Total Complaints
8 filings
AUDI 200 · model year
1989 AUDI 200
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989AUDI200 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 200 is exterior lighting:headlights with 2 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (1) and engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1989 200. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
8
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 2 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20031027CrashPOWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
VEHICLE'S DIFFERENTIAL WENT OUT RESULTING IN ACCIDENT.*MR THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE DIFFERENTIAL WITH A USED ONE BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER CALLED AUDI AND GAVE THEM THE VIN AND OTHER INFORMATION. HE WAS THEN INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR HIS VEHICLE. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS INCOMPETENT OR THEY LIED. *PH
20000412EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
BRAKE LIGHT SYSTEM ON EFFECTS STEERING AND HYDRAULIC SYSTEM/ UNKNOWN SPEED BROKEN SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER. *AK
20000412POWER TRAIN
BRAKE LIGHT SYSTEM ON EFFECTS STEERING AND HYDRAULIC SYSTEM/ UNKNOWN SPEED BROKEN SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER. *AK
19990506FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
UNDERHOOD FIRE OCCURED ON VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING EB ON LIE. ENGINE COOLING FAN MOTOR SIEZED, RESULTING IN A UNINTERUPTED GROUND FAULT WHICH BURNED ALL THE WIRES IN THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS. THERE WAS NO CIRCUIT BREAKER OR FUSE PROVIDED IN THE WIRING TO PREVENT A GROUD FAULT FROM OCCURING. AUDI UPGRADED SUBSUQUENT MODEL YEARS OF THIS VEHICLE WITH A FUSEABLE LINK ON THE GROUND SIDE OF THE COOLING FAN MOTOR, BUT FAILED TO PROVIDE THE UPGRADE TO OWNERS OF 1984 THRU 1989 VEHICLES. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE VEHICLE WAS PREVENTED ONLY BY MY ABILITY TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLES IN A RAPID MANNER.
19990506FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
UNDERHOOD FIRE OCCURED ON VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING EB ON LIE. ENGINE COOLING FAN MOTOR SIEZED, RESULTING IN A UNINTERUPTED GROUND FAULT WHICH BURNED ALL THE WIRES IN THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS. THERE WAS NO CIRCUIT BREAKER OR FUSE PROVIDED IN THE WIRING TO PREVENT A GROUD FAULT FROM OCCURING. AUDI UPGRADED SUBSUQUENT MODEL YEARS OF THIS VEHICLE WITH A FUSEABLE LINK ON THE GROUND SIDE OF THE COOLING FAN MOTOR, BUT FAILED TO PROVIDE THE UPGRADE TO OWNERS OF 1984 THRU 1989 VEHICLES. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE VEHICLE WAS PREVENTED ONLY BY MY ABILITY TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLES IN A RAPID MANNER.
19970501AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
OWNER STATES WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT HIS DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON.O WNER IS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK
19960227EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE HEAD LIGHTS, CAN NOT SEE THE ROAD AT NIGHT DUE TO THE HEADLIGHTS FOGGING. *AK
19960227EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE HEAD LIGHTS, CAN NOT SEE THE ROAD AT NIGHT DUE TO THE HEADLIGHTS FOGGING. *AK
Compare 1989AUDI200 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 AUDI 200 have?▼
The 1989 AUDI 200 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 AUDI 200?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 AUDI 200 is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN.
Is the 1989 AUDI 200 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.