The Chevrolet Chevette spans 1981–1987 with 12 recorded NHTSA recalls and a 3.5/5 ForCar reliability score. The years to approach with caution are 1982, 1981, 1986 (most owner complaints); the cleanest are 1987, 1984, 1985. It delivers up to 36 mpg combined and NHTSA-rated safety.
How we score: NHTSA crash-test safety (40%), recall frequency across all years (25%) and the share of owner complaints involving a crash, fire or injury (35%). Based on NHTSA & EPA data — not user reviews.
Overview
The Chevrolet Chevette is one of the most popular vehicles in its class, produced from 1981 to 1987 across multiple generations.
How to read a Chevrolet Chevette VIN — every digit explained
Every Chevrolet Chevette carries a unique 17-character VIN stamped at the factory. Each position is a code — together they spell out where, when and how your car was built. Here's exactly what every digit means.
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Chevrolet and the country it was built in.
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled this Chevette.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
Digits 4–17 — the engine code (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard, identical on every car. For the full year-code table (2001–2026), country codes and where the VIN is stamped on your Chevette, see the complete guide to reading a VIN.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Chevette have?
The Chevrolet Chevette has 12 recorded NHTSA recalls across 1981–1987. Pick a year below to see its recalls — then verify open recalls against your specific VIN.
1986 Chevrolet Chevette recalls 3
Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
What's wrong. THE PUSH PULL HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY HAVE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WHICH ALLOW AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO FLICKER OR SUDDENLY GO OUT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SUDDEN LOSS OF THE HEADLIGHTS UNDER SEVERE WEATHER OR NIGHTTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD REDUCE DRIVER VISIBILITY WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Fix. REPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AS NECESSARY.
Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
What's wrong. THE PUSH-PULL HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY HAVE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WHICH ALLOW AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO FLICKER OR SUDDENLY GO OUT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SUDDEN LOSS OF THE HEADLIGHTS UNDER SEVERE WEATHER OR NIGHTTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD REDUCE DRIVER VISIBILITY WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. NOTE: ALSO, SEE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 86V131000.
Fix. REPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AS NECESSARY.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift
What's wrong. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER BUTTON MECHANISM MAY WEAR TO THE POINT THAT THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFT LEVER NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE DEPRESSED TO SHIFT GEARS.
Risk. A LEVER WITH THIS CONDITION COULD BE INADVERTENTLY BUMPEDOR MOVED FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE BY THE DRIVER OR A PASSENGER WHILE THE VEHICLEIS BEING DRIVEN. A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED SHIFTING COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH.
Fix. A NEWLY DESIGNED TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES.
1985 Chevrolet Chevette recalls 1
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift
What's wrong. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER BUTTON MECHANISM MAY WEAR TO THE POINT THAT THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFT LEVER NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE DEPRESSED TO SHIFT GEARS.
Risk. A LEVER WITH THIS CONDITION COULD BE INADVERTENTLY BUMPEDOR MOVED FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE BY THE DRIVER OR A PASSENGER WHILE THE VEHICLEIS BEING DRIVEN. A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED SHIFTING COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH.
Fix. A NEWLY DESIGNED TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES.
1984 Chevrolet Chevette recalls 2
Seats:front Assembly:recliner
What's wrong. SOME VEHICLES HAVE BUCKET SEAT BACK LOCKS THAT DO NOT CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 207, ANCHORAGE OF SEATS. IN EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BACK LOCK MAY NOT FUNCTION.
Fix. INSPECTION OF SEAT BACK LOCKS WILL BE PERFORMED. LOCKS THAT HAVE BENT, BROKEN OR MISSING HOOKS WILL BE REPLACED.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift
What's wrong. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER BUTTON MECHANISM MAY WEAR TO THE POINT THAT THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFT LEVER NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE DEPRESSED TO SHIFT GEARS.
Risk. A LEVER WITH THIS CONDITION COULD BE INADVERTENTLY BUMPEDOR MOVED FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE BY THE DRIVER OR A PASSENGER WHILE THE VEHICLEIS BEING DRIVEN. A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED SHIFTING COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH.
Fix. A NEWLY DESIGNED TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES.
1983 Chevrolet Chevette recalls 1
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift
What's wrong. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER BUTTON MECHANISM MAY WEAR TO THE POINT THAT THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFT LEVER NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE DEPRESSED TO SHIFT GEARS.
Risk. A LEVER WITH THIS CONDITION COULD BE INADVERTENTLY BUMPEDOR MOVED FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE BY THE DRIVER OR A PASSENGER WHILE THE VEHICLEIS BEING DRIVEN. A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED SHIFTING COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH.
Fix. A NEWLY DESIGNED TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES.
1982 Chevrolet Chevette recalls 2
Fuel System, Gasoline:carburetor System
What's wrong. THE CARBURETOR FUEL PLUG MAY COME OUT AND FUEL COULD LEAK FROM THE CARBURETOR.
Fix. THE DEALER WILL INSTALL A RETAINING CLIP ON THE CARBURETOR INLET PLUG TO PREVENT IT FROM DISLODGING, AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
Fuel System, Gasoline:carburetor System
What's wrong. THE CARBURETOR FUEL INLET HOUSING PLUG IN THE SIDE OF THE CARBURETOR MAY COME OUT.
Fix. THE DEALER WILL INSTALL A RETAINING CLIP ON THE CARBURETOR INLET PLUG TO PREVENT FUEL LEAKAGE, WITHOUT CHARGE.
1981 Chevrolet Chevette recalls 3
Fuel System, Gasoline:carburetor System
What's wrong. THE CARBURETOR FUEL PLUG MAY COME OUT AND FUEL COULD LEAK FROM THE CARBURETOR.
Fix. THE DEALER WILL INSTALL A RETAINING CLIP ON THE CARBURETOR INLET PLUG TO PREVENT IT FROM DISLODGING, AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
Fuel System, Gasoline:carburetor System
What's wrong. THE CARBURETOR FUEL INLET HOUSING PLUG IN THE SIDE OF THE CARBURETOR MAY COME OUT.
Fix. THE DEALER WILL INSTALL A RETAINING CLIP ON THE CARBURETOR INLET PLUG TO PREVENT FUEL LEAKAGE, WITHOUT CHARGE.
Seat Belts:front:retractor
What's wrong. ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS IN THE REAR SEATING POSITIONS CONTAIN FIRST LOCK POSITIONS WHICH WILL NOT LOCK WHEN USED BY SMALLER PASSENGERS. THIS FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION".
Fix. ALL OWNERS WILL BE SENT A PRE-PAID POSTAGE CARD THAT IS TO BE FILLED OUT AND SENT BACK. THE CARD WILL INDICATE WHETHER THE SEAT BELTS ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IF DEALER INSPECTS SEAT BELTS, THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS WILL BE REPLACED, IF NECESSARY, WITHOUT CHARGE.
Best and worst years for the Chevrolet Chevette
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint volume across 7 tracked years, the worst years are 1982, 1981, 1986 and the best (fewest complaints) are 1987, 1984, 1985.
ForCar aggregate — our own analysis of complaint volume, not published by NHTSA.
| Year | Owner complaints | Top issue | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 Chevette | Seat Belts | Avoid | |
| 1982 Chevette | Electrical System | Avoid | |
| 1983 Chevette | Interior Lighting | Average | |
| 1984 Chevette | Vehicle Speed Control | Best | |
| 1985 Chevette | Seats | Best | |
| 1986 Chevette | Vehicle Speed Control | Avoid | |
| 1987 Chevette | — | Best |
What are the most common Chevrolet Chevette problems?
The most-reported Chevrolet Chevette problems are Seats (1 reports), Gasoline (2 reports) and Hydraulic (2 reports) — out of 17 owner complaints NHTSA holds for the model. Here's how they break down:
Most-reported components — tap a category to read what owners actually experienced:
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, all model years. Bar = share of total complaints. Full reports searchable on NHTSA.gov.
Chevrolet Chevette specifications & dimensions
The 1981–1987 Chevrolet Chevette measures 162″ long on a 94″ wheelbase, with a curb weight near 2,081 lb. Full dimensions below — engine, horsepower and trim decode from your VIN. For the original factory build — MSRP, trim and standard equipment — rebuild the Chevrolet Chevette window sticker.
| Years | Length | Width | Height | Wheelbase | Curb weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–1987 | 162″ | 62″ | 53″ | 94″ | 2,121 lb |
Source: NHTSA vPIC / Transport Canada vehicle specifications. Metric values converted to imperial; generation ranges approximate.
Chevrolet Chevette cargo space, seating & interior room
How much the Chevette holds — passengers and cargo. EPA measures its interior at 79 cu ft of passenger volume and 10 cu ft of cargo. Seating capacity and legroom vary by trim.
Exact seating capacity, third-row availability, legroom and headroom decode from your VIN or vary by trim — the original factory equipment & options list shows what each trim included.
Passenger & cargo volume from EPA fueleconomy.gov (largest configuration). Seats, legroom and headroom from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
Chevrolet Chevette tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What MPG does the Chevrolet Chevette get?
The Chevrolet Chevette returns up to 36 combined MPG (EPA), which works out to roughly $2,150/yr in fuel. Pick an engine to see MPG, annual running cost and CO₂ by year:
The 1987 Chevrolet Chevette (1.6L 4-cyl Hybrid) gets 27 mpg combined and costs about $2,300/yr to fuel, emitting 329 g/mi CO₂ — about $500 more than the average new vehicle over 5 years.
| Year | City | Hwy | Comb | Fuel/yr | CO₂ g/mi | Smog | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 Chevette | 24 | 31 | $2,300 | 329 | — | 1.6L 4-cyl Hybrid | |
| 1986 Chevette | 33 | 41 | $2,150 | 283 | — | 1.8L 4-cyl Hybrid | |
| 1985 Chevette | 33 | 41 | $2,150 | 283 | — | 1.8L 4-cyl Hybrid | |
| 1984 Chevette | 33 | 42 | $2,150 | 283 | — | 1.8L 4-cyl Hybrid |
Source: EPA fuel-economy database (ForCar-hosted, 1986–2027) — best combined rating per engine & year, with EPA annual fuel cost and tailpipe CO₂. Trim & drivetrain vary slightly; decode your VIN for the exact figure.
See how the Chevette stacks up against the most fuel-efficient sedans, or calculate this Chevette's real yearly fuel cost.
What engines does the Chevrolet Chevette have? Power & range
The Chevrolet Chevette is offered with 1 powertrain — 1.6L 4-cyl Hybrid. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 1.6L · 4-cyl | Manual 4-spd | RWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
How much does a Chevrolet Chevette cost to own?
A Chevrolet Chevette holds its value well. A typical example keeps roughly 56% of its value after five years — losing about 44% to depreciation. Check what a used Chevette is worth today or browse current used-market prices before you buy or sell. Fuel, maintenance and insurance add to the total cost to own.
| Age | Value retained | Est. resale value | Lost to depreciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 84% | $25,200 | −$4,800 |
| Year 2 | 76% | $22,800 | −$7,200 |
| Year 3 | 68% | $20,400 | −$9,600 |
| Year 4 | 61% | $18,300 | −$11,700 |
| Year 5 | 56% | $16,800 | −$13,200 |
What goes into the five-year cost to own:
- Depreciation — the biggest cost: this Chevette loses about 44% of its value over five years. See the full depreciation curve by age.
- Fuel — ≈ $10,750 over five years at roughly 15,000 miles a year.
- Maintenance & repairs — routine service, tires and wear items as the Chevette ages.
- Insurance — varies by driver, state and trim; get a quote for your exact figure.
Resale & depreciation are ForCar estimates from typical segment value-retention curves — not a live market quote. Fuel from EPA fueleconomy.gov at ~15k mi/yr.
Is the Chevrolet Chevette safe?
NHTSA crash-test ratings aren't published for the Chevette yet — see the top-rated safest cars instead.
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How many miles does a Chevrolet Chevette last?
A well-maintained Chevrolet Chevette typically lasts 200,000–250,000 miles. With regular oil, transmission and timing service, most examples comfortably pass the 200,000-mile mark. Its ForCar Reliability Score is 3.5/5.
Check your Chevrolet Chevette’s VIN — history, recalls & specs
Title records, open recalls, build details and paint code — straight from the VIN. Free.
Check this Chevette’s VIN free →All Chevrolet Chevette model years
A year-by-year snapshot of the Chevrolet Chevette — recalls, best EPA fuel economy and NHTSA safety. Tap a year for full details.
| Year | Recalls | Best MPG | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 Chevette | 0 | — | |
| 1986 Chevette | 3 recalls | — | |
| 1985 Chevette | 1 recall | — | |
| 1984 Chevette | 2 recalls | — | |
| 1983 Chevette | 1 recall | — | |
| 1982 Chevette | 2 recalls | — | |
| 1981 Chevette | 3 recalls | — |
Recalls = NHTSA campaigns that year · MPG = best EPA combined · Safety = NHTSA overall stars (tested years).
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Chevette?
By owner-complaint volume, 1982, 1981, 1986 drew the most reports. 1987, 1984, 1985 have the cleanest records.
How many recalls does the Chevette have?
12 recorded NHTSA recalls across 1981–1987. Always check open recalls by your VIN. See all Chevrolet recalls and reliability across every model.
What MPG does the Chevette get?
Up to 36 combined MPG (EPA), depending on engine — from the base 4-cylinder to the hybrid.
How many miles does a Chevette last?
A well-maintained Chevette typically reaches 200,000–300,000 miles with regular maintenance.
Is the Chevette reliable?
Our ForCar Reliability Score for the Chevette is 3.5/5, based on NHTSA safety, recall history and complaint severity.
What's the Chevrolet Chevette warranty?
New Chevrolet models carry a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic (bumper-to-bumper) warranty and a 5 years / 60,000 miles powertrain warranty. Coverage can vary by model year and market — confirm with a Chevrolet dealer.
Where is the Chevrolet Chevette made?
The assembly plant is encoded in the VIN — the 11th character. Decode your Chevette's VIN above to see exactly where it was built; Chevrolet may build it at more than one plant depending on the year.
How much does a Chevette weigh?
The Chevette's curb weight is around 2,081 lb. Its GVWR — the maximum loaded weight — decodes from the VIN.
How much ground clearance does the Chevette have?
Ground clearance varies by trim and drivetrain — AWD/4WD versions often sit higher. Decode your VIN or check the specific trim for the exact figure.