PlainCars

GMC 1500 · model year

1990 GMC 1500

8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990GMC1500 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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 1500 is tires:tread/belt with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1990 1500. 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.

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
TIRES:TREAD/BELT2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER1

Recent Complaints

20041025TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER PULLED OVER , AND SAW THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER CHANGED THE TIRE, AND DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. FIRESTONE, FR480, P235/75R15, #DOT NUMBER HDHL1PA066.*AK

20030507VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SPORADICALLY WORKS CAUSING LITTLE TO NO VISIBILITY. *NLM

20010713ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CONSUMER FEELS THAT ENGINE FOR VEHICLE IS CRACKED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

20010227SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS SEPARATED (INNER STEEL HUB AND OUTER CASTING) ON TWO OCCASIONS. NLM

20001116FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

WHILE DRIVING ALTERNATER CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER NEEDED A NEW ALTERNATER. DEALER SAID ALTERNATER WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED.*AK

20000911TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. TIRE NEVER LOST AIR PRESSURE. FIRESTONE ATX P235/75R15. *AK

19990225SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKES FEEL SOFT WHEN APPLIED AND REQUIRE CONSIDERABLE EFFORT TO DEPRESS AFTER A ROUTINE BRAKE JOB.

19960904SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE MASTER CYLINDER BLEW OUT, PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. *AK

Compare 1990GMC1500 to Similar Vehicles

1500 vs FORDF-150 → 1500 vs FORDEXPLORER → 1500 vs JEEPGRAND CHEROKEE → 1500 vs FORDESCAPE →

NHTSA Investigations

PE07014Preliminary EvaluationClosed

FUEL TANK LEAK

PE88002Preliminary EvaluationClosed

FRCTR OF P/S PUMP BRCKT

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 GMC 1500 have?▼
The 1990 GMC 1500 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 GMC 1500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 GMC 1500 is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS.
Is the 1990 GMC 1500 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

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

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.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.