IllustrationRATTLING NOISE EVERY TIME I PARK OR SIT. SOUNDS NEAR THE MOTOR. CARBURATOR IS CLOGGED. LEFT PASSANGER DOOR DOES NOT OPEN. HESITATION OF MOTOR WHILE ACCELERATION, BRAKES AND ROTORS ARE BAD ON THE BACK LEFT AND RIGHT TIRES.
1991 Chevrolet Lumina
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Lumina years
Owner complaints for the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina are substantially higher than the model-year median of 126.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Lumina years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 22 of 352 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 178 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
21 crash reports9 fire reports9 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
36 reportsWHILE PULLING OFF THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH VEHICLE LOST COMPLETE STEERING CONTROL. VEHICLE TOWED TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIRS. *AK THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE DROPPED CAUSEING THE STEERING COLUMN TO SEPARATE. *YH
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK THEE VEHICLE STALL AT THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND FIXED BY THE DEALER. FIRST TIME THEY SAID IT COULD BE PLUGS, THEY REPLACED, SECOND THEY REPLACED EGR VALVE BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND AT LAST INJECTORS WAS GUESED TO BE THE CAUSE AND WAS F…
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WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK THEE VEHICLE STALL AT THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND FIXED BY THE DEALER. FIRST TIME THEY SAID IT COULD BE PLUGS, THEY REPLACED, SECOND THEY REPLACED EGR VALVE BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND AT LAST INJECTORS WAS GUESED TO BE THE CAUSE AND WAS FIXED STILL NO REMEDY IS FOUND FOR STALLING. *YH
THE THROTTLE STICKING IS VERY HAZARDOUS AND UNSAFE. ALSO THE CONTINUING OF OVERHEATING DUE TO A MANUFACTURED ITEM IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO ME. I HAVE 2 SMALL CHILDREN AND DO NOT WANT TO BE LEFT BY ROADSIDE SOMEWHERE AT NIGHT DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION. *AK
1991 CHEVROLET LUMINA Z34 W/3.4L ENGINE. WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY SHOP FOREMAN @ SMEDLEY'S CHEVROLET OF VANDALIA, OHIO....JOE. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 TO 45 MPH VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES IT WILL START RIGHT BACK UP, AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES 15 TO 20 MINUTES. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND REPLACED TTC SOLENOID ONCE, BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID THAT OWNER WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL VEHICLE BREA…
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WHILE DRIVING AT 35 TO 45 MPH VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES IT WILL START RIGHT BACK UP, AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES 15 TO 20 MINUTES. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND REPLACED TTC SOLENOID ONCE, BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID THAT OWNER WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL VEHICLE BREAKS DOWN COMPLETELY TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML
EXHAUST VALVES ARE STICKING, CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO SLIP. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BELT AND THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY RECURRED. GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM FOR YEARS, BUT HAS BEEN FAIRLY QUIET ABOUT RESOLVING IT. THEY PRODUCED A NUMBER OF 3.4 ENGINES WITHOUT CHROME PLATED EXHAUST VALVES, AND THE SOFTER VALVES DISTORTING AND S…
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EXHAUST VALVES ARE STICKING, CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO SLIP. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BELT AND THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY RECURRED. GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM FOR YEARS, BUT HAS BEEN FAIRLY QUIET ABOUT RESOLVING IT. THEY PRODUCED A NUMBER OF 3.4 ENGINES WITHOUT CHROME PLATED EXHAUST VALVES, AND THE SOFTER VALVES DISTORTING AND STICK, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO JUMP TIMING. THIS IS A SOPHISTICATED DUAL OVERHEAD CAM V-6 AND TOLERANCES ARE CRITICAL. GM ISSUED A DIRECTIVE TO REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEADS ON THE AFFECTED ENGINES, HOWEVER OURS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BUILT IN THE PLANT THAT PRODUCED THE ENGINES AND IS IN LINE WITH THE SEQUENCE OF ID NUMBERS. GENERAL MOTORS IS DISAVOWING THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT. THEY HAVE REPLACED A NUMBER OF CYLINDER HEADS AND EXHAUST VALVES, AND I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD ACKNOWLEGE THEIR ERROR IN OUR CAR AND REPAIR OUR ENGINE. BECAUSE OF THE SOFT EXHAUST VALVES, THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO MAKE MAJOR REPAIRS, ALL DUE TO IMPROPER MANUFACTURING. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT INDICATION. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, CAN' T DUPLICATE PROBLEM. ALSO,ALTERNATOR/BATTERY/COMPUTER, AND FUEL FILTER LINE FAILED AND WERE REPLACED BY DEALER. *AK
FRONT ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE WHILE GOING 55MPH. LOST CONTROL ON A 6-LANE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. ALSO, FRONT LEFT TIRES HAD BLOWN OUT. HAD NO WARNING IN THAT REGARD. MANAGED TO GET VEHICLE TO SIDE OF ROAD. VEHICLE WILL BE TOWED TO DEALER. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
300V189000 · Structure
Jul 11, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, WHERE ROAD SALT USE IS HEAVY. A CONDITION WHERE ONE OR BOTH FRONT ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS CAN PULL THROUGH THE RETAINERS DUE TO CORROSION OF THE RETAINERS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF BOTH BOLTS PULL THROUGH, THE FRONT OF THE CRADLE WOULD NO LONGER BE SUPPORTED AT THE MOUNTING LOCATIONS AND THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COULD SEPARATE FROM THE STEERING GEAR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT AND REAR FRAME/CRADLE BOLTS AND RETAINERS.
97V058000 · Structure
Apr 8, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT AND WISCONSIN. THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS PULL THROUGH THE RETAINERS DUE TO CORROSION OF THE RETAINER. IF BOTH BOLTS PULL THROUGH, THE REAR CRADLE WOULD NOT LONGER BE SUPPORTED AT THESE MOUNTING LOCATIONS AND THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT CAN SEPARATE FROM THE STEERING GEAR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD RESULT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS AND RETAINERS.
92V003000 · Seat Belts
Jan 10, 1992
THE FRONT DOOR SHOULDER BELT GUIDE LOOPS MAY BE CRACKED AND ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 208.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SEAT OCCUPANT FACES INCREASED RISK OF INJURY IN THEEVENT OF A SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT.
Remedy: INSTALL REINFORCING PLATES ON THE CRACKED SHOULDER BELT GUIDES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
9RP01001 · Structure
Opened Nov 28, 2001 · Closed Jun 13, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available
EA00011 · Engine Cradle Separation
Opened Apr 10, 2000 · Closed Jan 12, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
THE ENGINE CRADLE FRONT BOLTS AND/OR RETAINERS MAY FAIL, ALLOWING THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE CRADLE TO FALL, POSSIBLY SEPARATING THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FROM THE STEERING GEAR, WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL
RQ97017 · Cradle Bolt Failures
Opened Oct 2, 1997 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available
PE94063 · Corroded Rear Disk Brakes
Opened Aug 12, 1994 · Closed Dec 21, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
PE93085 · Wheel Failures
Opened Sep 29, 1993 · Closed Feb 28, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
There is no summary currently available
EA92024 · Sticking Throttle
Opened Jun 26, 1992 · Closed Jan 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available
PE92052 · Apv Fuel Line Fires
Opened Jun 4, 1992 · Closed Oct 30, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available
EA91049 · Jack Failure
Opened Nov 26, 1991 · Closed Oct 28, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
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PE91072 · Steering Wheel Separation
Opened May 1, 1991 · Closed Jul 8, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available