AI Damage1989 Chrysler NEW Yorker: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Chrysler NEW Yorker filed 78 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 78
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 42% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 27% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 4% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 4% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 3% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 33 complaints (42% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 21 complaints (27% of all).
- Electrical system: 9 complaints (12% of all).
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (8% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 5 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.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 78 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 33 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
Abs problem; the abs warning light and brake warning light came on and after going 2 miles there was no braking ability. This caused driver to rear end vehicle ahead. A pump was replaced in the abs in jan of 97. Dealer is not able to duplicate problem with brakes at this time.
While driving 30 mph a fire started in the engine compartment. Local fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Dealer was notified. Feel free to provide any further information.
Driver seat broke from back to bottom on right hand side, causing seat to move. Dealer claimed seat needed to be replaced. Chrysler offered to pay for half of repairs.
While driving at 45 mph without prior warning, vehicle stalled, and there was some type of noise. Vehicle has been into the shop five times, and the dealer can't determine the cause.
When making a right turn the vehicle completely shuts down, cause unknown. Dealer can not identify the problem. Please give any further details. Mjs
Abs brake problems; the abs warning light came on. When the vehicle was checked by the dealership, there was a problem found with the accumulator. The accumulator had to be replaced for the second time. The first time the accumulator was replaced at 20,000-30,000 miles. Please provide any further informaiton.
I was driving into a bank's teller machine line when I noticed that two brake problem indicator lights came on the dashboard. Then, I noticed that my brakes almost completely failed. I had to shift to neutral to stop the car, which took all the foot pressure I could muster.
The coil spring was rubbing onto the ground, causing tire and tank to separate from the vehicle.
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 4,151 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the NEW Yorker has 34 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 78, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Chrysler NEW Yorker?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 78. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (12%), warning lights, check engine (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Chrysler NEW Yorker?
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 Chrysler NEW Yorker 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.