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1990 GMC SuburbanProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 22 owner complaints about the 1990 GMC Suburban, most often about the seats. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints227 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem7Seats

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 12, 2002. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 GMC Suburban has problems

22 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
Seats72
Service brakes, hydraulic72
Parking brake30
Power train20
Vehicle speed control20
Suspension20
Wheels10
Tires10
Electrical system11

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

2 recalls

1990 GMC 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 GMC.

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

'66'74'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

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

  1. SEAT BACK BOLT BREAKAGEEA92022 · closed Nov 19, 1993
    Led to recall 93V-187
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA94029 · closed Jul 31, 1996
    No recall
  3. TRAILER HITCH SEPERATIONPE90004 · closed Feb 2, 1990
    No recall
  4. SEAT BACK FAILURESPE92026 · closed Jun 24, 1992
    No recall
In owners' words

What Suburban owners report

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

RECALL 93V187000, WAS PERFORMED, SEAT BOLTS BROKE 2 TIMES AFTER THAT, AND 3RD TIME CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE WHOLE SEAT FRAME. *AK
Complaint 879998 · Feb 7, 2001
RECALL # 93V18700. OWNER STATED THAT THE BOLTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN VEHICLE. BOLTS NEED TO BE REPLACED A THIRD TIME. DEALER NOT WILLING TO REPLACE WITHOUT CHARGE. *AK
Complaint 812545 · May 28, 1997
OWNER STATES THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR HIS SEAT RECLINER AND THAT HE HAD WORK DONE ON SEAT; HOWEVER, 40,000 MILES LATER THE SEAT COLLAPSED AGAIN. *AK
Complaint 807206 · Jan 7, 1997

Own a 1990 Suburban?

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