Total Complaints
12 filings
PONTIAC TRANSPORT · model year
1990 PONTIAC TRANSPORT
12 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990PONTIACTRANSPORT carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 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 1990 TRANSPORT is structure with 3 filings, followed by steering (2) 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.
NHTSA currently has 17 investigation files overlapping the 1990 TRANSPORT. 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.
12
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | 3 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050613STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
DT: THE CRADLE DROPPED, LOST STEERING, LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WAS UNINJURED, THE VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP. MECHANIC DETERMINED THE SUB FRAME CORRODED ON ONE OR BOTH ENDS, AND CAUSED IT TO BREAK THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK
Mileage: 260,000
20040823VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
PROBLEMS WITH WINDOW MOTOR ON 1990 PONTIAC TRANSPORT.*MR (NAR)
20040723STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
REAR CRADLE BOLTS BROKE OFF OF VEHICLE.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED MARCH 1999 FOR THE CRADLE BOLTS AND REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. ON MAY 9, 2004 THE REAR CRADLE BOLTS BROKE WHILE DRIVING WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRAME AND TRANSMISSION DROPPED AND THE STEERING SHAFT BROKE. *NM
20040601STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH FRAME BOLTS BROKE. AS A RESULT, THE MIDDLE CRACKED IN HALF. *AK
Mileage: 15,000
20031110STRUCTURE
WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE REAR CRADLE BOLT SNAPPED. AS A RESULT STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. RECALL 97V058000, BUT THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *AK *JB
Mileage: 114,000
20030102SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT BACK INTO POSITION AND IT COULD CAUSE THE SEAT BELT TO BE DEFECTIVE IN THE EVENT OS AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
20021001STEERING
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE STEERING BOLT ARE LOSE AND IT IS CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO JUMP AROUND CAUSING IT TO BE HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. NLM
20020503STRUCTURE
REAR CRADLE DETACHED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH AND CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING, DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED.*AK
20020416TIRES
TWO TIRE FAILURE (GOODYEAR INVICTA), AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE MINIVAN BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THEN THE RIGHT TIRE THREAD SEPERATED AND BLOW OFF.
20011231STRUCTURE
CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS HAVE BECOME RUSTED, AND VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE.*AK. CONSUMER STATED AS SHE PROCEEDED TO THE STOP SIGN, AND THEN STEPPED ON THE GAS, THERE WAS NO STEERING IN THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT, ALSO BOTH AXLE BOOTS WERE WORN.*SLC
20011231STEERING
CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS HAVE BECOME RUSTED, AND VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE.*AK. CONSUMER STATED AS SHE PROCEEDED TO THE STOP SIGN, AND THEN STEPPED ON THE GAS, THERE WAS NO STEERING IN THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT, ALSO BOTH AXLE BOOTS WERE WORN.*SLC
20011231POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS HAVE BECOME RUSTED, AND VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE.*AK. CONSUMER STATED AS SHE PROCEEDED TO THE STOP SIGN, AND THEN STEPPED ON THE GAS, THERE WAS NO STEERING IN THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT, ALSO BOTH AXLE BOOTS WERE WORN.*SLC
Compare 1990PONTIACTRANSPORT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 PONTIAC TRANSPORT have?▼
The 1990 PONTIAC TRANSPORT has 12 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 PONTIAC TRANSPORT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 PONTIAC TRANSPORT is STRUCTURE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1990 PONTIAC TRANSPORT 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.