AI Damage1989 GMC Suburban: common problems
Owners of the 1989 GMC Suburban filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seats and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 17
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Seats 24% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 18% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 12% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 12% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 6% of all complaints
- Seats: 4 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (18% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (12% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (12% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (12% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 6.2 L · diesel · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 4-speed
Drive: AWD, RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 17 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
The tire blew up, causing the vehicle to turn immediately to the left. This caused a wreck and physical damage to the driver. (tiresize: lt26575r16)
Drivers chair slipped back while driving, causing loss of control/accident/injury prior to recall.(93v187000)
While at a stop vehicle jerked forward intermittently. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
The two side seatbelts in the middle row of seats. Don't workvery well, they get stuck half way out a lot.
The right rear tire blew out. Steeltex radial lt tires. The tire pressure had run low, but never more than 2 psi high. (never any impact) the blowout happened on a smooth road at a low speed. There were never any repairs done to the tires.
While traveling noticed smoke comig from the engine. Consumer pulled over. Looked under hood, and discovered that engine was on fire. Please provide further information.
Exhaust mainfold to cylinder head bolts have broken due to heat stress exhaust leakage is apparent.
Brakes have failed on three separate occasions. Dealer replaced master cylinder.
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 8,820 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Suburban has 76 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 17, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- Suburban 19845 sources
- Suburban 19853 sources
- Suburban 19864 sources
- Suburban 19878 sources
- Suburban 19888 sources
- Suburban 199022 sources
- Suburban 199130 sources
- Suburban 199280 sources
- Suburban 1993212 sources
- Suburban 1994411 sources
- Suburban 1995227 sources
- Suburban 1996172 sources
- Suburban 1997200 sources
- Suburban 1998100 sources
- Suburban 1999285 sources
- Suburban 200015 sources
- Suburban 20015 sources
- Suburban 20027 sources
- Suburban 20035 sources
- Suburban 99995 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 GMC Suburban?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seats, seat belts, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (12%), smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), A/C or heater (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 GMC Suburban?
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 GMC Suburban 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.