IllustrationWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 55 TO 60 MPH THE ABS LIGHT COME BLINKING ON AND OFF. THEN WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE IT DOESN'T FEELS LIKE IS WORKING AS IF SHE STEPPED ON BRAKES HARDER, THE BRAKES MAKES A METAL NOISE. MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN CONTACTED, AND CONSUMER HAD MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER. *AK
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.
2 crash reports7 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
54 reportsANTI-LOCK BRAKES FADE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, RESULTING IN A COLLISION.
ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAIL TO STOP VEHICLE EFFICIENTLY, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.
OCCASIONALLY DURING NORMAL BRAKING THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR. *AK
MIDDLE SEAT LAP BELT IN CENTER WILL NOT TIGHTEN IF A CSS IS PLACED IN IT OR AN INDIVIDUAL. WOULD LOOSEN UP AFTER VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. WHEN CSS IS IN SEAT, WOULD TILT OVER. *AK
INTREIOR SYSTEMS;SEAT TRACK ANCHORS AND SEATS: HAD RECALL WORK DONE IN JULY 1995FOR SEATBACK. ON FEB. 20,1996 TOOK VEHICLE BACK BECAUSE THE LEFT SEATBACK WAS LOOSE. JUNE 2, 97, THE SEATBACK BROKE AGAIN. TOOK VEHICLE IN AND THEY GAVE HIM TWO BOLTS TO REPAIR THE SEAT . EACH TIME THERE WAS A CHARGE AND CONSUMER DOESN'T FEEL THAT…
Read full complaint
INTREIOR SYSTEMS;SEAT TRACK ANCHORS AND SEATS: HAD RECALL WORK DONE IN JULY 1995FOR SEATBACK. ON FEB. 20,1996 TOOK VEHICLE BACK BECAUSE THE LEFT SEATBACK WAS LOOSE. JUNE 2, 97, THE SEATBACK BROKE AGAIN. TOOK VEHICLE IN AND THEY GAVE HIM TWO BOLTS TO REPAIR THE SEAT . EACH TIME THERE WAS A CHARGE AND CONSUMER DOESN'T FEEL THAT A CHARGE WAS IN ORDER BECAUSE IT WASN'T REPAIRED CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME. *AK
PAINT BEGAN TO PEEL OFF VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BOLT BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO FALL BACKWARD, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
TRANSMISSION FLUID EXPELLED FROM EITHER THE VENT HOSE OR FILL TUBE ONTO THE HOT EXHAUST, CAUSING FIRE.
WELDING ON SEAT BRACKET WAS INSUFFICIENT TO HOLD THE SEAT, RESULTING IN METAL FATIGUE AND FAILURE. *AK
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.