1990 Chevrolet Beretta problems & reliability
39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Chevrolet Beretta. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (8 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 10 | 26% |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 21% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 8% |
| Steering | 3 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 8% |
| Wheels | 3 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 5% |
| Power Train | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Electronic egr valve is spring-loaded closed. Exhaust pressure overcomes spring pressure, causing underhood exhaust leak. Noticed problem by smelling exhaust inside car. Snapped throttle open and saw puff of exhaust gas from egr valve. Potential asphyxiation problem! *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Nov 13, 2001
“Braking system in the front and rear/ hub assembly needed to be replaced continuously. Also, transmission was replaced 4 times. Defect kept occurring. Please provide further information.*ak”
Wheels · filed Sep 25, 2000
“While driving the vehicle's wheel fell off of the vehicle, due to possible lug nut failure. (ohio traffic crash report) *mjs”
Wheels · filed Sep 11, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FR.SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS
Engineering Analysis EA92025 · opened Jul 16, 1992 · closed Jul 8, 1993
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
- PARK BRAKE HANDLE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE92043 · opened Apr 22, 1992 · closed Aug 31, 1992
- STICKING THROTTLE
Preliminary Evaluation PE92021 · opened Feb 24, 1992 · closed Jun 26, 1992
- FUEL TANK SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE90115 · opened Aug 29, 1990 · closed Jan 23, 1991
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Chevrolet Beretta.
Some v6 engines may, on a very infrequent basis, have an oil odor condition that is generally encountered after the engine's oil has been changed.typically the odor lasts approximately 1000 miles after the change of oil…
876002A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Chevrolet Beretta in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Chevrolet Beretta?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.