AI Damage1993 Chevrolet Lumina APV: common problems
Owners of the 1993 Chevrolet Lumina APV filed 45 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 45
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 27% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 4 Seats 11% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 9% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 7% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 12 complaints (27% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (16% of all).
- Fuel system: 5 complaints (11% of all).
- Seats: 5 complaints (11% of all).
- Visibility: 5 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.1 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 45 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Vehicle jumped out of park into reverse gear, causing accident.
Vehicle suddenly accelerates when shifting from park to drive, could not control the speed, brakes did not respond, resulting in hitting a wall. Tt
Since we bought the van in 1995 the rear seatbelts have locked up at the oddest times. All of the back seat belts (not just the ones described in 94v027) lock up at times and will usually unlock with a few days of driving.
The contact stated that the rear seat belt retractors lock and will not release the seat belts. In addition, the seat belts that are closest to the sliding door become stuck inside of the door.
The middle passenger seat belt failed to retract when release. It stayed in the release position. There was a recall on this issue but the dealership was unable to tell if the recall applied to the consumer vehicle identification number because the recall was 10 years old.
The tailgate lock failed to lock or unlock when applied. Consumer drove the vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that lock mechanism needed to be replaced. Consumer informed the mechanic that this problem occurred more than once and had not been resolved.
The windshield wipers in my van do not work sometimes. Taken to my mechanic twice for repairs and both times they were working properly and the problem can not be found. Has been happening since last summer and only happens sporadically.
Consumer states fuel tank started to implode on the bottom causing the pump pick up to come in contact with the tank bottom cutting off fuel supply resulting in a no start condition.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 5,630 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Lumina APV has 44 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 45, about average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1993 Chevrolet Lumina APV?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 45. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (16%), smoke, burning smell, fire (7%), stalls while driving (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1993 Chevrolet Lumina APV?
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 1993 Chevrolet Lumina APV 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 1993 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.