Consumer took vehicle in to have tires balanced due to vibration and was advised tires were separating, consumer was informed that these tires were not part of any recall, so consumer purchased four new tires, 2 weeks later consumer reports indicated that the tires were on recall, so consumer filled out a form and sent it in, however has heard no response, firestone wilderness at, p235/75r15, dot w2hl1py407.
The worst 1990 Chevrolet Suburban 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.
Specific symptoms reported on the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban
Recalls 3
Seats
- What is wrong
- The recliner mechanism and the seat frame may have foam and/or vinyl between them, creating a "soft" joint. This "soft" joint results in lower than specified bolt torque which leads to joint looseness, causing bolt fatigue and eventual bolt failure.
- Risk
- If bolt failure occurs to the driver's seat, it wouldallow the seat back to suddenly recline, and could result in loss of vehiclecontrol and a vehicle crash without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the foam and/or vinyl from between the recliner mechanism and the seat frame "soft" joint and replace the recliner bolts.
Recall number 93V187000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
- What is wrong
- Severe corrosion due to road salt at the joint of the stamped steel center section and the cast outer section can cause the sections to separate.
- Risk
- Separation of the rotor sections can cause loss ofbraking ability in the affected wheel. This could result in increased stoppingdistance and/or loss of vehicle control and an accident.
- Remedy
- Replace the front brake rotors with new rotors with a corrosion protection coating. However, if replacement of brake linings are necessary, it will be done at owner's expense since brake linings are normal maintenance items.
Recall number 93V119000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Unanticipated heat in the transmission can force the transmission fluid out of the vent tube.
- Risk
- The vented transmission fluid can catch fire if exposedto a source of ignition.
- Remedy
- Install a longer transmission vent hose routed to the left side of the engine compartment of the vehicle.
Recall number 93V016000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban
Defect investigations
Engine compartment fires
An alleged malfunction in the atlernator resulting in engine compartmet fires.
EA94029
Technical service bulletins for the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban 4
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
1990 Chevrolet Suburban 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2L 8‑cyl Diesel | RWD | 15 | 21 | 17 |
| 6.2L 8‑cyl Diesel | 4WD | 14 | 19 | 16 |
| 5.7L 8‑cyl | RWD | 12 | 17 | 14 |
| 5.7L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 11 | 13-15 | 12-13 |
What 1990 Chevrolet Suburban owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Consumer stated vehicle was vibrating, vehicle was taken into shop and consumer was informed that tires were separating, which were replaced at the consumer expense after being told that they were not apart of any recall, the tires that consumer purchased, however were on recall, consumer has been unable to get a repsonse from firestone. (firestone wilderness at tires p235/75r15)
Pe00 020; consumer was traveling 65mph on highway and heard a noise, tread was flapping up against inner fender well. He was able to pull over to the shoulder , and noticed that the driver's side rear tire tread separated. The tire firestone, steel tex, lt23585r16, dot vn0rtxk127. Dealership was aware of problem.
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. I called goodyear and told them the problem. They said they dont have any problems with these tires and any wear problems are probably the fault of my vehicle. They did say they want the blown tire and will replace it, but will not replace the others. So they are all in my garage waiting for a recall. They are dangerous. If you have any questions, call me at my work #. Thank you. *ak (tiresize: 31/10.5/15)( dot number: tire size: 31/10.5/15 )
Windshield wipers will quit running intermittently, causing poor visibility. Consumer has same defect as recall 98v150001, but manufacturer claimed this vehicle was not included due to VIN.
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. I was able to stop the vehicle in about 300 feet without an accident. The tire was still fully inflated when the tow trucl driver cmame to put on my spare tire. The firestone dealer refused to give me any adjustment or allowance toward replacing the tire or the remaining 3 other tires. Since I was not pleased with the firestone dealer's answer and felt that the other 3 tires could also be hazardous, I bought four tires from goodyear to be safe. The only reason I am writing is so that the federal safety agency will be aware that the tire separation problem on firestone tires is also present in the 16 inch sizes. Please, please, please issue a warning to owners of this size tire also so at least those drivers can be aware of potential problems with their tires that could kill them or their vehicle occupants if a tread separation should occur at freeway speeds. I know that if the separation had occurred on my vehicle just one mile earlier when I was on the freeway doing 65 MPH, I could easily have lost control of the vehicle and not have had the ability to prevent a serious accident or fatality to mysely, my occupants, or perhaps other vehicles on the road that day. Again, please notify the drivers of vehicles with the 16 firestone tires that they are also at extreme risk, not only the 15 inch tires. *ak (tiresize: 235-85-r16)( dot number: tire size: 235-85-r16 )
Tread separated, causing tire to blowout. *ak (dot number: w2m2 jba tiresize: 255/70r15)
After braking 2 to 3 times the brakes stagger, shudder grabbing and sticking, seems like the antilock system is happening each and every time brakes are applied.
The left rear firestone firehawk (235/75r15) tire sustained a tread sustained a tread separation causing the vehicle to rollover, five occupants sustained injuries (attorney for client). Nlm
While driving, the tread separated from six different firestone atx tires within 20,000 miles. This always occured on a highway in texas. The dates were 10/96, 10/96, 5/97, 12/98, 3/99, & 6/99.( dot number: tire size: 321150r15 )
Compare the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban
Suburban vs Chevrolet TahoeSuburban vs Ford ExpeditionSuburban vs GMC YukonSuburban vs Toyota SequoiaSuburban vs Nissan Armada
Other model years
19901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
Questions about the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban
Is the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
Owners have filed 53 complaints about the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban, fewer than a typical Suburban model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban?
Seats, with 15 complaints. Next is brakes (11).
How many recalls does the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban have?
3 recalls, covering seats, service brakes, hydraulic and power train.
Was there a recall on the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban seats?
Yes, 1 recall: 93V187000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Suburban have bad seats?
The Chevrolet Suburban model years with the most seats complaints are 1995 (87 complaints), 1994 (18 complaints) and 1990 (15 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban get?
Official estimates for the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban range from 12 to 17 mpg combined. The most efficient version (6.2L 8-cyl diesel, RWD) gets 15 city and 21 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1990 Chevrolet Suburban?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history