Total Complaints
1 filings
FORD EXPLORER · model year
1989 FORD EXPLORER
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989FORDEXPLORER carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 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 EXPLORER is fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings with 1 filings. 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 13 investigation files overlapping the 1989 EXPLORER, 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.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20061211FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
FUEL SPILL UNDER ENGINE ON GARAGE FLOOR DETERMINED FUEL LINE LEAKING ON ENGINE. DROVE CAR TO MARK MOTORCARS. 178 KINGS HWY CUTOFF FFLD,CT 06824 REPAIR WORK WAS DONE AT THIS SITE. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOWED. A FIRE COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR. IMPORTANT NO DEALER WARNING LABEL WAS INSTALLED. CONTACTED MILLER FORD/NISSAN 930-970 KINGS HWY. FFLD,CT. 06825 FOR PART REPLACEMENT OF FUEL LINE SUPPLY&RETURN LINE ASSEMBLY. PART COST $543.23 AND LABOR$126.00 TAXES $41.36 &SHOP PARTS 20.08 TOTAL REPAIR ORDER $730.67 FORD DEALER REFUSED FOR TOTAL REIMBURSEMENT CONTACTED THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. INFORMED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER #[XXX] THIS IS A 1998 FOR EXPLORER LTD VEHICLE ID#[XXX] THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO AWARD ME A TOTAL REFUND. *NM UPDATED 07/11/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Mileage: 100,000
Compare 1989FORDEXPLORER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 FORD EXPLORER have?▼
The 1989 FORD EXPLORER has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 FORD EXPLORER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 FORD EXPLORER is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1989 FORD EXPLORER 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.