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1990 Chevrolet SuburbanProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 54 owner complaints about the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban, most often about the seats. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

76
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years68% below the Suburban median · #32 of 38 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Free fix at dealersOwner complaints5412 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem15Seats

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 8, 2002. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban has problems

54 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seats153
Service brakes, hydraulic111
Tires91
Power train73
Seat belts60
Electrical system32
Equipment20
Engine and engine cooling22
Structure10
2 other systems20

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

1990 Chevrolet Suburban recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Seats

Recall 93V-187 · Nov 16, 1993 · 604,207 vehicles

Risk. IF BOLT FAILURE OCCURS TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WOULDALLOW THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE, AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 93V-016 · Feb 1, 1993 · 1,702,880 vehicles

Risk. THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Best & worst years

1990 vs. every other Suburban year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Suburban median. How we score

'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA94029 · closed Jul 31, 1996
    No recall
In owners' words

What Suburban owners report

Recent seats complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

AFTER RECALL WORK WAS DONE, SEATBACK COLLAPSED ALLOWING SEATBACK TO FALL REARWARD, WHEN BOLTS SHEARED OFF, 93V187000, 91-C-19. TT
Complaint 962235 · Mar 20, 1995
SEATBACK RECLINING MECHANISM BROKE WHILE OWNER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE. SEATBACK IS CURRENTLY RECLINED ALL THE WAY BACK, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE. DEALER SAYS IT WAS AGE AND FATIGUE. *AK
Complaint 854954 · Jan 13, 2000
HAD RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE OVER 2YRS AGO (#93V187000). THE RECALL REMEDY FAILED. THE BOLTS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATS FAILED TO HOLD THE SEAT.
Complaint 828138 · Sep 23, 1998

Own a 1990 Suburban?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.