1993 Chevrolet Z71 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
15 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
185,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1993 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 15 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 1 | 6.7% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer | 5 |
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | 4 |
| Seats | 2 |
| Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | 2 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Pads | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer: 5; Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor: 4; Seats: 2; Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Pads: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
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: 1
150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 14 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 9 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 2 |
| 2003 | 1 |
1998: 2; 1999: 9; 2000: 1; 2001: 2; 2003: 1
Pattern summary
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer leads the component reports. Braking behavior 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 832671 · 1998-12-24 (December 24, 1998)
FRONT BRAKE PADS AND SHOES PREMATURELY WEARING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PADS HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY REPLACED. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. GM REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 832671 at NHTSA ↗
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
15 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
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 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1998 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | 426.7%ODI 10021218 · 185,000 miTHE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR DOESN'T WORK MOST OF THE TIME. IT MAKES A WINING SOUND WHEN YOU TRY TO TURN THEM ON. TO MAKE THEM START WORKING I HAVE TO TAP ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. *JB | 533.3%ODI 10033492 · 110,000 miWINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING INTERMITENTLY. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 567635THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE WINSHIELD WIPERS. *SCC | 511.1% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer | 533.3%ODI 837926WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY BECOME INOPERABLE IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK | 320.0%ODI 10038695 · 30,000 miWINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INTERMITTANT OR QUIT WORKING. THERE IS A RECALL BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. | 150.0%ODI 896861WINDSHIELD WIPERS OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, REDUCING VISIBILITY OF DRIVER. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY ANY RECALLS OR SERVICE PROGRAMS TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 24.4%ODI 10038804 · 78,500 miWINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK OR QUIT DURING RAIN STORMS. HAVE TO PULL OVER AND WAIT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE GETTING THEM TO WORK. *PH | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| 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. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 715.6%ODI 8015974ABS SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, THERE WAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ON OTHER DAYS, THE VEHICLE WILL WORK FINE. CONTACTED DEALER WHO WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE CHECKED, THE COMPUTER READ NOTHING. WHEN SLOWING/STOPPING AT 5-7 MPH, THE PEDAL DROPS ABOUT 2 INCHES AND ONE CAN HEAR AND FEEL THE ANTI LOCK KICK IN IF YOU PRESS HARD. (BRAKE PROBLEM OCCURS EVERYDAY) *SCC | 28.3%ODI 10040352WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. *AK |
| Steering | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 715.6%ODI 10016158CHEVROLET TRUCK 1997 & 1998 Z71 HAVE STEERING PROBLEMS. MUST REPLACE STEERING SENSOR TO HAVE GOOD STEERING. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM ALONG WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS THAT COME ON FOR NO REASON OR DON'T COME ON WHEN YOU NEED THEM. *NLM | 14.2%ODI 10246526 · 75,498 miNOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, SOUNDS LIKE A SQUEAKY DOOR ONLY LOWER FREQUENCY. TOOK TO DEALER ON MAY 22, 2008, WAS TOLD IT WAS THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS LOOSE. I HAD THIS UNIT CHANGED ON MAY 22,2008. ON JUNE 5, 2008, I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR BRAKE WORK WHICH CONSISTED OF REPLACING REAR BRAKE PADS,ROTORS, & EMERGENCY BRAKE LININGS. SINCE THE STEERING WAS STILL MAKING NOISE I HAD THE DEALER CHECK IT AGAIN, THEY DID AND LUBED THE STEERING SHAFT COVER. STILL MAKES NOISE DOES NOT APPEAR TO AFFEC… |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 16.7%ODI 866706CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 40 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 8017228 · 180,000 miWHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THE FRONT OF THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HIT THE SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *SCC *NLM | 24.4%ODI 853773WITH A 40 MPH IMPACT HIT A VEHICLE WITH FRONT END ,DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURIES. DRIVER WAS NOT WEARING SEATBELT, AND THERE WAS NO INDICTATION OR WARNING OF DEFECT. *AK | 312.5%ODI 10040236 · 57,000 miVEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED. DRIVER SIDE NOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES.*AK |
| Parking Brake | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 625.0%ODI 10073731 · 49,000 miTHE PARKING BRAKE CLIP FAILED AND IT COST A LOT OF MONEY TO REPLACE IT EVERY TIME THAT IT BROKE. THREE DEALERSHIPS INDICATED IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN DEFECT. *AK THE CLIP WHICH ALLOWED THE PARKING BRAKE SHOES TO FALL INSIDE THE DRUM ROTOR GIVING NO WARNING. THEY WORE METAL TO METAL WITH STILL NO SIGN OF FAILURE, UNTIL THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE AND IT DID NOT HOLD. THREE DEALERSHIPS INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. GM FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. *SC JB |
| Seats | 213.3%ODI 843398TRAVELING 60MPH WHEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE. TOOK TO DEALER TO CHECK. WAS REFUSED REPAIRS. ALSO, WIPER CIRCUIT BOARD WAS CRACKED. THIS CAUSED THE WIPERS NOT TO WORK PROPERLY WHEN IN USE. | 320.0%ODI 727133THESE ARE BOTH POTENTIALLY ACCIDENT-CAUSING / LOSS-OF-CONTROL POSSIBILITIES. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 8019265WHEN LEANING BACK IN DRIVER SEAT THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF SEAT BECAME DETACHED, THE WELD BROKE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*JB | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 213.3%ODI 870691PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND FELT VIBRATION. LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. HE MOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE PEDAL AND THE TIRE EXPLODED, AND IT DESTROYED THE RIMS. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS #AT, P26575R16.*AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 24.4%ODI 10166617THE FRONT END OF MY TRUCK BEGAN SHAKING AT 50 MPH. TIRES WERE CHECKED BY THE DEALER AND NOTHING WRONG WAS FOUND. TIRE PRESSURE WAS 32 PSI. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPLODED AT 67 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE CAUSING ME TO SWERVE ACROSS TWO LANES. THE TIRE TREAD CAME COMPLETELY OFF OF THE TIRE CAUSING 2500.00 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND I WAS TOLD THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE TIRE BEING CUT, AND NO DAMAGES WOULD BE PAID. THE TIRE WAS SENT BACK TO ME AND I RECONSTRUCTED THE TIRE AND COULD NO… | 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 | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | Too few reports for a range | 185,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10021218 · 185,000 miTHE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR DOESN'T WORK MOST OF THE TIME. IT MAKES A WINING SOUND WHEN YOU TRY TO TURN THEM ON. TO MAKE THEM START WORKING I HAVE TO TAP ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. *JB |
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
| 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.
1998: 20 complaints · 2002: 17 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4 | 11 | 20 |
| 2002 | 6 | 10 | 17 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 37 | 8 | 0 |
| 2002 | 18 | 6 | 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 | Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer | Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | Seats | Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Pads | Unknown Or Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | 0 | — | 1ODI 843398TRAVELING 60MPH WHEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE. TOOK TO DEALER TO CHECK. WAS REFUSED REPAIRS. ALSO, WIPER CIRCUIT BOARD WAS CRACKED. THIS CAUSED THE WIPERS NOT TO WORK PROPERLY WHEN IN USE. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 0 | 1ODI 843398TRAVELING 60MPH WHEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE. TOOK TO DEALER TO CHECK. WAS REFUSED REPAIRS. ALSO, WIPER CIRCUIT BOARD WAS CRACKED. THIS CAUSED THE WIPERS NOT TO WORK PROPERLY WHEN IN USE. | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Pads | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
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.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.