GEO TRACKER · model year

1990 GEO TRACKER

27 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990GEOTRACKER carries 27 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 1 fatality. 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 TRACKER is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 10 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (4) and structure:frame and members (2). 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.

No open NHTSA investigation overlaps the 1990 TRACKER in the current dataset. 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.

27
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

27 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY10
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS4
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS2
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH1
SEATS1
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER1

Recent Complaints

20020611CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

WIFE INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION. HER VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. UPON INPACT THE DRIVERS SEAT BACK FELL ALL THE WAY BACK, SHE SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND WHIP LASH INJURY AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO CHELSEA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. THE SEAT BEING IN THE DOWNWARD POSITION WAS POINTED OUT TO THE STATE POLICE AND EMS PERSON BY MY WIFE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY HOME, SEAT PHOTOGRAPHED IN DOWNWARD POSITION. WHEN SEAT IS RAISED IT WILL NOT STAY IN PROPER UPRITE POSITION, IT GOES BACK AT APPROX 45 DEGREE ANGLE AND TWISTED BACK ON RT SIDE. CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS, THEY SAY THAT THE SEAT CONDITION DID NOT CAUSE THE ACCIDENT SO THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE.*AK

20000922CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT

PE00 020 ;WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 61MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE AND SHE LOST CONTROL. VEHICLE ROLLED OVER FOUR TIMES AND WHEN DOWN INTO AN ENBANKMENT. FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN. THERE WERE TWO TIRES THAT EXPLODED; DRIVER'S FRONT TIRE AND THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE. TIRE WERE FIRESTONE, AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

20000905SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

BUCKLES ON THE SEAT BELTS JAM PASSAGERS CAN'T REMOVE BELTS

20000725SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

BOTH SAFTEY BELTS IN THE FRONT "LOCK-UP" AND YOU ARE STUCK IN THE VEHICLE. YOU GET OUT ONLY WHEN THE THE SEAT BELT FINALLY POPS OUT OF IT'S HOUSING. THE MORE YOU STRUGGLE, THE TIGHTER IT GETS. THESE SEAT BELTS WERE ONCE RECALLED, I TOOK THE CERTIFICATE TO DEERY BROTHERS IN BURLIGTON IOWA. THEY SAID THEY KNEW ALL ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND SO I SCHEDULED THE APPOINTMENT AND TOOK IT IN. THEY HAD MY VEHICLE THREE DAYS, AND WHEN I PICKED IT UP, THEY HAD DONE NOTHING TO IT. STILL ALL ORIGINAL SEATBELTS, HOUSINGS, ETC. WHEN I QUESTIONED THEM AT THIS TIME, THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE SEAT BELTS. I ASKED FOR THE CERTIFICATE BACK SO I COULD GO ELSEWHERE, AND THEY SAID "NO,THEY HAVE TO GET PAID". IN CASE OF FIRE OR FLOODING, HOW AM I GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS VEHICLE? THUS FAR I HAVE BEEN CITED TWICE FOR FAILURE TO WEAR SATEY BELTS. I GUESS IT'S A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR MINE AND MY PASSENGERS LIVES.

20000531SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

SOMETIMES WHEN TRYING TO STOP AT EITHER HIGH SPEEDS OR LOW, BRAKES WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. PEDAL CAN BE PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN, VEHICLE WILL SLOWLY STOP. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. OCCURS MOST OFTEN WHEN TRYING TO STOP QUICKLY. ALSO WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD, BRAKE PEDAL CAN BE PRESSED ALL THE DOWN AND VEHICLE WILL DO THE SAME THING. *AK

20000519SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

NEITHER THE CHEVROLET DEALER NOR CHEVROLET HEADQUARTERS WILL FIX THE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELTS. CLAIM IT IS NOT PART OF A RECALL, ALTHOUGH THE SEAT BELT LATCH FAILED EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN RECALL CAMPAIGN ID # 95V103007. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT ASSEMBLY HAS A BROKEN WELD, LEAVING THE SEAT ANCHORED IN ONLY 3 OF THE 4 CORNERS. CHEVROLET HEADQUARTERS CLAIMS THAT SINCE GEO IS NO LONGER SOLD BY CHEVROLET, THEY HAVE NO RECORDS OF OLDER GEO VIN NUMBERS AND CAN NOT TELL ME IF THIS VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED AT THEIR EXPENSE. THEY CLAIM IT WOULD BE UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL DEALER'S DISCRETION. TAYLOR-PARKER HAS ALREADY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE SEAT BELT AT THEIR EXPENSE, DESPITE MY TELLING THEM THAT THE NHTSA ISSUED A RECALL. WHAT GOOD ARE RECALLS?? *AK

20000419SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL NUMBER 95V103007. DEALER ONLY REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE. PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ALSO BROKE, BUT DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE IT. PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED LATER, BUT IT BROKE NOT LONG AFTER. *AK *ML

19981106SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BEFORE VEHICLE IS WARMED THE BRAKES ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO APPLY, EXCESSIVE PRESSURE IS NEEDED WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

19981102STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. LOSS OF CONTROL WAS DUE TO CORROSION OF THE STEERING GEAR, AS WELL AS THE STRUCTURE RUSTING AWAY FROM FRAME. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A RECALL. *AK

19981102STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. LOSS OF CONTROL WAS DUE TO CORROSION OF THE STEERING GEAR, AS WELL AS THE STRUCTURE RUSTING AWAY FROM FRAME. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A RECALL. *AK

19971107SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED DURING COLD TEMPERATURES THEY WILL RESIST AND SUDDENLY ENGAGE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

19970409STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

DRIVER'S SIDE REAR FRAME CORRODED AND BROKE AT THE CONNECTION OF THE CONTROL ARM WHILE DRIVING. *AK

19961004STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

AN INNER PIECE LOCATED NEAR THE TOP OF DRIVER'S DOOR BECAME LOOSE, EVENTUALLY THE DOOR COULD FALL OFF.*AK

19960620SEATS

BOLT THAT SECURES FRONT PASSENGERS SEATS LOOSENED, UNCERTAIN OF CAUSE. *AK

19960325LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND FRONT HOOD CAME OPEN. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

19960229SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE, UNABLE TO LATCH SEATBELT BUCKLE

19960229SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE, UNABLE TO LATCH SEATBELT BUCKLE

19960207ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

1.6 ENGINE. MOTOR REVEALED THREE INCH CRACK. NO INDICATION DRIVER ONLY NOTICED SMALL ODOR. TT

19960125SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE. *AK

19951211SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

#95V103007 THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED. TT

Compare 1990GEOTRACKER to Similar Vehicles

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 GEO TRACKER have?
The 1990 GEO TRACKER has 27 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 GEO TRACKER?
The most-complained component for the 1990 GEO TRACKER is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1990 GEO TRACKER 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.