1990 Chevrolet Lumina problems & reliability
427 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Chevrolet Lumina, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
11 complaints report injuries (16 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 224 | 52% |
| Structure | 62 | 15% |
| Steering | 39 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 37 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 28 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 24 | 6% |
| Wheels | 14 | 3% |
| Suspension | 13 | 3% |
| Parking Brake | 12 | 3% |
| Seats | 9 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1990 chevrolet lumina. The contact stated that the floor panels on the front driver and passenger sides were exposed. Also, the front passenger side door failed to open on from outside and inside the vehicle. The contact had to apply force to get the front passenger side door to open and close…”
Steering · filed Mar 23, 2016
“Dt*: the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the car suddenly pulled to the right. When the contact regained control of the vehicle, the steering wheel was in the upside down position. The vehicle was steered into a driveway. Upon inspection, the shaft between the steering column and the rack and pinion was…”
Steering · filed May 30, 2006
“I had come to a stop at an intersection stop sign. I when to pull into traffic when the frame of the car just fell apart and I had no steering. I ended up in a persons yard. If there would have been heavy traffic of if I had gotten to the expressway as I had planned, this accident could have killed me or passengers in…”
Structure · filed May 9, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STRUCTURE
Investigation RP01001 · opened Nov 28, 2001 · closed Jun 13, 2002 · led to recall 00V189000
- ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA00011 · opened Apr 10, 2000 · closed Jan 12, 2001 · led to recall 00V189000
- ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATION
Recall Query RQ99002 · opened Mar 4, 1999 · open · led to recall 97V058000
- CRADLE BOLT FAILURES
Recall Query RQ97017 · opened Oct 2, 1997 · open · led to recall 97V058000
- CORRODED REAR DISK BRAKES
Preliminary Evaluation PE94063 · opened Aug 12, 1994 · closed Dec 21, 1994
- WHEEL FAILURES
Preliminary Evaluation PE93085 · opened Sep 29, 1993 · closed Feb 28, 1994 · led to recall 94V041001
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
- APV FUEL LINE FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE92052 · opened Jun 4, 1992 · closed Oct 30, 1992
Technical service bulletins
8 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Chevrolet Lumina.
No tcc apply, malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on, tcc surge, possible p0740, p1870, or 39 after installation of a reman (srta) 4t60/4t60e. *tt
01880 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Customers may complain of grinding / scraping / groaning noise from rear suspension. *tt
990309004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
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
Recall 90-c-39a - supplemental letter adding vehicles to the original recall 90-c-39. *tw
CAMP/90C39A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1995
Rear strut related thumping/squeaking noise. *tw
133405 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Abs warning light is on. *tw
435012A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Supplement to product safety campaign 90-c-39. *tw
0123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Abs wire harness for the right front wheel may rub on the brake line causing the abs warning light to come on. *tw
435012 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1994
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
The 1990 Chevrolet Lumina has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 Lumina?
- · 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.