AI Damage1991 Chevrolet Lumina: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina filed 352 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 352
- involving a crash
- 21
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 52% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 15% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 3% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 182 complaints (52% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 52 complaints (15% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 36 complaints (10% of all).
- Seat belts: 28 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 24 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.1 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.4 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 352 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 182 | 9 | 0 |
| Structure | 52 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 20 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 2 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Both air bags did not deploy. The driver and passenger sustained neck and head injuries and was transported by ambulance to the hospital. The vehicle was totaled.
Upon impact, airbags did not deploy, and the steering failed. The driver and passenger sustained head and neck injuries.
Wheel separated from vehicle at highway speeds, resulting in a collision. Vehicle was totalled. Please provide additional information.
While driving, front subframe failed due to corrosion, causing consumer to lose control and vehicle went into a ditch, consumer states there is a recall, 00v189, regarding this, however vin is not included, consumer has the defective parts.
Pre mature wear all 4 brakes, rt front caliper pin falls out, causing caliper to jam in wheel, caliper pin caused wear in housing, causing treads to strip and become weak, happened 2 times, also rear brake calipers failed brakes are always hard nothing helps, wiring problem in steering column flashers will cause smoke…
Vehicle was shifted into parked while still running. Consumer got out and went to front door. Within minute later, vehicle jumped out of gear and ran into the rear end of a truck. Dealer/manufacturer was not contacted at this time.
Driving very slowly during a snow blizzard when the abs brakes were applied gently to turn a corner and the brakes failed, causing the consumer to run into a pole because of rusted brakes.
Front left wheel fell off due to lug nuts being sheared off. (ohio state police report)
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 1,143 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Lumina has 198 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 352, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, structure, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 352. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (20%), brake failure (9%), seat belts (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina?
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 1991 Chevrolet Lumina 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 1991 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.