1989 Toyota Toyota Truck: common problems

Owners of the 1989 Toyota Toyota Truck filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and seats. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 8

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 38% of all complaints
2 Seats 13% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
4 Steering 13% of all complaints
5 Tires 13% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
7 Visibility 13% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (38% of all).
Seats: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Service brakes: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Steering: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Tires: 1 complaints (13% of all).

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine and cooling	3	0	0
Seats	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0
Tires	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	0
Visibility	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.

Recall of head gaskets in toyota trucks started in 1996. My vehicle is a 1989/1990 toyota mini motorhome...truck 89..sea breeze motor home built in 1990. They refused to fix.
Engine and cooling · 2005-04-15 · NHTSA complaint #10117911
Broken windshield: a crack extending from bottom of frame across middle of glass. I purchased this auto with this defect and intend to have it repaired. However, I have seen three other toyota pickup's in the last 3 days with the same type of break.
Visibility · 2004-11-14 · NHTSA complaint #10098824
While driving, the left rear tire went flat causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and hit the median wall causing damage to the left front fender, left mirror, left door, left side of truck and front bumper (this vehicle was a rented u-haul truck) (ohio traffic crash report). Nlm
Tires · 2002-12-04 · NHTSA complaint #567281
The gas peddle sticks when ever you are not appling the gas. It is getting more and more frequent. I also have a 91 toyota 2wd pick up that does the same thing, but not as often. The 89 seems tobe happening more and more frequently.
Vehicle speed control · 1999-10-27 · NHTSA complaint #713928
My mechanic determined that some combination of head, head gaskets, or block problems attributed to the considerable oil leakage that was taking place. A considerable amount of oil leakage was also detected near the rear main seal portion of the motor, but more particularly some aluminum housing piece that contained a…
Engine and cooling · 1999-05-01 · NHTSA complaint #706158
Master cylinder; brake pedal performs poorly on a panic w/slow stop or rough stop. Please describe details. Tt
Service brakes · 1995-05-15 · NHTSA complaint #965409

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19951
19962
19992
20021
20041
20051

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Toyota Truck has 8 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 8, about average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1989 Toyota Toyota Truck?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, seats, service brakes. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (13%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Toyota Toyota 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 Toyota Toyota 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.