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1986 Chevrolet K-Series Pickup

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1986 K-Series Pickup.

The 1986 Chevrolet K-Series Pickup, identified in its overview as a K‑Series platform vehicle, employs a 5‑quart oil system with recommended viscosities of 20W‑20, 15W‑40 or 5W‑30. Owner complaints for this model year amount to a single report, primarily concerning tire performance, and the vehicle carries zero recall actions. Consequently, the 1986 iteration is positioned as one of the more dependable years within the K‑Series lineup, with reliability concerns limited to tire wear. This concise record reflects a straightforward reliability profile for researchers.

Model year1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1986

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type20W-20 / 15W-40 / 5W-30OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 25160561. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. 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.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	25160561 alt 12737090
Engine air filter	08996118 alt 08997890
Fuel filter	5651803 discontinued · alt 25011765
Spark plug	19300382 alt 19354432
Front wiper blades	15184702
Serpentine belt	09433719 alt 09433722
Thermostat	14077122 alt 10207373

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 5 qt of 20W-20 / 15W-40 / 5W-30 engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	4.6 qt
Engine Oil	20W-20 · 15W-40 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Engine Oil	20W-20 · 15W-40 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Engine Oil	20W-20 · 15W-40 · 5W-30

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 12,000 mi.

At 5,000 mi	Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Exhaust Pressure Regulator (inspect) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect idle speed)
Every 5,000 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Transfer Case Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 6,000 mi	Choke System (inspect) · Distributor Vacuum Advance (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Idle Speed Control Motor (inspect)
Every 6,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate)
At 7,500 mi	Carburetor Mounting Fasteners (inspect) · Choke System (inspect) · Early Fuel Evaporation System (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	CV Joint Boot (inspect)
Every 12,000 mi	Air Cleaner Manifold Heat Control Actuator (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Radiator Fan Assembly (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Underbody Splash Shield (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Exhaust Pressure Regulator (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
At 24,000 mi	Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect idle speed)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

Owner complaints about the 1986 Chevrolet K-Series Pickup dominate in one area — the tires, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the tires pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Overall★★★★★

Frontal★★★★★

Side★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Tires1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
000601019	2000-10-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION AFTER A GM GOODWRENCH REMANUFACTURED 4.3L…
000604002	2000-01-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	SUBJECT REGARDING A HARD, NO START OR EXCESSIVE GRAY OR WHITE SMOKE CONDITION ON START UP…

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 K-Series Pickup. 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.

Vehicles taking 5 qt Engine oil filter 25160561 Engine air filter 08996118 Fuel filter 5651803 Spark plug 19300382

Reference guides

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

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1986 K-Series Pickup take?

5 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F: 30, ABOVE 20 degrees F: 20W-20, ABOVE 10 degrees F: 15W-40, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 1986 K-Series Pickup have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.