AI Damage1987 Chevrolet G Series: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Chevrolet G Series filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 40% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 20% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Rear axle broke, causing wheel to fall off/loss of control.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,283 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the G Series has 6 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Chevrolet G Series?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, engine and cooling, steering. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (40%), smoke, burning smell, fire (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Chevrolet G Series?
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 G Series 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.