AI Damage1989 Isuzu Pickup Truck: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Isuzu Pickup Truck filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and parking brake. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 50% of all complaints
- 2 Parking brake 17% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 17% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 17% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Parking brake: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Structure: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 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 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
Driver's side seat belt did not restrain in a frontal collision.
While examining the vehicle the contact noticed that the frame underneath the vehicle was severely rusted and corroded. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the contact was told that the steel for the frame was subject to excessive rust. The vehicle was not repaired.
Driver's side lap/shoulder belt will not fully retract. Also, passenger's side belt beginning to fail to retract. When exiting vehicle, extended belts get caught in door unless manually retracted.
When apply the parking brake sometimes doesn't release right . Tt
Both shoulder belts extending from side panel fail to restrain occupants. Tt consumer states belts do not lock in the holders on side of pickup.
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 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Pickup Truck has 5 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 6, above average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Isuzu Pickup Truck?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, parking brake, powertrain. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rollaway, parking brake (17%), rust, corrosion (17%), seat belts (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Isuzu Pickup 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 Isuzu Pickup 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.