1991 Chevrolet Lumina problems & reliability
352 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 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.
9 complaints report injuries (13 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Chevrolet Lumina vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 178 | 51% |
| Structure | 52 | 15% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 36 | 10% |
| Seat Belts | 28 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 24 | 7% |
| Steering | 20 | 6% |
| Power Train | 11 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 3% |
| Tires | 9 | 3% |
| Wheels | 9 | 3% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 110,000 miles (middle 50% between 91,250 and 143,000 miles), based on 22 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My car keeps stalling or dying everytime I take off or apply the brakes it's almost as if it's not going into gear. It will die on me going down the interstate if I hit my brakes. *ln”
Unknown OR Other · filed Feb 7, 2011
“I was driving at a rate of speed of 35 mph when I heard something break under the car and at that point I lost all steering an was traveling towards oncoming traffic. I was able to stop but still in heavy traffic, when I had the car towed...we found out that the rear sub-frame mounts had broken and snapped the…”
Steering · filed Dec 22, 2010
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 chevrolet lumina. The contact was driving approximately 25 mph when the rear cradle retainer pulled through and the steering disconnected. As a result, the engine sub frame dropped. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to the contact's residence, where it was inspected and repaired by…”
Structure · filed Aug 18, 2010
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
- 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
- JACK FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA91049 · opened Nov 26, 1991 · closed Oct 28, 1992
Technical service bulletins
10 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 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
Cold start rattle noise (diagnosis/service procedure). *tw
577106A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1997
Excessive oil consumption (replace pcv harness). *tw
676001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1997
Cold start rattle noise. *tw
577106A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1996
Cold start rattle noise. *tw
577106 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 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
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 1991 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 1991 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 110,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.