CHEVROLET K1500 · model year

1990 CHEVROLET K1500

8 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990CHEVROLETK1500 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1990 K1500 is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components with 2 filings, followed by wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs (2) and seats (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1990 K1500, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

8
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 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
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS2
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS2
SEATS1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
STEERING1

Recent Complaints

20020514WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER STATES THERE WAS STRANGE HANDLING, HE PULLED OVER AND AND DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING SO HE CONTINUED BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE REAR WHEEL CAME OFF BEFORE GETTING UP TO SPEED, THE BRAKE DRUM FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR FENDER, LUG NUT STUDS, AND THE ALUMINUM WHEEL, CONSUMER REASSEMBLED THE LEFT REAR BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO REINSTALL THE WHEEL. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *SLC

20011030WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER STATES THERE WAS STRANGE HANDLING, HE PULLED OVER AND AND DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING SO HE CONTINUED BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE REAR WHEEL CAME OFF BEFORE GETTING UP TO SPEED, THE BRAKE DRUM FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR FENDER, LUG NUT STUDS, AND THE ALUMINUM WHEEL, CONSUMER REASSEMBLED THE LEFT REAR BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO REINSTALL THE WHEEL. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *SLC

20000418STEERING

I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING COLOMN WAS WOBBLEING FROM BELOW THE ADJUSTMENT FOR THE TILT WHEEL. AS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OVER THE NEXT MONTH THE STEERING WHEEL WOBBLED NOTICEABLY MORE. THE VEHICLE WAS BECOMING DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CONTROL THROUGH TRAFFIC AND ON THE HIGHWAY AS THE STEERING COLOMN WOBBLE INCREASED. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO BEACH CITY CHEVROLET FOR REPAIRS. I WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIR ADVISOR THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHEVROLET TRUCKS. I FEEL THIS IS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION IF I HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BY LOSING CONTROL THE MY VEHICLE. *AK

19991129SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL GOES DOWN EXCESSIVELY BEFORE THE BRAKES KICK IN, ESPECIALLY WHEN TOWING SOMETHING. OWNER HAS TO ALMOST STAND ON BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. OWNER HAS REPLACED MOST OF BRAKE ASSEMBLY. *AK

19990217SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE TAKES A LONG TIME TO STOP, EVEN IF THE PEDAL IS PUSHED HARD AS POSSIBLE. DEALER SAYS IT'S NORMAL. *AK

19981014FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE FIRE.(OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT).

19970424SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

FRONT BRAKES FAILED.

19960923SEATS

RIGHT SIDE SEAT TRACK BROKE.

Compare 1990CHEVROLETK1500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 CHEVROLET K1500 have?
The 1990 CHEVROLET K1500 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 CHEVROLET K1500?
The most-complained component for the 1990 CHEVROLET K1500 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS and SEATS.
Is the 1990 CHEVROLET K1500 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1990 CHEVROLET K1500; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.