CHEVROLET C10 · model year

1990 CHEVROLET C10

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990CHEVROLETC10 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 C10 is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings, followed by visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1990 C10, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1

Recent Complaints

19990805SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE FRONT BRAKES STOPPED, BUT THE BACK WHEELS KEPT SPINNING. DEALER COULDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK

19960103VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

HEATER DEFROSTER BECOMES INOPERATIVE WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. TT

19951031POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID OVERHEATS, GEARS DO NOT ENGAGED FULLY, CAN SMELL BURNT TRANMISSION FLUID, INVOLVED IN RECALL 93V016000 DEALER ONLY INPECTED PROBLEM

Compare 1990CHEVROLETC10 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 CHEVROLET C10 have?
The 1990 CHEVROLET C10 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 CHEVROLET C10?
The most-complained component for the 1990 CHEVROLET C10 is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1990 CHEVROLET C10 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.