Auto Recall Watch
U.S. public vehicle records

1986 Chevrolet CAPRICE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

30 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1986 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components is the most frequently named component, appearing in 11 of 30 complaints (36.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior1756.7%
Engine operation26.7%
Electrical and battery issues13.3%
Steering behavior13.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components
11
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder
4
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
3
Tires:Tread/Belt
3
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly
2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist
2
Electrical System
1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components11
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder4
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline3
Tires:Tread/Belt3
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist2
Electrical System1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump1

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components: 11; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 3; Tires:Tread/Belt: 3; Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist: 2; Electrical System: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

No usable failure mileage is recorded. 30 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995
10
1996
6
1997
1
1998
6
1999
2
2000
2
2001
2
2014
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
199510
19966
19971
19986
19992
20002
20012
20141

1995: 10; 1996: 6; 1997: 1; 1998: 6; 1999: 2; 2000: 2; 2001: 2; 2014: 1

Pattern summary

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 2 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 480143 · 1995-02-02 (February 2, 1995)

POWER BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. *SKD

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 480143 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 482425 · 1995-01-27 (January 27, 1995)

BRAKES FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL. *AW

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 482425 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10585911 · 2014-05-08 (May 8, 2014)

1986 CHEVY CAPRICE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE DIED WHILE DRIVING, IGNITION IS DAMAGED AND STEERING COLUMN PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER NO MORE THAN 2 MINUTES AFTER THE LEAVING THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. HE RETURNED THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE DEALER CALLED THE CONSUMER, AND INFORMED HIM, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO WORK ON THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE THEY HAD NO CLUE AS TO WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10585911 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 826522 · 1998-08-11 (August 11, 1998)

VEHICLE STALLED AND BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. THEY GOT HARD, THE PEDAL WOULDN'T MOVE AT AL., DRIVING AT 10 MPH, INCLINE TOWARDS RED LIGHT, CAR WOULD NOT STOP, MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN. DEALER STATES THEY HAVE REPAIRED BEFORE, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF VARIOUS WORKMANSHIP. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 826522 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 976620 · 1995-12-14 (December 14, 1995)

ELECTRICAL MASTER CYLINDER FAILED, TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 976620 at NHTSA ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

30 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

0.0%Usable mileage0 / 30 records
86.7%Valid incident date26 / 30 records
100.0%Valid filing date30 / 30 records
86.7%Ordered incident and filing dates26 / 30 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
Component20032011201220132014
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Vehicle Speed Control
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Electrical System:Horn
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Air Bags:Frontal
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

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
ComponentMileage range (25th–75th percentile)MedianUsable recordsExamples
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.

1 reports2024-112026-10

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
MonthComplaintsCampaigns announcedExamples
2024-110None

No examples available for this selection.

2024-120None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-010None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-020None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-030None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-040None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-050None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-060None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-070None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-080None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-090None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-100None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-110None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-120None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-010None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-020None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-030None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-040None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-050None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-060None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-070None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-080None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-090None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-10 (partial)0None

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.

Age 0Age 1Age 210 reports

2013: 6 complaints · 2014: 10 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model yearThrough age 0Through age 1Through age 2
2013026
201471010
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
YearIncident dates usedFiling date fallbacksExcluded dates
2013600
20141200

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
ComponentService Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation ComponentsService Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master CylinderEngine And Engine Cooling:Engine:GasolineTires:Tread/BeltSeat Belts:Front:Buckle AssemblyService Brakes, Hydraulic:Power AssistElectrical SystemFuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components—
1
ODI 975264

BRAKING PROBLEMS. TT MASTER CYLINDER KEEPS FAILING, CONSUMER STATES RECALL 86C27 WAS COMPLETE, HOWEVER PROBLEMS CONTINUE. *SLC

Look up ODI 975264 at NHTSA ↗

1
ODI 826522

VEHICLE STALLED AND BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. THEY GOT HARD, THE PEDAL WOULDN'T MOVE AT AL., DRIVING AT 10 MPH, INCLINE TOWARDS RED LIGHT, CAR WOULD NOT STOP, MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN. DEALER STATES THEY HAVE REPAIRED BEFORE, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF VARIOUS WORKMANSHIP. *AK

Look up ODI 826522 at NHTSA ↗

00000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder
1
ODI 975264

BRAKING PROBLEMS. TT MASTER CYLINDER KEEPS FAILING, CONSUMER STATES RECALL 86C27 WAS COMPLETE, HOWEVER PROBLEMS CONTINUE. *SLC

Look up ODI 975264 at NHTSA ↗

—000000
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
1
ODI 826522

VEHICLE STALLED AND BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. THEY GOT HARD, THE PEDAL WOULDN'T MOVE AT AL., DRIVING AT 10 MPH, INCLINE TOWARDS RED LIGHT, CAR WOULD NOT STOP, MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN. DEALER STATES THEY HAVE REPAIRED BEFORE, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF VARIOUS WORKMANSHIP. *AK

Look up ODI 826522 at NHTSA ↗

0—00000
Tires:Tread/Belt000—0000
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly0000—000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist00000—00
Electrical System000000—0
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump0000000—

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.

2 patterns with matching reports.

Stalling or loss of power

2 mentions · 6.7% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 10585911

1986 CHEVY CAPRICE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE DIED WHILE DRIVING, IGNITION IS DAMAGED AND STEERING COLUMN PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER NO MORE THAN 2 MINUTES AFTER THE LEAVING THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. HE RETURNED THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE DEALER CALLED THE CONSUMER, AND INFORMED HIM, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO WORK ON THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE THEY HAD NO CLUE AS TO WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. *JB

Look up ODI 10585911 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 826522

VEHICLE STALLED AND BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. THEY GOT HARD, THE PEDAL WOULDN'T MOVE AT AL., DRIVING AT 10 MPH, INCLINE TOWARDS RED LIGHT, CAR WOULD NOT STOP, MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN. DEALER STATES THEY HAVE REPAIRED BEFORE, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF VARIOUS WORKMANSHIP. *AK

Look up ODI 826522 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b