Check a VIN

1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems

The most common problem on the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo is brakes. It has 1.3 times the complaints of a typical Monte Carlo model year.

Typical year1.3x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
155
Recalls
1
Service bulletins
41
Worst area
Brakes

The worst 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Stalling 14ABS 13Brake failure 6Power steering loss 5

Recalls 1

Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuumReported July 1, 1996 · 3,591 vehicles affected
What is wrong
These vehicles were assembled with one of the four brake booster tabs not properly located in the front of dash reinforcement assembly.
Risk
If this condition were present in a situation where stopping distances were small, a vehicle crash could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect for proper booster installation. Boosters found to be improperly located will be removed and reinstalled properly.

Recall number 96V122000 · Recall details

See all 1 recalls for the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Defect investigations

Power rack and pinion steering failureOpened September 15, 2003, closed December 18, 2003

Gm's letter to the federal safety agency dated december 11, 2003, expands its original recall (the federal safety agency 02v286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 buick regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,283.gm determined that failure of the rack and pinion is related to damage of the lower pinion bearing and the level of the pinion bearing pre-load spring force.gm states, higher rack pre-load spring force (133 lb.) is the design characteristic most closely associated with higher bearing damage rates in most of the vehicle applications that used the general bearing company (gbc) bearing.all of the vehicles covered in the expanded recall have the 133 lb spring force.the 96 lumina/monte carlo and 97-98 century w-body vehicles included in this investigation utilize a lower spring force and are not included in the recall.

EA03019

Power rack and pinion steering failureOpened January 2, 2003, closed September 15, 2003

Gm conducted a safety recall (the federal safety agency # 02v286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 pontiac grand prix vehicles built between march 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, 1996-1998 pontiac trans sport, chevrolet lumina apv, chevrolet venture, oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and chevrolet cavalier and pontiac sunfire sedans built between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997.odi opened this rq after receiving reports that other vehicles were exhibiting the same symptoms as the recalled vehicles.based on odi's review of technical and complaint data collected during the rq, the w-cars are associated with either a higher steering complaint rate or a higher lpb failure rate than the other vehicles investigated under the rq and are above or near the rates for the recalled vehicles.thus, odi will further examine the w-cars (1996-1997 oldsmobile cutlass supreme, 1996-1998 buick regal, chevrolet lumina, chevrolet monte carlo, 1997-1998 buick century, and 1998 oldsmobile intrigue) under a new investigation, engineering analysis (ea)03-019.

RQ03001

Degraded braking performanceOpened August 31, 1998, closed December 13, 2001

There is no summary currently available

EA98019

Degraded braking performanceOpened April 23, 1998, closed August 31, 1998

PE98023

Inappropriate air bag deploymentOpened September 27, 1996, closed February 13, 1998

The failure rate (1.25/100k) on this issue is low.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of the agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constiture a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.odi will continue to closely monitor this issue.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.an engineering analysis closing report is included in the public file.

EA96023

Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 41

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 41 bulletins for the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

What 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Nov 18, 2014 · Engine · 50,000 miles · KY

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 chevrolet monte carlo. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine seized without warning. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

Filed Oct 22, 2014 · Airbags · MD · crash · 2 injuries

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 chevrolet monte carlo. The contact stated that while making a left turn, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle and the front air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The driver and the rear passenger sustained unknown injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Oct 21, 2014 · Fuel system · 148,000 miles · IA

The fuel pressure regulator in the engine compartment developed a severe leak. The leak caused fuel to be released in large quantities directly into the upper intake manifold and out the throttle body. Fuel continued to flow out into the air cleaner housing and eventually the engine compartment and onto the ground. Several gallons of fuel were discharged in this fashion. The vehicle was running poorly but gave no indication that there was a leak until the air clean was opened. The part that failed was a standard motor products part number pr216t purchased from rockauto.com on 5/15/2013 and installed shortly thereafter. Vehicle mileage at installation was approximately 131000. The part failed on 10/20/2014 at vehicle mileage148243 miles. The part was installed to correct a similar situation involving a much less severe leak in an older part. The fuel leakage with the older part did not escape the upper intake manifold. Age and origin of the older part are not known. The older part may have been original to the vehicle. Given the significant quantity of fuel discharged and the repeated nature of the failure, I feel an investigation is warranted.

Filed Oct 8, 2009 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · WI

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 chevrolet monte carlo. While driving 25 MPH, the transmission gears slipped out of place. A local mechanic attempted to replace the transmission and did not have all of the necessary components to do so. The manufacturer could not identify or locate the correct transmission for his model. No repairs were made. The failure mileage was 80,000. The current mileage was 100,000.

Filed Oct 10, 2006 · Brakes, Engine · 181,545 miles · GA

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle stalled immediately upon starting the engine. The vehicle was restarted but immediately stalled again. The ABS light also illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for service.

Filed Aug 12, 2006 · Seats · 84,000 miles · PA · 1 injury

1996 chevrolet monte carlo z34, power driver seat frame defect. Bottom of seat detached from frame, which made driver fall backward toward rear seats.

Filed Mar 6, 2006 · Engine · 75,385 miles · NY

I have been having problems with the automobile having a ticking noise after I start it up in the morning so I brought it to the dealer to find out what was wrong with it. It was the head gasket. The auto only has 75000 miles on it. I would like to know what you can do for me. There was a tsb #57-61-24a jun98 on this problem.

Filed May 6, 2005 · Fuel system · IL

1996 chevrolet monte carlo experienced problems with the fuel regulator.*mr the consumer drove about 7 miles and noticed that the fuel tank needle moved from full tank to half tank during the short ride and saw smoke coming form under the hood. The next day a strong smell of gasoline could be smelled. The consumer opened the hood and noticed fuel was leaking onto the ground. It was later determined that the fuel regulator had failed. The consumer has the faulty regulator.

Filed Apr 27, 2005 · Fuel system · IL

1996 chevrolet monte carlo experiencing problems with fuel regulator.*mr the consumer drove about 7 miles and noticed that the fuel tank needle moved from full tank to half tank during the short ride and saw smoke coming form under the hood. The next day a strong smell of gasoline could be smelled. The consumer opened the hood and noticed fuel was leaking onto the ground. It was later determined that the fuel regulator had failed. *bf

Filed Feb 2, 2005 · Engine · 119,000 miles · MI

The problem described below has occurred on 3 previous occasions.(1) events leading up to the failure - "dex cool" coolant leak from intake manifold gasket. 2) failure and its consequences - loss of coolant leading to engine overheating or failure. (3) what was done to correct the failure; I.e, parts repaired or replaced (and if old part is available) - gm started using "dex-cool" extended life coolant in 1996 it didn't test the long term affects on it's existing gasket technology. One article I read stated "it appears that on some engines, the use of conventional plastic-and-rubber gaskets in combination with more aggressive oat (organic acid technology) engine coolants has caused a significant number of sealing related issues for consumers and automotive service providers", said fel-pro chief engineer jerry rosenquist -- per p://www.theautochannel.com/news/2004/10/14/252583.html. Dex-cool is an oat coolant manufactured by texaco for gm. Over the past few days I've read many complaints about gm intake gasket leaks and it seems more likely that the coolant, rather than the gasket itself, is causing the problem.

Used buying checklistWhat to check on a 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo before you buy

Compare the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Other model years

1991199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082010

Questions about the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Is the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo reliable?

Owners have filed 155 complaints about the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 1.3 times a typical Monte Carlo model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo?

Brakes, with 47 complaints. Next is electrical (41).

How many recalls does the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo have?

1 recall, covering service brakes, hydraulic.

Was there a recall on the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo brakes?

Yes, 1 recall: 96V122000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Chevrolet Monte Carlo have bad brakes?

The Chevrolet Monte Carlo model years with the most brakes complaints are 1999 (49 complaints), 1996 (47 complaints) and 1995 (45 complaints).

Share your experience with the 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Tell other buyers what went wrong and what it cost. We review every report before it appears, and we never publish names, emails or VINs.

No names, contact details or links. Reports about a dealer or a person are not published.

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history
Is this car on a recall?Check VIN