1990 Pontiac Lemans problems & reliability
25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Pontiac Lemans. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 8 | 32% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 24% |
| Power Train | 4 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 8% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 4% |
| Structure | 1 | 4% |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% |
| Visibility | 1 | 4% |
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
“Vehicle does not have pressure release vent for the water when it gets hot. This causes the pressure to bulid up/ hoses to bust, and vehicle overheating. Dealer has been contacted. *ak”
Visibility · filed Jan 13, 2000
“Comsumer's son was driving vehicle about 40mph when clutch cable broke, leaving vehicle without clutch to shift gear on highway. Took vehicle to dealer, but didn't find any problem. *ak”
Power Train · filed Jul 25, 1997
“While driving noticed smoke coming from dash near steering wheel, then suddenly flames came from dash due to an electrical short in wiring harness, vehicle interior was totalled. *ak”
Electrical System · filed May 16, 1997
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUTO RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAIL
Engineering Analysis EA94004 · opened Jan 31, 1994 · closed Jan 19, 1995 · led to recall 94V248000
- AUTO RESTRAINT SYST. FAILS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93078 · opened Sep 16, 1993 · closed Jan 31, 1994
- FRONT BRAKE DISC/HUB SEP
Preliminary Evaluation PE91101 · opened Jul 17, 1991 · closed Nov 4, 1991
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Pontiac Lemans.
Chattering, binding or incomplete/repeat traverse of shoulder belt on passive restraint. (service procedure, reference campaign bulletin 93-c-57). *tw
588101 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1995
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 Pontiac Lemans 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 Pontiac Lemans?
- · 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.