GMC S15 · model year

1990 GMC S15

4 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 1990GMCS15 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1990 S15 is electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1990 S15. 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.

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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20000407UNKNOWN OR OTHER

PAINT HAS PEELED OF THE VEHICLE REPEATEDLY HOOD WAS REPAINTED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY. SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD SAID AT THAT TIME THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PRIMER USED AT THE FACTORY. DEALER HAD LOCAL SHOP REPAINT HOOD. DRIVERS FENDER WAS ALSO REPAINTED UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED PAINT HAS BEEN PEELING FROM DIFFERENT AREAS. FENDERS, PICHUP BOX, HOOD, DOORS, AND CAB. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

19980929FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. INSURANCE COMPANY CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME. *SLC

19980929FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. INSURANCE COMPANY CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME. *SLC

19970415ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, UNDER THE DASH COMPARTMENT FIRE BROKE OUT, WILL PROVIDE FIRE REPORT. *AK

Compare 1990GMCS15 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 GMC S15 have?
The 1990 GMC S15 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 GMC S15?
The most-complained component for the 1990 GMC S15 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1990 GMC S15 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 GMC S15; 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.