1988 Chevrolet Nova Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1988 Chevrolet Nova. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Front wheels locked up and the car stopped suddenly. Resulting in a rearend collision. After the accident the motor would crank and run but the vehicle would not move in any gear. Replace the transaxle.”
“Vehicle hood latch failed due to tire vibration at 65 mph, causing hood to crumple into windshield. *ak”
“Vehicle hood latch failed due to tire vibration at 65 mph, causing hood to crumple into windshield. *ak”
“Rear lights burne dout due to a short in fusible link”
“Tail lights' wiring harness burned out/melted, resulting in a fire. *ak”
“Vehicle rolled backwards while in park, killing owner. *dsh”
“Vehicle rolled backwards while in park, killing owner. *dsh”
“Able to take the key out of the ignition while the car is in drive and the car started to move back. Please describe. Tt”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Chevrolet Nova as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.