IllustrationVEHICLE WAS ON HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 45-50 MPH. APPROACHING RAILROAD TRACKS, APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. WHILE SLOWING DOWN, THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLIDE INTO A TRAIN. *AK
1990 Chevrolet Silverado
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Chevrolet Silverado are lower than the model-year median of 76.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 25 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
25 reportsHORN DOESN'T WORK, AND ALL LIGHTS DON'T WORK. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AT A SPEED OF 65MPH, MY TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO THE MAX RPM. I ATTEMPTED TO DOWNSHIFT, BUT THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND SINCE I WAS APPROACHING AN OF-RAMP I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE, BUT COULD NOT STOP, SO I TURNED OFF THE KEY, BUT HAD TO SWERVE OFF TO THE GRASS TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE LINE…
Read full complaint
AT A SPEED OF 65MPH, MY TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO THE MAX RPM. I ATTEMPTED TO DOWNSHIFT, BUT THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND SINCE I WAS APPROACHING AN OF-RAMP I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE, BUT COULD NOT STOP, SO I TURNED OFF THE KEY, BUT HAD TO SWERVE OFF TO THE GRASS TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE LINE OF TRAFFIC STOPPED IN THE OFF-RAMP. I WAITED A FEW MOMENTS TO STOP SHAKING AND REALIZED A NOXIOUS "BURNING" SMELL WAS FILLING THE CAB AND I THOUGHT MY TRUCK WAS ON FIRE. I WAITED A FEW PANICKY MOMENTS AND RESTARTED IT AND EASED ONTO THE FEEDER RD.AND INTO A MUFFLER SHOP. THE OWNER LOOKED AT IT, DROVE IT AND THEN DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL. HE ADVISED ME TO HAVE MY BRAKES INSPECTED, SINCE I PROBABLY DAMAGED THEM WHILE TRYING TO STOP. I WENT TO A CHEV. DEALER AND THEY SAID NO SERVICE BULLETINS COULD BE FOUND.
SEAT BELT RELEASED UPON IMPACT, RESULTING IN INJURIES. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.