1989 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck: common problems

Owners of the 1989 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and tires. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 14
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 29% of all complaints
2 Tires 29% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
4 Steering 14% of all complaints
5 Visibility 14% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
8 Suspension 7% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Seat belts: 4 complaints (29% of all).
Tires: 4 complaints (29% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 2 complaints (14% of all).
Steering: 2 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 2 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 14 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts4 · 29%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 21%
rust, corrosion1 · 7%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Seat belts	4	0
Tires	4	1
Powertrain	2	0
Steering	2	1
Visibility	2	1
Engine and cooling	1	0
Service brakes	1	1
Suspension	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

While driving on the highway the drivers rear tire experienced tread separation which caused the vehicle to leave the road and run into a ditch.
Tires · crash · 2003-05-19 · NHTSA complaint #10020079
Truck experienced unwanted acceleration resulting in crash. Tt
Steering · crash · 1995-05-05 · NHTSA complaint #964988
Driver side seat belt refused to release on a 1989 chevrolet 2500 pickup. Fortunately no accident or fire occured before I forced it open. Plastic part inside the latch failed. The passenger belt failed some time ago and it was replaced at no charge by chevrolet. Will they still honor the warantee ?
Seat belts · 2005-07-19 · NHTSA complaint #10129384
Had two tires of a set blow out. Minor damage to the vehicle.
Tires · 2003-11-13 · NHTSA complaint #10046888
The windshield wipers failed intermittently and impaired the driver's vision. A recall had been issued, however, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vine. The bolts had come loose in the tilt of the steering column.
Steering · 2003-10-20 · NHTSA complaint #10044254
Tire failed. (michelin 235/75-15 and dot # b3dddyux298).
Tires · 2002-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #566549
All seat belt buckles broke, and did not latch into the buckle housing mechanism. Consumer has contacted dealer and manufacturer. Manufacturer stated that they have discontinued the seat belt buckles. Owner is unable to find replacements.
Seat belts · 2000-06-02 · NHTSA complaint #862926
Upon leaving company grounds in a catering truck, a-frame came loose and fell on the ground due loose coil spring bolts.
Suspension · 1997-09-30 · NHTSA complaint #520829

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19952
19962
19971
20001
20013
20021
20033
20051

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 9,551 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Chevrolet Truck has 16 complaints (32 years in the data). This year has 14, about average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1989 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, tires, powertrain. Total complaints: 14. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (29%), smoke, burning smell, fire (21%), rust, corrosion (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck?

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 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck 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.