1990 Chevrolet C3500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1990 Chevrolet C3500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes233.3%
- Fuel system116.7%
- Seat belts116.7%
- Tires & wheels116.7%
- Transmission116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED DUE TO CORROSION OF THE ABS MASTER CYLINDER.
POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON, JUNE16/17, 2012, DRIVING, OUR 1990 K3500, DUALLY TRUCK, WE HAD TWO TIRES BLOWOUT, INSIDE DUALS, ONE ON DRIVERS, ONE ON PASSENGERS, REARS. THE WHOLE TREAD, SEPARATED,FROM THE CAP. THE TIRES DID $5,000, DAMAGE, TO OUR TRUCK; WE WERE LUCKY, WE WERE NOT HURT. WE FILED A CLAIM, WITH BFGOODWRICH, TIRE MANUFACTURER, AS TIRES, WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND ONLY HAD 17,000 MILES, ON THEM, AND WERE WELL TAKEN CARE OF, AND PROPERLY, INFLATED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN TRYING TO PLACE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT INTO BELT BUCKLE, THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY INTO BUCKLE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON, JUNE16/17, 2012, DRIVING, OUR 1990 K3500, DUALLY TRUCK, WE HAD TWO TIRES BLOWOUT, INSIDE DUALS, ONE ON DRIVERS, ONE ON PASSENGERS, REARS. THE WHOLE TREAD, SEPARATED,FROM THE CAP. THE TIRES DID $5,000, DAMAGE, TO OUR TRUCK; WE WERE LUCKY, WE WERE NOT HURT. WE FILED A CLAIM, WITH BFGOODWRICH, TIRE MANUFACTURER, AS TIRES, WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND ONLY HAD 17,000 MILES, ON THEM, AND WERE WELL TAKEN CARE OF, AND PROPERLY, INFLATED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
STARTED VEHICLE, BUT UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR (AUTOMATIC). AFTER RESTARTING, ENGINE RUNNING, TRANSMISSION MAKES A WHISTLING NOISE. WOULD GO ABOUT 30MPH, ONCE IN GEAR BE FOR SHIFTING AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .