Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seats15
- Service brakes, hydraulic11
- Tires9
- Power train7
- Seat belts6
- Electrical system3
- Equipment2
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Vehicle speed control1
- Visibility1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 7 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 1990 Suburban vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban failed the safety check 0.76% of the time — 34% less often than the average 1990 passenger car (1.16%). Median odometer at inspection: 153,629 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In New Zealand
2 1990 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban.
| 1995096 1 Jun 1995 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the service-part fuel tanks may have one or more pairs of the six projection welds which attach the sender-unit ring to the tank that do no… |
| 1993153 15 Nov 1993 | Seats And Restraints ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH BUCKET SEATS WITH KNOB TYPE RECLINER MECHANISMS, A FRONT SEAT RECLINER BOLT MAY FATIGUE AND BREAK. THIS MAY ALLOW THE SEAT BACK TO SUD… |
| 1993141 14 Oct 1993 | Powertrain NOTE: R/V SUBURBAN TRUCKS - 2 WHEEL AND 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. VEHICLES MAY DEVELOP AN ABNORMAL PRESSURE BUILD-UP IN THE TRANSMIS… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME MAY HAVE FOAM AND/OR VINYL BETWEEN THEM, CREATING A "SOFT" JOINT. THIS "SOFT" JOINT RESULTS IN LOWER THAN SPECIFIED BOLT TORQUE WHICH LEADS TO JOINT LOOSENESS, CAUSING BOLT FATIGUE AND EVENTUAL BOLT FAILURE.
SEVERE CORROSION DUE TO ROAD SALT AT THE JOINT OF THE STAMPED STEEL CENTER SECTION AND THE CAST OUTER SECTION CAN CAUSE THE SECTIONS TO SEPARATE.
UNANTICIPATED HEAT IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT OF THE VENT TUBE.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Chevrolet told its dealers about the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 634999 | DIAGNOSIS OF CRACKED OR BROKEN TRANSMISSION CASE. *TT 2006 AND PRIOR CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *TT |
| 39304 | COLD ENGINE KNOCK. *TW |
| 39070 | NEW CAST IRON EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND STAINLESS STEEL GASKET TO CORRECT ENGINE NOISE CONDITION. *TW |
| 10007838 | DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION FOR INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT, SLIP, BUSY/CYCLING TCC OR NOISY COOLING FAN. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation