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2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2011 Caprice PPV.

The 2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV is a dedicated police patrol vehicle whose 8.0-quart engine oil capacity (specified at 5W-30 viscosity) reflects a powertrain sized for demanding service use. Reliability data for this model year is remarkably sparse — just a single owner complaint on record, centered on suspension and structure — though three recalls do warrant attention before purchase or service. Within the broader PPV complaint timeline spanning 2013–2017, the 2011's lone complaint sits well below even the quietest subsequent year (2013, with six complaints), indicating this early production run was comparatively trouble-free relative to the 17-complaint peak that would emerge in 2014.

Model year2017 2016 2015 2011

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity8.0 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified

Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 94R · 765 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12690386. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 94R · 765 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP235/50R18OEM · verified

Wheel / rim8 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12690386
Engine air filter	92066873
Spark plug	12680072
Battery	88866309 alt 88864542
Front wiper blades	92219233 alt 92219234
Serpentine belt	92244381 alt 92290768
Thermostat	89018168 alt 12587397
Cabin air filter	92184248

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 8.0 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	6.7
Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Engine Oil	5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	8.0 qt

Engine torques

Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

140 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Cylinder Firing Order	1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.12 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	3.30-5.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	94R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	765 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	22 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	17-22 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	181 °F
Pressure Test	20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60 w/o FPCM
RPM	43-45 @ Idle rpm

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH FN3 (16 inch) CALIPER PR NOS. 1LH/1ZG
Torque Caliper to Bracket	20 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake Application	WITH FN3 (16 inch) CALIPER PR NOS. 1LH/1ZG
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.181 in / 0.906 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.181 in / 0.906 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Torque to Knuckle — tightening sequence 1 stages

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts:

1	22.0 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	70 degrees	70 degrees
3	90 degrees; M8 Bolts:	90 degrees
1	22.0 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 25,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV exhibits an exceptionally clean federal record with zero crash or fire complaints and only a single complaint involving the suspension and structure, though the data does not specify the root cause. When viewing the broader generation's available arc from 2013 to 2017, federal activity clearly peaked in 2014 with 17 complaints, 10 recalls, and 1 investigation. Following this peak, complaints dropped to zero and recalls steadily declined, falling to just 1 recall and 762 technical service bulletins by 2017. Because the 2011 model year falls before this recorded arc and carries minimal complaint volume, it appears to predate the generation's most problematic period. Given its pristine safety metrics and position ahead of the 2014 peak, the 2011 Caprice PPV is a highly favorable used buy.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

890

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Suspension,Structure1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V544000Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl)Reported 09/09/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles manufactured March 24, 2011, to December 6, 2013. The affected vehicles are Police Patrol Vehicles (PPV), equipped with a… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift lever roll pin, replace the base pivot pin and attach a Brake Transmission Shift Interlock retention enhancement clip…

15V399000Seat BeltsReported 23/06/2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles manufactured October 15, 2010, to October 22, 2013, and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 vehicles manufactured July 25, 2007, to February… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt tensioner assembly which includes the steel cable, free of charge. These replacement parts reposition the tensioner…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 890 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4902S	2025-06-09	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
21-NA-043	2025-01-31	Electrical System	This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full…
22-NA-074	2025-01-30	Engine	This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to…
PIT5962B	2024-12-06	Electrical System	This Preliminary information communicates a GM part number for reflective high…
21-NA-043	2024-11-04	Structure	This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Caprice PPV. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 94R battery Vehicles taking 8.0 qt Engine oil filter 12690386 Engine air filter 92066873 Spark plug 12680072 Battery 88866309

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2011 Caprice PPV take?

8.0 qt of 5W-30 ONLY USE ENGINE OIL MEETING GM DEXOS 1 SPECIFICATION., per the factory manual.

Does the 2011 Caprice PPV have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.