Selling an old or non-running Chevrolet Beretta

The Beretta's record splits in two. Recalls bunch up on the 1987-1990 cars, mostly hood latches and seat belts. Owner complaints peak later, on the brakes of the 1992-1996 cars. Both patterns are laid out below; the figures are NHTSA's, current to October 10, 2026.

Which Beretta is it?

The version decides the engine, and the engine decides most repair questions.

All of them are front-wheel-drive coupes on GM's L platform, assembled at Wilmington, Delaware, and Linden, New Jersey, next to the four-door Corsica. The pair replaced the Citation. The last Beretta was built July 30, 1996, and the Malibu took the Corsica's place for 1997.

Four recalls for one hood

Most of the early recall work went into the hood. The danger each time was a hood that could pop open while the car was moving and cut the driver's forward view.

• 86V165, December 1986: on 1987 cars the secondary latch could touch its bracket or the primary latch spring and fail to catch. Dealers added a skid plate, and Berettas also got a revised latch. The 4,844-vehicle count includes the Corsica.
• 87V062, May 1987: losing that skid plate could release both latches on 1987 cars. 2,020 vehicles.
• 88V039, March 1988: the secondary latch on 1987-1988 cars may not have been adjusted right and could bend. Dealers inspected and replaced latches as needed. 282,052 vehicles.
• 91V135, August 1991: the same bent-latch problem, now leaving the primary latch short of full engagement. This time both latches and their bracket were swapped. 290,408 vehicles.

These are whole-campaign counts as NHTSA filed them; only the first names the Corsica, so do not read the other three as Beretta-only totals.

Belts, hinges, the fuel tank and the lights

The single largest campaign in the Beretta's file is 91V206, filed November 1991, for 1988-1990 cars. The front shoulder belt retractors could lose their lock-up sensitivity, leaving the occupant held only by the lap belt in a crash. It counted 722,884 vehicles. Two years earlier, 89V034 replaced buckles on 1989 cars whose latch plates might not engage (29,951 vehicles).

Recall 89V225, December 1989, covers door hinges on 1987-1988 cars that can break while the door swings. Dealers replaced the hinges on both doors; the campaign counted 170,769 vehicles. Hinges still turn up in the complaints: 14 of 51 structure complaints in the API pull mention one, and an owner wrote that "the door hinge pin is broken."

The rest, briefly:

• 88V189: creases on the underside of 1989 fuel tanks can crack and leak, a fire risk near an ignition source. New tank. 13,095 vehicles.
• 92V185: the stop lamp switch on 1992 cars can quit, so the brake lights stay dark. New switch and corrected wiring. 140,661 vehicles.
• 98V027: interior lamps on 1996 cars can switch on while driving, which fails federal standard FMVSS 101. Dealers tested the lamp control module and replaced it where needed. 249,420 vehicles.
• Small ones: a front seat frame weld on 1989 cars (89V087, 642 vehicles), missing rear center belt text in 1990 owner's manuals (90V065, 26,464), a loose steering wheel nut on 1991 cars (91V083, 36,364), front suspension support welds on 1994 cars (93V157, 39), and a missing right-side rocker reinforcement on 1994-1995 cars (94V176, 1,604).

What owners complain about: brakes and wiring

Service brakes are the Beretta's top complaint category, 116 of 542, and they lead every model year from 1992 to 1996. In an API pull, 58 of 138 brake complaints mention ABS or anti-lock. One driver wrote that "when the light comes on the brakes fade." There is no hydraulic brake recall to fall back on.

Electrical complaints lead the 1989, 1990 and 1991 cars, with 19 on the 1991 alone. And 30 complaints across the run report a fire, the 1992 and 1994 cars with six each.

The record by model year

Each row tallies the owner reports NHTSA logged against that Beretta model year. One sits under 1997, a model year the Beretta never had. A recall covering several years is counted in each.

The complaints add up to 61 crashes, 52 injuries and 5 deaths. In NHTSA's frontal crash test, the 1992 two-door earned five stars for the driver and four for the front passenger.

Should you put money into it?

On a car this old, the repair quote can easily outrun what a running Beretta of the same version brings. Compare like with like: a Z26 or GTZ and a base coupe are priced differently. A few checks before you decide:

1. Open recalls. Search the VIN on NHTSA's recall site, especially on a 1987-1990 car with its hood latch and belt campaigns.
2. Coolant work on a 1995-1996 V6. The Beretta appears on the Dex-Cool class list for 1995-2003 cars with the 3.1- or 3.4-liter V6. Claims had to be in by October 27, 2008, so no money is left there.
3. Has it been parked for years? Old fuel, flat-spotted tires and seized brakes add up. Our guide to cars sitting for years helps you sort out what's worth checking.

How the sale works

1. Collect what you know: VIN, mileage, version and engine, and what doesn't work.
2. Get a quote online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Describe the spot: a carport, a patch of lawn, a rented storage space. Say whether the tires hold air and the car rolls. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Don't strip it. Wheels, seats and the catalytic converter stay. Tell us about anything already removed, because missing parts change the offer.
5. When the driver comes, sign the title over, show ID and pass along whatever keys survive. Plates are a state-by-state question; after you sell answers it.

Title lost years ago? Start with our no-title guide. For the Beretta's relatives, see the Corsica, Citation and Cavalier, or browse all Chevrolet pages.