IllustrationVEHICLE WAS ON HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 45-50 MPH. APPROACHING RAILROAD TRACKS, APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. WHILE SLOWING DOWN, THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLIDE INTO A TRAIN. *AK
1990 Chevrolet Silverado
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Chevrolet Silverado are lower than the model-year median of 76.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →25Owner complaints
Model-year median: 76
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1990 Chevrolet Silverado
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 25 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 10 reports
- Seat Belts: 4 reports
- Tires: 3 reports
- Electrical System: 2 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 2 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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: 4 of 25 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 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
25 reportsHORN DOESN'T WORK, AND ALL LIGHTS DON'T WORK. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AT A SPEED OF 65MPH, MY TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO THE MAX RPM. I ATTEMPTED TO DOWNSHIFT, BUT THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND SINCE I WAS APPROACHING AN OF-RAMP I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE, BUT COULD NOT STOP, SO I TURNED OFF THE KEY, BUT HAD TO SWERVE OFF TO THE GRASS TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE LINE…
Read full complaint
AT A SPEED OF 65MPH, MY TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO THE MAX RPM. I ATTEMPTED TO DOWNSHIFT, BUT THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND SINCE I WAS APPROACHING AN OF-RAMP I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE, BUT COULD NOT STOP, SO I TURNED OFF THE KEY, BUT HAD TO SWERVE OFF TO THE GRASS TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE LINE OF TRAFFIC STOPPED IN THE OFF-RAMP. I WAITED A FEW MOMENTS TO STOP SHAKING AND REALIZED A NOXIOUS "BURNING" SMELL WAS FILLING THE CAB AND I THOUGHT MY TRUCK WAS ON FIRE. I WAITED A FEW PANICKY MOMENTS AND RESTARTED IT AND EASED ONTO THE FEEDER RD.AND INTO A MUFFLER SHOP. THE OWNER LOOKED AT IT, DROVE IT AND THEN DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL. HE ADVISED ME TO HAVE MY BRAKES INSPECTED, SINCE I PROBABLY DAMAGED THEM WHILE TRYING TO STOP. I WENT TO A CHEV. DEALER AND THEY SAID NO SERVICE BULLETINS COULD BE FOUND.
SEAT BELT RELEASED UPON IMPACT, RESULTING IN INJURIES. *AK
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.