DIFFERENTIAL FAILED. NLM
1990 Chevrolet Suburban
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 118.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Suburban 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: 0 of 54 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.
- Seats. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
7 reportsLAST WEEK NOTICED VIBRATION (SHDDER) COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THOUGHT IT WAS THE TIRES OR BALANCING. REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES (EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NOT WORN OUT). STILL HAD SHUDDER, SO NEXT DAY TOOK IT TO CHEVROLET DEALER IN LIVERMORE. TOLD HIM THE SYMPTOMS AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR 6/29/99 TO HAVE IT CHECKED. SER…
Read full complaint
LAST WEEK NOTICED VIBRATION (SHDDER) COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THOUGHT IT WAS THE TIRES OR BALANCING. REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES (EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NOT WORN OUT). STILL HAD SHUDDER, SO NEXT DAY TOOK IT TO CHEVROLET DEALER IN LIVERMORE. TOLD HIM THE SYMPTOMS AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR 6/29/99 TO HAVE IT CHECKED. SERVICE MANAGER ASKED IF THE VEHICLE HAD OVERDIVE, REPLIED YES, HE RESPONDED IT MAYBE SOMETHING IN YOUR TORQUE CONVERTOR. NO DOUBT WILL FIND OUT. THEN CHECKED WITH A FRIEND IN MN WHO ALSO HAS A 1990 SUBURBAN. HE ASKED IF IT WAS HAPPENING AT ANY PARTICULAR SPEED. I SAID I NOTICED IT WHEN ACCELLERATING UP FROM 45 MILES PER HOUR. HE THEN ASKED IF I HAD OVERDRIVE AND I SAID YES. THEN HE ASKED IF IT HAPPENS IN THE DRIVE SETTING, SAID I DID NOT KNOW. CHECKED THIS OUT AND THEIR WAS NO SHUDDER IN THE DRIVE POSITION. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE WITH FULL WARRANTY IN NOV/DEC 1991, IT WAS A GM EXECUTIVE VEHICLE. AT APPROXIMATELY 33,000 MILES THE ENGINE LITERALY BLEW UP AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTRY. AT APPROXIMATELY 36,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND AGAIN FORTUNATELY IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. MY FRIEND IN MN ADVISED THAT HE ALSO LOST HIS TRANSMISSION UNFORTUNATELY OUT OF AND WARRANTY AND HAD IT REPLACED WITH AN AFTER MARKET TRANSMISSION UNIT FOR THIS MODEL THAT DOES NOT USE / HAVE THE OVERDRIVE FEATURE. ACCORDING TO HIM THERE WERE MANY FAILURES OF THIS O/D TRANSMISSION UNIT AND HENCE THE AVAILABILITY OF AN AFTER MARKET UNIT AS DESCRIBED. HE SAID THE O/D FEATURE WAS DESIGNED IN TO MEET GOVERNMENT MILEAGE REQUIREMENTS AND CLEARLY HAD PROBLEMS. I WILL KNOW TOMORROW WHAT THE DIAGNOSIS IS, AND IF IT TURNS OUT TO WHAT MAYBE A DESIGN THAT DOES NOT PERFORM AS DESIGNED (DEFECTIVE)AND THERE IS DATA TO SUPPORT THIS THEN I WOULD LIKE YOUR GUIDANCE AND OR SUGGESTIONS ON AN APPROPIATE WAY TO APPROACH GM TO CORRECT THIS AT THIER EXPENSE. PERHAPS ALL THIS NOTE IS REDUNDANT AS THEY (GM) MAY ALREADY HAVE A POLICY ON REPLACING THESE UNDER WARRANTY. THANKS FOR YOU HELP.
TRANSMISSION CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO LEAKING OF TRANSMISSION FLUID.
DRIVE TRAIN/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED.
DRIVESHAFT CLINKING CONTINUALLY, UNABLE TO RESOLVE.
TRANSMISSION FLUID EXPELLED FROM EITHER THE VENT HOSE OR FILL TUBE ONTO THE HOT EXHAUST, CAUSING FIRE.
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND ITS BELIEVED TO BE FROM THE TANSMISSION. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Official recalls
393V187000 · Seats
Nov 16, 1993
THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME MAY HAVE FOAM AND/OR VINYL BETWEEN THEM, CREATING A "SOFT" JOINT. THIS "SOFT" JOINT RESULTS IN LOWER THAN SPECIFIED BOLT TORQUE WHICH LEADS TO JOINT LOOSENESS, CAUSING BOLT FATIGUE AND EVENTUAL BOLT FAILURE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF BOLT FAILURE OCCURS TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WOULDALLOW THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE, AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE FOAM AND/OR VINYL FROM BETWEEN THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME "SOFT" JOINT AND REPLACE THE RECLINER BOLTS.
93V119000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor
Aug 2, 1993
SEVERE CORROSION DUE TO ROAD SALT AT THE JOINT OF THE STAMPED STEEL CENTER SECTION AND THE CAST OUTER SECTION CAN CAUSE THE SECTIONS TO SEPARATE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SEPARATION OF THE ROTOR SECTIONS CAN CAUSE LOSS OFBRAKING ABILITY IN THE AFFECTED WHEEL. THIS COULD RESULT IN INCREASED STOPPINGDISTANCE AND/OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WITH NEW ROTORS WITH A CORROSION PROTECTION COATING. HOWEVER, IF REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE LININGS ARE NECESSARY, IT WILL BE DONE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE SINCE BRAKE LININGS ARE NORMAL MAINTENANCE ITEMS.
93V016000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Feb 1, 1993
UNANTICIPATED HEAT IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT OF THE VENT TUBE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.
Remedy: INSTALL A LONGER TRANSMISSION VENT HOSE ROUTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE.
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
1EA94029 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Jul 29, 1994 · Closed Jul 31, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
AN ALLEGED MALFUNCTION IN THE ATLERNATOR RESULTING IN ENGINE COMPARTMET FIRES.
Illustration