1990 Chevrolet Suburban Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe tread separation on tires, including at highway speed, and seatbacks or seat bolts that failed, often after recall repairs. Brake complaints describe grabbing, shuddering, soft pedals, and extended stopping distances, and some complaints describe seat belts that lock, jam, or will not tighten. None of the sampled complaints records mileage, so timing is described only by the events themselves.

1. 1
   Tires

   Tread separation, often at highway speed

   • 10 complaints (19%)
   • typically at 10.9 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2002

   Owners describe tread separating from tires, sometimes after vibration or shaking, and some reports describe veering, a blowout, or a rollover. Some reports say the owner was told the tires were not part of a recall, and later found the replacement tires were on a recall, with no reply after reporting it. Mostly reported at highway speeds, around 60 to 70 mph in some reports, and in a report of tread separation within 20,000 miles.

   What to check: Check the tire sidewalls for bulges or separation, and look up each tire's DOT number to see whether it is covered by a recall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “About 1 mile after getting off the freeway, I was traveling 35 MPH on a well paved surface street when left rear of the vehicle started to shake and veer to the left suddenly. I was able to control the vehicle and slowly slow down before the tread separated from the tire but it did not completely detach from the tire. About one-third of the tread stayed attached to the steel belts and this causing a slapping of the detached portion of the tread against the body of the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #737639, filed 2000-12

   “The left rear tire blew out on I 95 while traveling at approx. 70 MPH. This caused the truck to sway back and forth from the left lane then back into the right lane several times. I was lucky that nobody was beside me at the time. When I pulled off the road I saw that the whole tread was gone off the tire. It bent up the quarter panel and ripped the tailpipe out of the muffler. The tread had hit some other cars and was about 1/4-1/2 a mile down the road. The tires all have large bulges of uneven treads. …”

   NHTSA complaint #745734, filed 2001-05
2. 2
   Seats

   Seatbacks collapsing or seat bolts failing

   • 17 complaints (31%)
   • typically at 5.8 yrs old
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2000

   Owners describe seatbacks collapsing or reclining, and bolts breaking or shearing, sometimes after recall repairs. Some reports say the repaired seats failed again, and another describes a seatback reclined fully back so the vehicle could not be driven. According to complaints, a dealer attributed a seatback failure to age and fatigue. Most of these reports describe the failure after recall repairs, and some describe it while driving.

   Recall 93V187000

   What to check: Check the seatback recline mechanism and seat bolts for looseness, and ask whether the seat recall work was done and rechecked.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #814210, filed 1997-07

   “Seatback reclining mechanism broke while owner was driving vehicle. Seatback is currently reclined all the way back, making it impossible to drive vehicle. Dealer says it was age and fatigue.”

   NHTSA complaint #854954, filed 2000-01
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake grabbing, shuddering, or soft pedal

   • 11 complaints (20%)
   • typically at 8.3 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2000

   Owners describe brakes that grab, stagger, or shudder, and in some reports the anti-lock system seems to activate on every brake application. Other reports describe a pedal that goes all the way to the floor, a warning light with extended stopping distances, and a vehicle that keeps moving after a sudden stop. Some reports say the dealer was notified, and others say the manufacturer had been contacted. Reported during normal braking, including while towing a trailer in wet weather and at 55 to 60 mph with the ABS light flashing.

   What to check: Check that the ABS and brake warning lights go out after startup, and test the pedal feel and stopping behavior at low speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was entering the I-205 southbound on ramp off of mill plain blvd in vancouver, wa when the driver of the car in front of me suddenly applied her brakes. I attempted to apply my brakes, but the brake peddle went limp all the way to the floor. I tried to pump the brakes, but the peddle stayed limp and all the way to the floor. I didn't panic because I didn't see any reason for the driver to slam on her brakes--there was no one in front of her and there was no one pulling in front of her, and we were entering the I-205 on-ramp. …”

   NHTSA complaint #700101, filed 1998-10

   “While 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.”

   NHTSA complaint #821082, filed 1998-02

Buying note. Tire and seat complaints are each linked to something a buyer can check, so look up the tire DOT numbers and confirm whether the seat recall work was done. Because brake reports describe ABS activity and soft pedals, a brake test at low speed is a practical step before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 28 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.