1990 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck: common problems

Owners of the 1990 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 11

What fails most often

1 Structure 27% of all complaints
2 Seat belts 18% of all complaints
3 Tires 18% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
5 Equipment 9% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
7 Seats 9% of all complaints
8 Service brakes 9% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Structure: 3 complaints (27% of all).
Seat belts: 2 complaints (18% of all).
Tires: 2 complaints (18% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Equipment: 1 complaints (9% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts2 · 18%
rust, corrosion1 · 9%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 9%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Structure	3	0	0
Seat belts	2	0	0
Tires	2	0	0
Electrical system	1	0	0
Equipment	1	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Seats	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	0
Visibility	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The consumer states while driving the passengers front tire blewout. The tire's entire sidewall shredded. Tire info: firestone p225/70r15 dot o. Ela6cnj1402, with 60k miles on the tire. The dealer advised the consumer that the tire was 1/3 worn and not the original.
Tires · 2002-10-03 · NHTSA complaint #8020129
Driver's seat belt buckle doesn't work. Consumer can't find the part to fix it. Consumer is will contact dealer to see if that part or whole unit can be purchased.
Seat belts · 2001-09-10 · NHTSA complaint #896050
Steering relay arm inverts itself when the vehicle is making a left turn. If the vehicle is going to far to the left it goes all the way to the right and opposite for right wheel. Dealer never heard of the problem. The consumer has a 1990, cheynne, chevrolet truck.
Steering · 2001-09-10 · NHTSA complaint #896048
Spare tire cable rusted causing the tire to fall off while the vehicle was being worked on almost hitting the mechanics leg and foot (1500 series). Nlm
Equipment · 2000-12-05 · NHTSA complaint #557061
Heat buildup forces transmission fluid out of vent tube and fill tube, causing fire - only under load -I recently purchased a slide- in camper which causes the trans. To load and causing a fire.
Powertrain · 1999-11-17 · NHTSA complaint #714905
Paint is falling off , primer still on. No safety defect.
Structure · 1999-04-09 · NHTSA complaint #705444

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19951
19973
19981
19992
20001
20012
20021

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Chevrolet Truck has 16 complaints (32 years in the data). This year has 11, below average.

What to check before buying

Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1990 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, seat belts, tires. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (18%), rust, corrosion (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1990 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1990 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.