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.
The worst 1991 Chevrolet Lumina problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes183
- Body52
- Engine36
- Seat belts28
- Electrical24
- Steering20
- Transmission11
- Fuel system9
- Tires9
- Wheels9
- Suspension7
- Locks5
- Visibility5
- Acceleration4
- Seats4
- Lights3
- Airbags2
Specific symptoms reported on the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
Brake failure 32Grinding brakes 10Power steering loss 10Premature wear 10Seat belt 10Fire or smoke 9Stalling 9ABS 5Engine failure 5
Recalls 3
Structure
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, where road salt use is heavy. A condition where one or both front engine cradle bolts can pull through the retainers due to corrosion of the retainers.
- Risk
- If both bolts pull through, the front of the cradle would no longer be supported at the mounting locations and the steering intermediate shaft could separate from the steering gear.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front and rear frame/cradle bolts and retainers.
Recall number 00V189000 · Recall details
Structure
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and mini vans originally sold or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, illinois, indiana, maine, massachusetts, michigan, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont and wisconsin. The rear cradle bolts pull through the retainers due to corrosion of the retainer. If both bolts pull through, the rear cradle would not longer be supported at these mounting locations and the steering intermediate shaft can separate from the steering gear.
- Risk
- If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, a vehicle crash could result.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear cradle bolts and retainers.
Recall number 97V058000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- The front door shoulder belt guide loops may be cracked and are not in compliance with fmvss 208.
- Risk
- The seat occupant faces increased risk of injury in theevent of a sudden stop or accident.
- Remedy
- Install reinforcing plates on the cracked shoulder belt guides.
Recall number 92V003000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
Defect investigations
Structure
There is no summary currently available
RP01001
Engine cradle separation
The engine cradle front bolts and/or retainers may fail, allowing the front of the engine cradle to fall, possibly separating the steering intermediate shaft from the steering gear, with complete loss of steering control
EA00011
Cradle bolt failures
There is no summary currently available
RQ97017
Corroded rear disk brakes
There is no summary currently available
PE94063
Wheel failures
There is no summary currently available
PE93085
Sticking throttle
There is no summary currently available
EA92024
Apv fuel line fires
There is no summary currently available
PE92052
Jack failure
===
EA91049
Steering wheel separation
There is no summary currently available
PE91072
Technical service bulletins for the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina 10
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- No tcc apply, malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on, tcc surge, possible P0740, P1870, or 39 after...
- Customers may complain of grinding / scraping / groaning noise from rear suspension
- Some V6 engines may, on a very infrequent basis, have an oil odor condition that is generally encountered...
- Excessive oil consumption (replace pcv harness)
- Cold start rattle noise (diagnosis/service procedure)
- Cold start rattle noise
- ABS warning light is on
- Rear strut related thumping/squeaking noise
- ABS wire harness for the right front wheel may rub on the brake line causing the ABS warning light to come on
1991 Chevrolet Lumina fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 26 | 21 |
| 3.1L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24-28 | 20 |
| 3.4L 6‑cyl | FWD | 15 | 24 | 18 |
What 1991 Chevrolet Lumina owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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. This was a 1991 chevy 2 door lumina and when I looked it up... There was a recall for this issue. Somehow the federal safety agency and general motors missed my VIN number in the recall. Had I been traveling at a high rate of speed and with my children in the car..we would have been killed! I would like to know why only some vehicles were identified in this safety recall when so many more are effected?
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 the contact. He was able to locate a recall for the failure (the federal safety agency campaign id number: 00v189000- structure) but was advised by the manufacturer that his VIN was not included. The current and failure mileage was approximately 131,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1991 chevrolet lumina. During an inspection, it was discovered that the subframe bushing was missing from the vehicle. The mechanic referenced recall # 00v189000 (structure) and stated that the vehicle needs to be serviced. The mechanic advised the contact not to drive at highway speeds. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The current and failure mileages were 168,000.
Tl* - the contact owns a 1991 chevrolet lumina. The contact lost power steering while at a stop sign. The vehicle was towed. There were no warning indicators. The mechanic diagnosed the failure as having occurred due to a missing cradle bolt. The failure mileage was 127,000. The contact stated that recall 097v05800 & recall 00v189000 were issued for the same problem. However, when she called the manufacturer they advised her that her vehicle was not apart of the recall.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 5 MPH on normal road conditions, there was a loss of steering control. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the incident. The vehicle was taken to the dealership, who determined the steering intermediate shaft separated from the steering gear. There was a the federal safety agency recall # 00v189000 indicating the vehicles who operated in salt belt states were affected due to corrosion. However, the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN, even though the vehicle operated in michigan. The manufacturer was also contacted, who confirmed the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle remained inoperable.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 5 MPH, the steering intermediate shaft separated from the steering gear. There was a the federal safety agency recall, #00v189000, regarding the structure. The dealer was contacted, and determined that the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN. The vehicle remained inoperable.
1991 chevrolet lumina caught on fire while driving. *ts while driving the vehicle would not accelerate past 50 MPH. The consumer pulled over and let the vehicle sit for a few minutes. After getting back onto the highway the consumer noticed smoke coming in through the passenger window. The consumer exited the vehicle and noticed that the rear of the vehicle was on fire. The right rear tail light burned along with the right rear bumper and the right side of the trunk.
Dt: the contact states there is a the federal safety agency recall campaign 97v058000 concerning the rear cradle bolts pulling through the retainer due to corrosion of the retainer. This vehicle had the same problems as indicated in the recall, but was not included in the recall due to VIN.
Dt: consumer has a printout of the federal safety agency recall sheet and was not notified of a recall. The back engine cradle retainers came off the bolts. Consumer was driving when this happened and almost had a head on collision as a result of this failure. Have been in contact with gm and they told consumer that they were not aware of a recall. Consumer was told after providing the VIN, that there were no recall that came up on there screen. Took car to the dealer, and they told the consumer that they would not cover it. No indication of a problem. The car is sitting at a gm/cheverolet dealer right now. They told consumer that they would not honor the recall, but turned and offered a $1,000.00 cash or towards another vehicle. Yesterday, one of the sales people from the dealership called and offered to sale consumer another vehicle. The dealer told the consumer that they would not cover the repairs on the vehicle because it was not the bolts in the rear engine cradle, it is the retainers that caused the problem. *ak
Compare the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
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Questions about the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
Is the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina reliable?
Owners have filed 352 complaints about the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina, 16.8 times a typical Lumina model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina?
Brakes, with 183 complaints. Next is body (52).
How many recalls does the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina have?
3 recalls, covering structure and seat belts.
What year does the Chevrolet Lumina have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Lumina model years with the most brakes complaints are 1990 (228 complaints), 1991 (183 complaints) and 1992 (161 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina get?
Official estimates for the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina range from 18 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 26 highway.
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