Your vehicle report
1992 Chevrolet Caprice
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 89
- Received Jan 1995 to Apr 2017
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up17 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract13 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes11 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #97V217000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The antilock brake system (ABS) modulator can corrode and leak fluid from the front brake circuit.
- Recall #96V020000The rear lower control arm can crack at the rear stabilizer bar attachment.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 17 crashes, 1 fire, 21 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 7 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 16 |
| 1996 | 17 |
| 1997 | 11 |
| 1998 | 12 |
| 1999 | 11 |
| 2000 | 9 |
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 89 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 17 | 19% | – | NHTSA recall #97V217000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 13 | 15% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 11 | 12% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 7 | 7.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 5.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 4.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 3.4% | – | NHTSA recall #97V217000 |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #97V217000November 24, 199756,701 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The antilock brake system (ABS) modulator Can corrode and leak fluid from the front brake circuit.
Brake fluid leakage Can reduce brake effectiveness and increase stopping distances.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the ABS modulator.
NHTSA recall #96V020000January 31, 1996154,214 vehicles affected
suspension: rear
The rear lower control arm Can crack at the rear stabilizer bar attachment.
This condition Can be aggravated by the severe duty cycle of these vehicles and eventually cause the lower control arm to fracture completely causing a loss of vehicle control without prior warning.
Remedy
Dealers will replace both rear lower control arms and rear stabilizer bar attachments.
NHTSA recall #93V018000February 9, 199320,000 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
System: electrical.vehicle description: seq 9C1 police cars in corrosion areas of the us and canada only. Note: vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of: connecticut, illinois, indiana, maine, massachusetts, michigan, new hampshire, newjersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, and wisconsin. A electrical ground-out condition may exist between the 12 volt junction block and the metal inner fender skirt.
This condition Can cause a melted junction block, smoke,and burned underhood wiring resulting in a disabled vehicle or a vehicle fire.this condition Can occur while the vehicle is in operation or while the vehicleis parked and the ignition is in the "off" position.
Remedy
Install a shielding insulator under the junction block.
NHTSA recall #93V010000January 19, 19931,771 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery
The engine mounted fuel feed and return pipes may fracture due to contact with the engine frame during operation.
If the fuel pipe fractures, gasoline will be forced atpressure from the fuel pipes into the engine compartment, resulting in anunderhood fire if the gasoline is exposed to a source of ignition.
Remedy
Replace the fuel feed and return pipes using new pipe assemblies.
NHTSA recall #92V089000June 24, 199234,717 vehicles affected
wheels
The steel wheels exhibit fatigue cracking around the circumference of the wheel lug nut mounting surface due to wheel bending caused by frequent misuse of tire mounting equipment, lug nut overtorquing, and the unusual operating conditions experienced by police vehicles.
The cracking Can cause wheel fracturing and subsequentseparation from the axle, which could result in a vehicle accident.
Remedy
Replace the defective wheels with redesigned steel wheels.
NHTSA recall #91V186000October 29, 1991224,588 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: hood: latch
Secondary hood latch assemblies Can corrode, causing a high latch release effort and possibly preventing the hood from latching properly when it is closed.
If the secondary hood latch is not properly engaged, andthe primary hood latch was also not engaged, the hood could open and contact thewindshield while the vehicle was in motion, reducing the forward vision area ofthe driver and resulting in a possible vehicle accident without prior warning.
Remedy
Install a new secondary hood latch assembly.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1992 Chevrolet Caprice.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN