AI Damage1989 Toyota Pickup: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Toyota Pickup filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 21
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 19% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 19% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 14% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (19% of all).
- Structure: 4 complaints (19% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 21 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
While driving vehicle across a bridge, another driver (young man) tried to pass in a no pass zone, struck vehicle head on; tried to apply brakes; 3 passengers injured
Master cylinders; failure on the brakes system, the brakes pedal goes to the floor, causing an accident.
Truck has 186000 miles and over the years I have had to replace the head gaskets and seals four times. Basically spending 3200 dollars three times after the warranty work was done the first time. This is a major issue with this vehicle.
The contact noticed that the frame of the vehicle was severely covered with rust. The vehicle has not been diagnosed and the manufacturer has not been contacted. The failure and current mileages were 166, 643.
Without warning, vehicle stalled at 25 mph. After towing to dealership and waiting over 7 weeks was told head gasket blown and heads warped. Then charged over $4220.00 for repairs already done.
Tl* the contact owns a 1989 toyota pickup. The contact received a safety recall 05v389 related to replacing the steering relay rod. T the closest dealer would require him drive for 3 hours. The contact preffered to have the vehicle repaired at a local repair shop and requested reimbursement.
Dt*: the contact stated the clutch looses power. An independent repair shop determined the brake pedal bracket fractured. The bracket was spot welded. The weld is coming loose and the bracket needs to be replaced.
Dt*: the contact stated although there were no problems displayed by the vehicle. There is a nhtsa recall, #05v389000 on the vehicle regarding the steering. The parts needed to repair the vehicle were not available at the local dealership. The manufacturer confirmed the parts were not available.
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 8,077 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Pickup has 17 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 21, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
- Pickup 19813 sources
- Pickup 19843 sources
- Pickup 19859 sources
- Pickup 198618 sources
- Pickup 19878 sources
- Pickup 19887 sources
- Pickup 199025 sources
- Pickup 199129 sources
- Pickup 199256 sources
- Pickup 199359 sources
- Pickup 199491 sources
- Pickup 199535 sources
- Pickup 19966 sources
- Pickup 19975 sources
- Pickup 19985 sources
- Pickup 20004 sources
- Pickup 20017 sources
- Pickup 99993 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Toyota Pickup?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, structure, powertrain. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (14%), seat belts (10%), brake failure (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Toyota Pickup?
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 Toyota Pickup 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.