Body complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
All four doors freeze in the winter. The car came with an automatic starter and when its cold in the winter all doors are stuck. I will set the heat on the max and start the car through the auto starter and let it loosen for about 20 minutes. You still have to get all the ice of around the whole door and eventually one will open after you keep pulling on it. Then you must go inside and push and kick the dorrs from the inside to get the others to open. This is a hassle having 2 toddlers and a son trying to get to school in the morning. Wondering if there was a recall on this defect as I looked trough consumer affairs and also other complaints are listed as the same. Thanks for any info.
Sunvisor was repaired by dealer a number of times, but continues to come out of ceiling. Turn indicator - the handle will not return to the off position. Left side of driver seat - all support on the lower portion on the left side of the drivers seat has failed. You must sit on the frame of the seat. The driver weighs only 145 lbs.
While driving home one day another driver hit the side of the car close to the headlight on the driver side this hit caused me to no longer be able to drive the vehicle. The airbags in the vehicle did not deploy.
1997 Lumina has paint peeling on the trunk and sides of car. I have seen this on several other white painted luminas around town and am concerned that this is a paint defect. This peeling process has been going on for some time now but has recently gotten a lot worse. I took my carl to a local= macco painting place and they say that they have seen this a lot in with GM cars from 1997. They even had one getting repainted as we spoke. Took this to a GM dealer and they could not do anything about this. I have a white Lumina that I cannot wash the car at the car wash because the paint is stripped. Also I have a problem with the engine oil light comes on every time I start the car. It will last two or three minutes. Had it checked at a local car dealership and they could not find any problems in their computer even though they saw the problem.
Fatalities resulting from a rollover of a 1996 Chevrolet Lumina. The steering was defective which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle and rollover killing all passengers. The driver's seat belt broke and the sliding door came off during the rollover.
Paint peeling from car in several very large areas. One spot nearly all of right rear quarter panel is now gone. A local mechanic., and two local body men agree this car has been repainted. I purchased it from the dealer new "demonstrator" but was told it had never been wrecked. But know several families around here with 96 models, all are peeling. The same with my and every other 85 model grey Chevy. What can we do?
I don't have a complaint about a specific make or model...I have an overall complaint about how thin cars are today and how much they are not protecting the occupants. My brother was killed 2 weeks ago after hydroplaning at about 35 MPH. I know heavier vehicles use more gas but aren't lives worth it? I know that as a nation we have become very money conscious and gas mileage is a biggie but everyone who has had someone killed in a senseless accident might feel differently afterward. Please advise what if anything is being done in the auto industry as a whole to change the trend and make cars more protective.
Tl contact owns a 1995 Chevrolet Lumina. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the contact heard a loud banging noise underneath the vehicle. Upon further inspection, she noticed that the frame of the vehicle was fractured, which caused it to separate from the vehicle. The vehicle was pushed to her place of residence. The contact is in the process of having the vehicle inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The failure and current mileages were 150,000.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Lumina years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (31), 1997 (14), 1998 (10) and 1996 (9) model years. Body complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Lumina body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for any Chevrolet Lumina model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Lumina body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles; 33% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body › door (31 mentions), followed by the body (16).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.