PlainCars

PONTIAC LEMANS · model year

1990 PONTIAC LEMANS

31 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990PONTIACLEMANS carries 31 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 0 fires, 2 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 LEMANS is seat belts with 4 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (3) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor (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.

NHTSA currently has 17 investigation files overlapping the 1990 LEMANS. 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.

31
Complaints
5
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

31 filings

Crashes Reported

5 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 BELTS4
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC2
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY2
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING1
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1

Recent Complaints

20000113VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE PRESSURE RELEASE VENT FOR THE WATER WHEN IT GETS HOT. THIS CAUSES THE PRESSURE TO BULID UP/ HOSES TO BUST, AND VEHICLE OVERHEATING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

19970725POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

COMSUMER'S SON WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 40MPH WHEN CLUTCH CABLE BROKE, LEAVING VEHICLE WITHOUT CLUTCH TO SHIFT GEAR ON HIGHWAY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, BUT DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. *AK

19970516ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

WHILE DRIVING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM DASH NEAR STEERING WHEEL, THEN SUDDENLY FLAMES CAME FROM DASH DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN WIRING HARNESS, VEHICLE INTERIOR WAS TOTALLED. *AK

19970303SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE IS INOPERATIVE. *AK

19961028SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

THE BRAKE CALIPER WILL STICK IN CLOSED POSITION AROUND THE BRAKE DRUM, CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF THE BRAKE PADS. *AK

19961028SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

THE BRAKE CALIPER WILL STICK IN CLOSED POSITION AROUND THE BRAKE DRUM, CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF THE BRAKE PADS. *AK

19960930SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE PRIOR TO RECALL. (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT)

19960726STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR HINGES CAME UNWELDED FORM THE DOOR

19960418CrashPOWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY

FLOOR MOUNT SHIFT BECOMES SHAKY AND SLIPS OUT OF GEAR. *AK

19960418CrashPOWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY

FLOOR MOUNT SHIFT BECOMES SHAKY AND SLIPS OUT OF GEAR. *AK

19960322SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

DRIVER EXPERIENCED TOTAL LOSS OF HYDRAULIC BRAKES WHILE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH. *AK

19960308SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

EXPERIENCE BRAKE MALFUNCTION, WHEN FRONT BRAKES HEAT UP, PADS WEAR EXCESSIVELY, PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR, BRAKE ACTION INADEQUATE NORMAL STOP AND GO CONDITIONS. *AK

19960308SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

EXPERIENCE BRAKE MALFUNCTION, WHEN FRONT BRAKES HEAT UP, PADS WEAR EXCESSIVELY, PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR, BRAKE ACTION INADEQUATE NORMAL STOP AND GO CONDITIONS. *AK

19951109SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SEAT BELT BUCKLE RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS (93V-154). *AK

19951108CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN CAR IS IN REVERSE CAR ACCELERATES . TTCONSUMER STATES WITHOUT FOOT BEING ON THE PEDAL.*JB

19951027CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

UNEXPECTED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SHIFTING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE. TT *SLC

19951027CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

UNEXPECTED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SHIFTING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE. TT *SLC

19950816SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

BRAKE ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE HUB, THE TIMING BELT BROKE, ALSO HAVING TRANS. PROBLEMS. TT

19950816ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

BRAKE ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE HUB, THE TIMING BELT BROKE, ALSO HAVING TRANS. PROBLEMS. TT

19950816POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

BRAKE ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE HUB, THE TIMING BELT BROKE, ALSO HAVING TRANS. PROBLEMS. TT

Compare 1990PONTIACLEMANS to Similar Vehicles

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

NHTSA Investigations

DP20002Defect PetitionClosed

HVAC Blower Motor Connector

DP16001Defect PetitionClosed

Passenger Sensing System Sensor Mat

RQ13001Recall QueryClosed

Brake Light Malfunction

EA12006Engineering AnalysisClosed

Power Window Master Switch Fire

EA10006Engineering AnalysisClosed

Engine Stall

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 PONTIAC LEMANS have?▼
The 1990 PONTIAC LEMANS has 31 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 PONTIAC LEMANS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 PONTIAC LEMANS is SEAT BELTS with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR.
Is the 1990 PONTIAC LEMANS 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.