1994 Chevrolet C20: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 1994 Chevrolet C20: 8 recalls, 12 owner complaints.
Recalls
8 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer, plus 2 equipment/tire recalls that can apply. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #93V152000 · 1993 · 70,154 vehicles
What's wrong: The brake pedal push rod retainer is missing, mispositioned or not properly seated.
Why it matters: Brake pedal push rod problems can cause the stop lampswitch and the brake booster push rod to disconnect from the brake pedal,resulting in loss of brake operation, and a vehicle crash could occur withoutprior warning.
The fix: Inspect vehicles to assure the brake pedal push rod retainer is present and fully seated in its correct position.
Seats Vehicle recall #93V216000 · 1993 · 1,375 vehicles
What's wrong: The seats have been assembled without bolts that connect the upper slave hinge to the seat back frame, or without bolts that connect the seat to the seat adjuster. In either case, the vehicles fail to conform to fnvss no. 207, "seating systems."
Why it matters: The missing bolts May cause the driver's seat to becomeloose and in a sudden stop or accident May subject the occupant to increasedrisk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect seats for missing bolts and install bolts if required.
Suspension Vehicle recall #94V060000 · 1994 · 30,148 vehicles
What's wrong: Trucks were assembled with the left-hand lower control arm to frame rear nut tightened below the specified torque. Low torque on this nut May allow the attachment bolt to loosed and subsequently fatigue and break. The bolt breakage can cause the left hand control arm to separate from the frame.
Why it matters: If this occurs, a loss of vehicle control and a crash could result.
The fix: Dealers will tighten the left-hand lower control arm to frame rear nut to the proper torque specification.
Visibility (wipers, glass) Vehicle recall #94V212000 · 1994 · 29 vehicles
What's wrong: The windshields were installed with incorrect windshield opening pinch-weld-flange primer. This primer will not properly etch the painted surface of the flange, allowing the windshield to separate from the vehicle during a collision. This does not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 212, "windshield mounting."
Why it matters: Consequence of non-compliance: the separation of the windshield from the vehicle during collision increases the risk of injury for all persons involved.
The fix: Dealers will remove the windshield and reinstall it using the correct primer.
Seat belts Vehicle recall #95V242000 · 1995 · 40 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles were built with front seat belt systems with no energy management loops and May not meet the head injury criteria requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Why it matters: In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupants of these seats May not be properly restrained.
The fix: Dealers will replace the retractor portion of the seat belt assembly(s) with one having the newly designed energy-management twin-loop system.
Seat belts Vehicle recall #95V241000 · 1995 · 630,099 vehicles
What's wrong: If both the lap-belt and shoulder-belt energy management loops on the front seat belt assemblies release at or near the same time, acceleration forces can cause the buckle release mechanism to activate and allow the buckle to separate from the latch.
Why it matters: If the buckle released, the system would fail to provide adequate occupant restraint protection.
The fix: Dealers will remove the stitching that creates the energy management loop in the shoulder belt(s).
Seats Vehicle recall #95V246000 · 1995 · 675,661 vehicles
What's wrong: The seat recliner to seat frame attaching bolts on these vehicle could loosen, fatigue and fracture, allowing the seat back to suddenly recline.
Why it matters: If this were to occur to the driver's seat, this could result in a sudden loss of vehicle control increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
The fix: Dealers will remove all foam and/or fabric sandwiched between the recliner assembly and the seat frame, install washers between the seat recliner and the seat frame at each attachment point, and install new attaching bolts torqued to a higher specification. These corrections will be made to both…
Exterior lights Vehicle recall #99V025000 · 1999 · 988,587 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles were built with the polarity of the wiring for the zero adjust brake switch reversed from what was specified on the switch drawing. With the reversed polarity, the contacts in the brake switch can wear out prematurely. The brake switch will perform normally until the brake switch contacts wear out, resulting in loss of the brake lamps without any warning to the driver.
Why it matters: This would fail to warn a following driver that the vehicle is braking and could lead to a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the brake switch and reverse the wiring.
2 aftermarket equipment / tire recalls replacement parts sold to fit this car, not the car itself
Engine & cooling Recall #95I005000 · 1994 · 60,000 vehicles
What's wrong: 5l diesel engine. This is not a safety recall in accordance with federal regulation part 573. However, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. The campaign will improve the overall driveability of these vehicles.
Why it matters: Certain vehicles can exhibit some driveability concerns such as poor throttle response, stalling, misfire, poor hot or cold starting, extended cranking of a hot engine, or stalling after start. Trucks with manualtransmissions can exhibit poor acceleration from start or could stall during…
The fix: Dealers will install some recently developed enhancements which will improve the overall driveability of these vehicles.
Seats Equipment recall #96E010000 · 1996 · 2,400 vehicles
What's wrong: The seat recliner to seat frame attaching bolts on these vehicles could loosen, fatigue and fracture, allowing the seat back to suddenly recline.
Why it matters: If this were to occur to the driver's seat, this could result in a sudden loss of vehicle control increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
The fix: Dealers will remove all foam and/or fabric sandwiched between the recliner assembly and the seat frame, install washers between the seat recliner and the seat frame at each attachment point, and install new attaching bolts torqued to a higher specification. These corrections will be made to both…
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 0 mention a fire, 4 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Brakes (hydraulic) (4): no single recurring theme in the descriptions.
- Visibility (wipers, glass) (2): no single recurring theme in the descriptions.
- Airbags (1): no single recurring theme in the descriptions.
- Electrical (1): no single recurring theme in the descriptions.
The 1994 Chevrolet C20 has 12 owner complaints, ranking #3 of 11 C20 model years for complaints (2.3× the average C20 year). Complaints peaked in 1995 (5 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 1 year old. Neighboring years: 1993 (16 complaints, 3 recalls), 1995 (14 complaints, 6 recalls).
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 1994 Chevrolet C20.
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FAQ
Does the 1994 Chevrolet C20 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 8 vehicle recalls for the 1994 Chevrolet C20, plus 2 equipment or tire recalls that can apply. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 1994 Chevrolet C20 problems?
Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are brakes (hydraulic) (4), visibility (wipers, glass) (2), airbags (1).
Where can I get a 1994 Chevrolet C20 repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.