The 1995 Chevrolet C20 has 7 safety recalls and 14 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (5 complaints).
Recalls7safety recalls
Complaints14filed by owners
Crashes · fires3 · 0reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths2 · 0reported in complaints
Safety recalls
Seats
NHTSA recall 97V037000 · Mar 7, 1997 · 624,433 vehicles
Problem: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB AND 2-DOOR UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH RECLINING SEATS AND THE EASY-ENTRY FEATURE. THESE VEHICLES EXHIBIT A CONDITION IN WHICH A PINCH POINT EXISTS IN THE RECLINER MECHANISM THAT CAN TRAP AND PINCH A PERSON'S HAND OR FINGER(S) WHEN THE EASY-ENTRY FEATURE IS ACTIVATED.
Risk: THIS PINCHING CAN CUT THE HAND OR POSSIBLY SEVER THE FINGER(S) WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTOR COVER OVER THE RECLINER MECHANISM.
Problem: THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH THE THROTTLE CABLE CONTACTING THE DASH MAT WHICH COULD BIND THE THROTTLE. THIS DOES NOT MEET WITH THE MAXIMUM RETURN TIMES REQUIRED BY FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 124, "ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEMS."
Risk: CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: THE ENGINE SPEED MAY NOT RETURN TO IDLE INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR ADEQUATE THROTTLE CABLE TO DASH MAT CLEARANCE, AND IF THERE IS INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE, CUT OUT A PORTION OF THE DASH MAT TO PROVIDE PROPER CLEARANCE.
Seats
NHTSA recall 96E010000 · Mar 25, 1996 · 2,400 vehicles
Problem: THE SEAT RECLINER TO SEAT FRAME ATTACHING BOLTS ON THESE VEHICLES COULD LOOSEN, FATIGUE AND FRACTURE, ALLOWING THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE.
Risk: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THIS COULD RESULT IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REMOVE ALL FOAM AND/OR FABRIC SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE RECLINER ASSEMBLY AND THE SEAT FRAME, INSTALL WASHERS BETWEEN THE SEAT RECLINER AND THE SEAT FRAME AT EACH ATTACHMENT POINT, AND INSTALL NEW ATTACHING BOLTS TORQUED TO A HIGHER SPECIFICATION. THESE CORRECTIONS WILL BE MADE TO BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATS.
Steering › Steering wheel/handle bar
NHTSA recall 96V004000 · Jan 2, 1996 · 3,047 vehicles
Problem: THE STEERING COLUMN UPPER INTERMEDIATE-SHAFT NUT MAY NOT BE TORQUED TO PROPER SPECIFICATIONS. THE NUT COULD LOOSEN AND DETACH ALLOWING THE THROUGH-BOLT THAT SECURES THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE-SHAFT TO THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN SHAFT JOINT TO FALL OUT.
Risk: THIS LOOSE ENGAGEMENT CAN PROVIDE NOTICEABLE NOISE AND ABNORMAL STEERING FEELING TO THE DRIVER AND, IF LEFT UNATTENDED, THE STEERING SHAFTS CAN SEPARATE RESULTING IN A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.
Fix: DEALERS WILL TORQUE THE SUSPECT FASTENERS TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATIONS.
Seat belts › Front
NHTSA recall 95V242000 · Dec 13, 1995 · 40 vehicles
Problem: THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH FRONT SEAT BELT SYSTEMS WITH NO ENERGY MANAGEMENT LOOPS AND MAY NOT MEET THE HEAD INJURY CRITERIA REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."
Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANTS OF THESE SEATS MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE RETRACTOR PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY(S) WITH ONE HAVING THE NEWLY DESIGNED ENERGY-MANAGEMENT TWIN-LOOP SYSTEM.
Seat belts › Front
NHTSA recall 95V241000 · Dec 13, 1995 · 630,099 vehicles
Problem: IF BOTH THE LAP-BELT AND SHOULDER-BELT ENERGY MANAGEMENT LOOPS ON THE FRONT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES RELEASE AT OR NEAR THE SAME TIME, ACCELERATION FORCES CAN CAUSE THE BUCKLE RELEASE MECHANISM TO ACTIVATE AND ALLOW THE BUCKLE TO SEPARATE FROM THE LATCH.
Risk: IF THE BUCKLE RELEASED, THE SYSTEM WOULD FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT PROTECTION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE STITCHING THAT CREATES THE ENERGY MANAGEMENT LOOP IN THE SHOULDER BELT(S).
Power train › Automatic transmission › Cooling unit and lines
NHTSA recall 95V026000 · Feb 16, 1995 · 13,853 vehicles
Problem: DUE TO A THIN CASE CASTING, AN EXTERNAL TRANSMISSION LEAK CAN OCCUR.
Risk: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE TRANSMISSION OIL TO SPRAYONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND RESULT IN A POSSIBLE VEHICLE FIRE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION CASE ASSEMBLY FOR THE INVOLVED CASE CASTING. IF THE ASSEMBLY IS INVOLVED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
What owners report
Problem area
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Typical mileage*
Service brakes, hydraulic Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip; Foundation components › Master cylinder
5
1
0
0
—
Structure Body › Door
2
0
0
0
—
Seat belts Front › Buckle assembly; Front › Anchorage
2
0
0
0
—
Air bags Frontal
2
2
0
2
—
Visibility Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
2
0
0
0
—
Steering Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
1
0
0
0
—
Electrical system 12v/24v/48v battery
1
0
0
0
—
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Jan 28, 2005 · 196,930 milesVisibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor WHILE DRIVING ATANY SPEED IN RAINY WEATHER WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Dec 1, 1995Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc CONSUMER EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE PAD AND ROTOR. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
May 1, 1998Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED WHILE IN USE, OBSTRUCTING VISIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE A CRASH. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Jan 26, 1999Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ALSO ABS LIGHT CAME ON/OFF. DEALER REPLACED 2 BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS. *AK *SB
Jan 1, 1998Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery WHILE DRIVING WHEN IT'S RAINING THE BATTERY IS SPILLING OUT ACID ONTO THE ROAD. *AK
Dec 16, 1996Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip WHEN DRIVING ON WET AND DRY PAVEMENT THE REAR BRAKES LOCK UP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SKID TO A STOP. *AK
Nov 5, 1996Seat belts › Front › Anchorage SEAT BELTS FALL BETWEEN CHAIR AND FOLDING ARM REST, RENDERING SEAT BELTS USELESS.
Aug 16, 1996 · crashService brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WENT OUT AND CONSUMER COULD NOT STOP, HIT THE TAIL END OF ANOTHER PICKUP AND BROKE WINDSHIELD.*AK
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
PE95052 · opened Oct 25, 1995 · closed Mar 22, 1996STEERING SHAFT SEPARATIONS ODI OPENED THIS PE ON NOVEMBER 13, 1995 BASED ON AN OWNER COMPLAINT CONCERNING A SEPTEMBER 1995 ACCIDENT INVOLVING A 1995 1/2 TON GM PICKUP TRUCK.THE VEHICLE OWNER ALLEGED THE BOLT USED TO JOIN THE 2-PIECE STEERING SHAFT WAS MISSING.THE SHAFTS THEN SEPARATED AND STEERING CONTROL WAS LOST. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION, ODI HAS GATHERED INFORMATION FROM STAFF AT THE FOLLOWING: AUTO COLLISION INSURANCE COMPANIES, THIRD-PARTY PRODUCTS LIABILITY INDUSTRY, INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS, INVOLVED VEHICLE OPERATORS, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. ACCORDING TO GM, THE STEERING COLUMN AND SHAFTS WERE CHANGED FOR THE 1995 C/K MODELS AT THE START OF THE 1995 MODEL YEAR.THE CHANGE WAS MADE TO INCORPORATE DRIVER AIR BAG SYSTEMS FOR THE C/K10/20 WITH GVWR OF LESS THAN 8500 LBS.HOWEVER THE CHANGE WAS MADE FOR ALL C/KS. FOR THE 1995 MODEL YEAR, THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT WAS CONNECTED TO THE UPPER…