AI Damage1989 Ford Thunderbird: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Ford Thunderbird filed 124 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 124
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 21% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 19% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 14% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 3% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 26 complaints (21% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 23 complaints (19% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 22 complaints (18% of all).
- Seat belts: 17 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 13 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- 3.8 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 124 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 26 | 9 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 23 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 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.
Driver was restrained by seatbelt. During collision, seatbelt became unanchored from the floor and came loose causing driver to be thrown into steering wheel, under dashboard and into windshield. Please note that the speed and mileage are stated as approximates by counsel , will supplement if necessary.
While driving approximately 40 mph a loud snap came from the front passenger's side wheel. This caused the vehicle not to be able to turn left, and then ended up crashing with the guard rail. The cause was undetermined.
Consumer's daughter was driving when she applied brakes and they did not apply fully. Then vehicle started to roll down an enbankment. Vehicle was totaled. Brake failure due to malfunctioned master cylinder.
Consumer experienced sudden acceleration while driving, transmission was placed in reverse and vehicle just accelerated, resulting in loss of control/crash.
Consumer shifted from park to drive position, and experienced a sudden acceleration. Consumer was injured in accident.
Sudden acceleration, vehicle went open throttle position impact 12:00 position speed 20 mph. Tt
Freon leaks in air conditioner - repaired twice. Fuel line replaced. Steering colum jam of somesort - no key access. Replaced 3 alternators. Cannot shift transmission into overdrive. Rebuilt by aamco. Blew head gasket. Radiator coolant comming out from muffler. Got rid of car at this time.
Brakes fail intermittently, they are leaking brake fluid and the ford dealerships cannot repair it. There are no rebuild kits available for this vehicle. Consumer was informed to purchase a master cylinder from a junk yard. Consumer feels fords responsibilty is to repair or replace 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 3,056 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Thunderbird has 82 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 124, above average.
What to check before buying
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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
- Thunderbird 19803 sources
- Thunderbird 19833 sources
- Thunderbird 198426 sources
- Thunderbird 198514 sources
- Thunderbird 198623 sources
- Thunderbird 198761 sources
- Thunderbird 198892 sources
- Thunderbird 1990140 sources
- Thunderbird 1991112 sources
- Thunderbird 1992184 sources
- Thunderbird 1993423 sources
- Thunderbird 1994300 sources
- Thunderbird 1995261 sources
- Thunderbird 1996233 sources
- Thunderbird 1997169 sources
- Thunderbird 19983 sources
- Thunderbird 200293 sources
- Thunderbird 200333 sources
- Thunderbird 200434 sources
- Thunderbird 200527 sources
- Thunderbird 99997 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Ford Thunderbird?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 124. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (19%), seat belts (9%), brake failure (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Ford Thunderbird?
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 Ford Thunderbird 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.