U.S. public vehicle records

1986 Chevrolet CHEVETTE: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

3 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1986 model year. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 3 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	1	33.3%
Engine operation	1	33.3%
Braking behavior	1	33.3%
Fuel system concerns	1	33.3%

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components

Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal

Vehicle Speed Control:Linkages

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump	1
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components	1
Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal	1
Vehicle Speed Control:Linkages	1

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components: 1; Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal: 1; Vehicle Speed Control:Linkages: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

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. 3 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.

1996

1997

1996: 1; 1997: 2

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 508125 · 1996-08-30 (August 30, 1996)

BRAKES FAILED AFTER RECALL REPAIR.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 508125 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 515271 · 1997-03-13 (March 13, 1997)

FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 546837 · 1997-02-24 (February 24, 1997)

VEHICLE OFTEN LOSES POWER AND UNABLE TO GO ABOVE 20 MPH, UNLESS GOING DOWNHILL. HAPPENS PRIMARILY WHEN CRUISING ON HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN AND THERE IS LITTLE RESPONSE FROM THE ACCELERATOR. PROBLEM CANNOT BE DETERMINED.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 546837 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

86V056000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch

Reported: 1986-04-28 (April 28, 1986)

THE PUSH-PULL HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY HAVE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WHICH ALLOW AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO FLICKER OR SUDDENLY GO OUT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SUDDEN LOSS OF THE HEADLIGHTS UNDER SEVERE WEATHER OR NIGHTTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD REDUCE DRIVER VISIBILITY WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. NOTE: ALSO, SEE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 86V131000.

Remedy: REPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AS NECESSARY.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

86V131000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch

Reported: 1986-09-19 (September 19, 1986)

THE PUSH PULL HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY HAVE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WHICH ALLOW AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO FLICKER OR SUDDENLY GO OUT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SUDDEN LOSS OF THE HEADLIGHTS UNDER SEVERE WEATHER OR NIGHTTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD REDUCE DRIVER VISIBILITY WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: REPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AS NECESSARY.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

88V050000 · Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Column Shift

Reported: 1988-04-04 (April 4, 1988)

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER BUTTON MECHANISM MAY WEAR TO THE POINT THAT THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFT LEVER NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE DEPRESSED TO SHIFT GEARS.

Consequence: A LEVER WITH THIS CONDITION COULD BE INADVERTENTLY BUMPEDOR MOVED FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE BY THE DRIVER OR A PASSENGER WHILE THE VEHICLEIS BEING DRIVEN. A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED SHIFTING COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: A NEWLY DESIGNED TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

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

Data completeness

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

0.0%Usable mileage0 / 3 records

0.0%Valid incident date0 / 3 records

100.0%Valid filing date3 / 3 records

0.0%Ordered incident and filing dates0 / 3 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.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	1976	1977	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 10025026 WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT WARNING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DEASHBOARD.*AK Look up ODI 10025026 at NHTSA ↗	120.0% ODI 521617 TIMING BELT FAILED. Look up ODI 521617 at NHTSA ↗	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:Anchorage	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	240.0% ODI 509408 SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN PASSENGER IN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY BRAKE FAILURE. Look up ODI 509408 at NHTSA ↗	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	0Unavailable 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.	133.3% ODI 489488 VEHICLE SMOKES AND MELTS WIRES AND HARNESS BOX TO EACH OTHER AGAINST FIREWALL WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED ON. *SKD Look up ODI 489488 at NHTSA ↗	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:Wiring:Front Underhood	0Unavailable 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.	133.3% ODI 482270 WIRING HARNESS THAT LIES AGAINST FIREWALL SMOKES/BURNS/MELTS WHEN STARTING VEHICLE. *AW Look up ODI 482270 at NHTSA ↗	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.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	0Unavailable 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.	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.	133.3% ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump	0Unavailable 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.	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.	133.3% ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 10143221 CONSUMER WANTS ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE SENSITIVITY OF THE GAS TANK IN THE 1981 CHEVETTE DURING CRASHES. TS NM Look up ODI 10143221 at NHTSA ↗	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.
Interior Lighting	0Unavailable 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.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 503481 FUSE FOR INSTRUMENT LIGHTS SHORT OUT, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO READ GAUGES AT NIGHT. *DSH Look up ODI 503481 at NHTSA ↗	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
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.

ComponentPeriod

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	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	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.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

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	1	0
1986	0	3	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:Gasoline	Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump	Power Train:Automatic Transmission	Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components	Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal	Vehicle Speed Control:Linkages
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	—	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	—	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	—	0	0	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components	0	0	0	—	0	0
Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal	0	0	0	0	—	0
Vehicle Speed Control:Linkages	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 515271 FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗	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.

Search patterns

2 patterns with matching reports.

Brake response concerns

1 mentions · 33.3% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 508125

BRAKES FAILED AFTER RECALL REPAIR.

Look up ODI 508125 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

Stalling or loss of power

1 mentions · 33.3% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 515271

FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING; ALSO REPLACED CARBURETOR/TRANSMISSION/ENGINE. *AK

Look up ODI 515271 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

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