AI Damage1989 Acura Integra: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Acura Integra filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 25% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 19% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 6 Seats 6% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 6% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 4 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Put vehicle in park and it took off. Engine revved loudly. Consumer applied brakes and there was no braking action. Vehicle hit pole. Consumer suffered broken bones and chest injuries.
The driver's and passenger's side seat belt buckles did not stay locked in place.
Upon impact, during rear end collision, at approx. 35mph, front passenger and rear seat track anchor bolt broke.
Vehicle accelerated suddenly upon shifting from park to drive, resulting in accident.
Windshield started cracking without any contact from another source. Cracks run across from passenger's side to the driver's side.
When vehicle hits bumps in road it makes clunking noises. Also, right front torsion bar broke.
Pin that holds steering nuckle/ wheel assembly sheared in two causing wheel to fall off car. Oil plug strips out.
Metal fuel line rusted at fuel pump, causing fuel to leak.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,040 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Integra has 33 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 16, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- Integra 19865 sources
- Integra 198711 sources
- Integra 19889 sources
- Integra 199032 sources
- Integra 199136 sources
- Integra 199228 sources
- Integra 199321 sources
- Integra 199455 sources
- Integra 199552 sources
- Integra 199636 sources
- Integra 199722 sources
- Integra 199821 sources
- Integra 19998 sources
- Integra 200017 sources
- Integra 20016 sources
- Integra 2023260 sources
- Integra 2024122 sources
- Integra 202563 sources
- Integra 202619 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Acura Integra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, service brakes, fuel system. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (25%), rust, corrosion (13%), fuel system, fuel smell (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Acura Integra?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1989 Acura Integra from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1989 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.