NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1995–2003
Chevrolet C/K Series complaints and VIN decoding
NHTSA lists 43 owner complaints for the Chevrolet C/K Series from model years 1995 to 2003, and no vehicle recall campaigns filed under this model name. The 1999 model year drew the most complaints (9), and Visibility is the component owners name most often.
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.
See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.
- 43 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
- 9 model years with data (1995–2003)
- most complaints: 1999 (9 for that model year)
- top component: Visibility (10 complaints)
- 7 complaints reporting a crash (16.3%)
- 0 complaints reporting a fire (0.0%)
- 4 complaints reporting an injury (9.3%)
- 0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)
The 1999 model year has the most complaints: 9 of 43, or 20.9%. Next come 1998 (8) and 2003 (7). The fewest are for 2000, with 2 complaints.
| Model year | Complaints | Reporting a crash | Reporting a fire | Reporting an injury | Reporting a death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| All model years | 43 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.
Visibility is the component named most often, in 10 complaints (23.3% of all 43), followed by Service Brakes, Hydraulic (8) and Service Brakes (6).
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 10 | 23.3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 18.6% |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 14.0% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 7.0% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 7.0% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 4.7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 4.7% |
| Power Train | 2 | 4.7% |
| Suspension | 2 | 4.7% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 2.3% |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 2.3% |
| Seats | 1 | 2.3% |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 2.3% |
| Steering | 1 | 2.3% |
| Structure | 1 | 2.3% |
One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.
What NHTSA owner complaints mean
These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.
- They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
- Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
- Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
- One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
- Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.
Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.
Are there any recalls for the Chevrolet C/K Series?
NHTSA lists no vehicle recall campaigns filed under the model name C/K Series. NHTSA sometimes files versions of a model under other names, so check the brand’s other models too, and use NHTSA’s VIN lookup (opens in a new tab) for any particular vehicle.
Which Chevrolet C/K Series model year has the most complaints?
The 1999 model year, with 9 of the 43 complaints in NHTSA’s file (20.9%). The next are 1998 (8) and 2003 (7). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.
What is the most common Chevrolet C/K Series complaint?
Visibility is the component named most often: 10 complaints, or 23.3% of all 43. Service Brakes, Hydraulic (8) and Service Brakes (6) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.
How many Chevrolet C/K Series complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?
Of the 43 complaints, 7 report a crash, 0 a fire, 4 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.
The Chevrolet models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Chevrolet VIN decoder with every Chevrolet model page, WMI code and VIN note.
- Chevrolet Malibu 1997–2025 · 53 recalls · 19,326 complaints
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500 1995–2026 · 54 recalls · 17,953 complaints
- Chevrolet Impala 1995–2020 · 31 recalls · 10,395 complaints
- Chevrolet Tahoe 1995–2026 · 80 recalls · 9,976 complaints
- Chevrolet Equinox 2005–2026 · 32 recalls · 9,132 complaints
- Chevrolet Silverado 1995–2017 · 46 recalls · 8,387 complaints
- Chevrolet Cobalt 1996–2017 · 10 recalls · 7,681 complaints
- Chevrolet Trailblazer 1999–2026 · 29 recalls · 7,141 complaints
All Chevrolet models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.