CHEVROLET VAN · model year

1991 CHEVROLET VAN

4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1991CHEVROLETVAN carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 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 1991 VAN is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 2 filings, followed by steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion) (1) and latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch (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 1991 VAN, 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.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 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
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE2
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1

Recent Complaints

20020917FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO CHUG, CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE, OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *SLC

19981202FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

DRIVING ON THE TURNPIKE AND HEARD GRINDING NOISE, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER GOT OUT AND SAW FIRE COMING FROM BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT WHEELS. THE VEHICLE THEN WENT UP IN FLAMES AND WAS TOTALLY DAMAGED. *AK

19971103LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

DOOR LATCH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS CRACKED . THE DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE TIGHTLY. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *SLC

19970807STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

GEAR BOX BOLTS BREAK OFF, CAUSING DRIVER TO EXPERIENCE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED 3 TIMES PRIOR TO TODAY. *AK

Compare 1991CHEVROLETVAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1991 CHEVROLET VAN have?
The 1991 CHEVROLET VAN has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 CHEVROLET VAN?
The most-complained component for the 1991 CHEVROLET VAN is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) and LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH.
Is the 1991 CHEVROLET VAN 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.