AI Damage1989 Pontiac Lemans: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Pontiac Lemans filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 40% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 27% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 13% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 7% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 7% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (40% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (27% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 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 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
Consumer parked the vehicle and noticed that bumper was melted down by the turn signal, and vehicle was not running at the time. Ak
The passenger's side front wheel hub wears down and needs to be replaced, pe 91-101 .
Seat belt retactor; failure on the driver side seat belt retactor, seat belt is too short to be placed in the buckle.
Seat belt buckle failure, seat belt will not latch properly. Tt
The drivers seatbelt has broken. The red tab in the middle of the buckle came out and now it does not latch. Please describe. Tt
Electrical system failed/replaced twice, causes vehicle to perform sluggishly upon acceleration.
Heard rubbing noise, left front brakes seized; wears out prematurely; also, engine stalls while driving. Detailed info will be provided. Tt
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 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Lemans has 17 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 15, about average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS 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.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Pontiac Lemans?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (27%), A/C or heater (7%), rust, corrosion (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Pontiac Lemans?
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 Pontiac Lemans 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.