The Chevrolet Chevette has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1981–1986. On average a defect was admitted 1.5 years after the car was built, the slowest took 5 years. The most recalled system is Exterior Lighting (2 campaigns). Owners also filed 10 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Chevrolet Chevette
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Exterior Lighting 2 Read
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
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
Fuel System, Gasoline 2 Read
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
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
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
Power Train 1 Read
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
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
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
Seats 1 Read
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
Seat Belts 1 Read
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
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 1.5 years |
| Slowest campaign | 5 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 8.3% |
| Campaigns on record | 7 |
Which Chevette years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1985 | Power Train | |
| 1984 | Seats | |
| 1983 | Power Train | |
| 1982 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1981 | Seat Belts |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Chevette have?
7 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1981–1986. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Chevette still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 1.5 years, and the slowest campaign came 5 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.