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1986 Chevrolet CapriceProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 30 owner complaints about the 1986 Chevrolet Caprice, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

74
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years66% below the Caprice median · #7 of 11 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints305 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem19Service brakes, hydraulic

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 8, 2014. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1986 Chevrolet Caprice has problems

30 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic191
Tires30
Engine and engine cooling32
Fuel system, gasoline20
Seat belts20
Vehicle speed control10
Seats11
Steering10
Structure10
1 other systems10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1986 Chevrolet Caprice recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 89V-102 · Jun 16, 1989 · 1,755,897 vehicles

Risk. SERVO ROD ASSEMBLY COULD CATCH ON ENGINE COMPONENTS ANDRESULT IN A STUCK THROTTLE WITH POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Best & worst years

1986 vs. every other Caprice year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Caprice median. How we score

'65'66'67'68'69'71'72'73'74'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'03'11'12'13'14
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1986 Chevrolet Caprice, and the recalls they led to.

  1. THROTTLE NON-RETURNC89001 · closed Jan 16, 1990
    No recall
  2. HYDRO BOOSTEA88019 · closed Oct 31, 1990
    No recall
  3. HYDROBOOST FAILUREPE87038 · closed Jan 28, 1988
    No recall
  4. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESPE88010 · closed Apr 19, 1988
    No recall
In owners' words

What Caprice owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

BRAKING PROBLEMS. TT MASTER CYLINDER KEEPS FAILING, CONSUMER STATES RECALL 86C27 WAS COMPLETE, HOWEVER PROBLEMS CONTINUE. *SLC
Complaint 975264 · Nov 21, 1995
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL BECOMES HARD, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Complaint 837569 · May 6, 1999
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
Complaint 826522 · Aug 11, 1998

Own a 1986 Caprice?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.