Total Complaints
6 filings
CADILLAC CADILLAC · model year
1989 CADILLAC CADILLAC
6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989CADILLACCADILLAC carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 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 CADILLAC is structure:body:door with 1 filings, followed by visibility:windshield (1) and service brakes, air:disc:pads (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 10 investigation files overlapping the 1989 CADILLAC, and 1 remain open. 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.
6
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
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 |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010725SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF FAULTY BRAKES FROM MANUFACTURER. THEY REQUESTED THAT I HAVE THEM REPAIRED AS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAULTY BRAKES WHICH ARE NOW A HAZARD WHEN TRYING TO STOP THE CAR.*AK
20000824CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT
LR FAILURE AFTER TURNPIKE DRIVING X 4 HOURS--BLOWOUT, TREAD SEPARATION. 20,000 MILES ON TIRES AT TIME. CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL ENDING UP BACKWARDS ON SHOULDER 50 FEET FROM CANAL! DAMAGED CONTROL ARM,STRUT ASSEMBLY,WHEEL WELL,ETC. DON'T KNOW HOW I DIDN'T ROLL OVER! THANKFULLY, NO OTHER CARS IN MY PATH OR WOULD HAVE BEEN FATALITIES!...RR TIRE--2MOS LATER--AFTER SAME TURNPIKE TRIP NOTICED BUMPING NOISE IN REAR END. INVESTIGATION REVEALED BUBBLE IN TREAD OF TIRE--23,300 MILES WEAR ON THIS TIRE. I THINK YOU SHOULD WIDEN YOUR INVESTIGATION TO INCLUDE OTHER FIRESTONE TIRES THAN JUST THE SUV/TRUCK TIRES!!! THANKS!! (I STILL HAVE THE TIRES!). *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/70R15 )
19990305SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
BRAKES FAILED, REPLACEMENT BRAKES FAILED DUE TO FAULTY CALIPERS BEING DEFECTIVE CAUSING BRAKE PADS AND SHOES TO NOT WORK PROPERLY AND FALL OFF.
19980624SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:PADS
BRAKE PEDDLE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND HAD NO BRAKES, BRAKE PADS AND SHOES NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
19980424STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
LEFT REAR DOOR MAKES SQUEAKY NOISE.
19980424VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
RIGHT FRONT WINDOW MAKES RATTLING NOISE.
Compare 1989CADILLACCADILLAC to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
PE24011Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
PE22006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Rear-View Camera Failure
PE19001Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
EQ11001EQClosed
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
EA07017Engineering AnalysisClosed
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 CADILLAC CADILLAC have?▼
The 1989 CADILLAC CADILLAC has 6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 CADILLAC CADILLAC?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 CADILLAC CADILLAC is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD and SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:PADS.
Is the 1989 CADILLAC CADILLAC 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.