AI Damage1987 Chevrolet Caprice reliability: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Chevrolet Caprice filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 17
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 24% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 24% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 18% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 18% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (24% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (24% of all).
- Seats: 3 complaints (18% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (18% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (12% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 17 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Throttle jammed into high-rev. And accelerated unexpectedly to high speed before necessary corrective action taken. Throttle cable was found to have broken.
Fire erupted from under hood as engine was being started. He was fortunate to escape. I, his son, have a 1988 caprice with the same 305 cid engine and the same 4-barrel carb; and I have been noticing gas fumes during operation of the car for several months.
Unexpected and sudden acceleration when vehicle is placed into drive from park position. Dealer has been contacted.
When car is placed into drive it pops into gear. Also, when car is travelling at 20 mph and the driver presses the gas pedal further, the vehicle again shifts and pops.
Seat assembly that allows seat to move forward and backward has broken, not allowing the seat to lock in the full forward position for shorter drivers.
Cruise control resumed by itself, causing acceleration and an accident.
The driver was going 30mph and had no brakes. She had to put the car in park to stop it.
Head restraints on seats driver and passenger side equipment failure are not in place. Tt consumer states front seat is too soft, consumer sinks down making for poor vision.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,823 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Caprice has 29 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 17, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- Caprice 19793 sources
- Caprice 19838 sources
- Caprice 19847 sources
- Caprice 19854 sources
- Caprice 198630 sources
- Caprice 198812 sources
- Caprice 198918 sources
- Caprice 19906 sources
- Caprice 1991131 sources
- Caprice 199289 sources
- Caprice 199361 sources
- Caprice 1994146 sources
- Caprice 199588 sources
- Caprice 199665 sources
- Caprice 19973 sources
- Caprice 20136 sources
- Caprice 201412 sources
- Caprice 2016634 sources
- Caprice 2017574 sources
- Caprice 2018281 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Chevrolet Caprice?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, vehicle speed control, seats. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (18%), brake failure (12%), transmission slipping (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Chevrolet Caprice?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1987 Chevrolet Caprice from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1987 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.