STEERING CONTROL ARM CAN BE OVERSTRESSED WITH HEAVY STEERING INPUT CAUSING IT TO CRACK AND IT COULD EVENTUALLY BREAK COMPLETELY. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF THE STEERING CONTROL ARM BREAKS, COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING ABILITY AND TRUCK CONTROL WOULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: INSTALL NEW STEERING ARM AND OTHER STEERING SYSTEM HARDWARE WHICH WILL PREVENT OVERSTRESSING INPUT CONDITIONS FROM OCCURRING.
Reported: 1986-01-04 (January 4, 1986) · Model years: 1985, 1986
THE PARKING BRAKE ACTUATING LEVER CAM MAY CONTAIN A QUENCH CRACK WHICH CAN WIDEN, REDUCING THE HOLDING CAPABILITY OF THE PARKING BRAKES. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: THE REDUCED HOLDING CAPABILITY OF THE PARKING BRAKE COULD ALLOW AN UNATTENDED TRUCK TO ROLL AWAY UNCONTROLLED, WHICH MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.
Reported: 1986-12-22 (December 22, 1986) · Model years: 1985, 1986
THE POWER STEERING ASSIST CYLINDER MOUNTING BRACKET BOLTS MAY LOOSEN DUE TO PAINT ON THE BOLT THREADS AND THE MOUNTING BRACKET MATING SURFACE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: THIS MAY RESULT IN LOOSENESS AND ERRATIC STEERING DURING FULL TURNS. WITH CONTINUED OPERATION POWER CYLINDER COULD DETACH FROM THE FRAME RAIL RESULTING IN RESTRICTED STEERING, SEVERING OF FRONT BRAKE HOSE AND LOSS OF FRONT AXLE BRAKING. WITH EITHER CONDITION, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD RESULT.
Remedy: REMOVE PAINT FROM MATING SURFACES OF BRACKET AND FRAME RAIL; REPLACE POWER STEERING ASSIST CYLINDER MOUNTING BOLTS.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
0.0%Usable mileage0 / 1 records
100.0%Valid incident date1 / 1 records
100.0%Valid filing date1 / 1 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates1 / 1 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
Engine And Engine Cooling
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
1100.0%ODI 10284349
1986 CHEVROLET C7000 ENGINE STALLED IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART IT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE AND CAUGHT FIRE. FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE DRIVER WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. *KB OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-0730-90
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
No usable records for this analysis.
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-10
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-10
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-09 (partial)
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1985: 0 complaints · 1986: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
1985
0
0
0
1986
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
1985
0
0
0
1986
1
0
0
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Engine And Engine Cooling
Engine And Engine Cooling
—
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Stalling or loss of power
1 mentions · 100.0% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
ODI 10284349
1986 CHEVROLET C7000 ENGINE STALLED IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART IT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE AND CAUGHT FIRE. FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE DRIVER WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. *KB OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-0730-90