Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1996 Chevrolet Lumina, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine and engine cooling36
- Air bags34
- Service brakes, hydraulic31
- Electrical system30
- Power train24
- Steering19
- Visibility17
- Seat belts15
- Exterior lighting14
- Fuel system, gasoline12
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 36 injuries and 3 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 5 1996 Lumina vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 4 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1996 Chevrolet Lumina failed the safety check 1.14% of the time — 22% less often than the average 1996 passenger car (1.47%). Median odometer at inspection: 94,490 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In Finland
16 of these cars first registered in 1996 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 237,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 11.8–13.1 L/100 km (about 18–20 mpg US), CO₂ 271–301 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumina · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.9 | 9.3 | 11.8 |
| Lumina · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 15.6 | 9.9 | 13.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH ONE OF THE FOUR BRAKE BOOSTER TABS NOT PROPERLY LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF DASH REINFORCEMENT ASSEMBLY.
THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE LINE CAN CONTACT THE TRANSAXLE MOUNTING BRACKET OR ATTACHMENT BOLT.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Chevrolet told its dealers about the 1996 Chevrolet Lumina: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 634708 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD INSTALLATION. *TT |
| 620810 | SUBJECT REGARDING POLYMER SERVICE PISTONS. *TT |
| 619370 | OWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN STANDING IN PARK ON A HILL OR SLOPE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE PARKING BRAKE NOT APPLIED. *TT |
| 619360 | SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON DRIVEABILITY SYMPTONS OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE DUE TO CLOGGED FUEL INJECTORS. *TT |
| 615083 | SOME OPERATORS OF VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH LAND MOBILE COMMUNCATION SYSTEMS, SUCH AS THOSE UTILIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, MAY COMMENT ON FUEL PUMP RELATED RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. *TT |
| 615074 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT FRONT SUSPENSION SCRUNCH / POPPING TYPE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE THAT IS APPARENT DURING LOW SPEED TURNING MANEUVERS. *TT |
| 615073 | SOME V6 ENGINES MAY, ON A VERY INFREQUENT BASIS, HAVE AN OIL ODOR CONDITION THAT IS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED AFTER THE ENGINE'S OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED.TYPICALLY THE ODOR LASTS APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES AFTER THE CHANGE OF OIL AND THEN DOES NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL THE NEXT CHANGE OF OIL. *TT |
| 609669 | A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATING ON THE VEHICLE'S INSTRUMENT PANEL AFTER A LONG DECELERATION WITH THE TRANSMISSION TYPICALLY IN THE OVERDRIVE POSITION. YD |
| 6089996 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60 OR 4T60-E TRANSXALES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN IN PARK ON INCLINE. *TT |
| 608372 | SUBJECT REGARDING SPARK PLUG WIRE FAILURE. *TT |
| 607522 | SUBJECT REGARDING SPARK PLUG WIRE FAILURE. *TT |
| 604343 | SOME OWNERS MAY EXPERIENCE A DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOM OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE. *TT |
| 600282 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOM OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE. *YC |
| 54419 | COMMENT THAT THE ABS LIGHT IS ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) 46 AND 86 SET AS CURRENT OR HISTORY. *YC |
| 54418 | SOME VEHICLES EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES TO DEPRESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND/OR AN ACCELERATOR CABLE SEPARATION. *YC |
| 54328 | EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT STEERING COLUMN SNAP OR CLICK NOISE WHEN TURNING. *YC |
| 54066 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOMS DUE TO FUEL INJECTOR DEPOSITS. *YC |
| 54065 | COMMENTS ON INOPERATIVE POWER DOOR LOCKS (FRONT AND/OR REAR DOORS). |
| 53009 | CONDITIONS CONTAINING ENGINE OVERHEATING AND/OR LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. *YC |
| 52600 | CLN INDICATOR APPEARS ON RADIO DISPLAY AND DOES NOT TURN OFF (RESET CLN INDICATOR WITH THE EJECT BUTTON ON TAPE). *TW |
| 52580 | DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND/OR ACCELERATOR CABLE SEPARATION (INSTALL ACCELERATOR CABLE AND CLIP). *TW |
| 52563 | REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE, RESTRICTED FUEL FLOW (CLEAN FUEL TANK, REPLACE IN-LINE FUEL FILTER AND FUEL PUMP STRAINER). *TW |
| 51497 | COLD START RATTLE NOISE (DIAGNOSIS/SERVICE PROCEDURE). *TW |
| 51296 | INTERMITTENT NEUTRAL OR LOSS OF DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR FROM FOURTH GEAR (REPLACE CONTROL VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY). *TW |
| 50571 | COLD START RATTLE NOISE. *TW |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
INAPPROPRIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
INAPPROPRIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation