39 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (20) | |
| 32 | 2 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (11) | |
| 17 | 3 | 0 | Tires (4) | |
| 17 | 1 | 0 | Tires (5) | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (3) |
What fails on the 1995 Chevrolet Pickup
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 46% |
36 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 11% |
9 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Seats | 10% |
8 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 8% |
6 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 8% |
6 | 1 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 6% |
5 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 4% |
3 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
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.
-
The rear window had popped out. The vehicle was out of warranty. GM was notified and suggested the problem was due to mileage and nothing would be done. *ak *scc *jb
-
While driving 35 mph on dry sunny day and upon applying brakes brakes failed to respond, brakes failed without prior warning. Also, brake pedal went to floor, and rear-ended another vehicle. Frontal damage to vehicle. Have not contacted dealer. *ak 2 people were injured in accident. *slc
-
After receiving a recall notice concerning windshield wipers vehicle was taken into the dealer and service was refused because it is a salvaged vehicle. *ak *tc
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 Pickup years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1995, 1997, 1996 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Pickup. The 1995 alone has 79 complaints, led by visibility.
What is the most common Chevrolet Pickup problem?
On the 1995 model year, the most-reported component is visibility with 36 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Pickup problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Pickup complaints that include mileage is about 46,000 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.