Total Complaints
5 filings
FORD FORD · model year
1989 FORD FORD
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989FORDFORD carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 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 FORD is steering:hydraulic power assist system with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:switch (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper (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 74 investigation files overlapping the 1989 FORD, and 2 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
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 |
|---|---|
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| STEERING:COLUMN | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030301FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER
89 FORD TAURUS 4DR 3.0 *JB
20021213FireSTEERING:COLUMN
DEAR SIR DATE 12/13/02 IAM WRITING TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN AND DISSATISFACTION WITH MY 1989 FORD F-150 1ST I HAD THE ( ING SWITCH) REPLACE BECAUSE OF SMOKE AND OVER HEATING IN THE STEERING COLUMN , I HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE REPAIRING DEALER 2ND I HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED AGAIN FOR A SIMILAR (ING SWITCH ) STEERING COLUMN PROBLEM I ONLY USED THIS TRUCK FOR ABOUT 4,000 MILES BETWEEN REPAIRS AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE REPAIR BILLS . THIS TRUCK IS USED VERY LITTLE AND DOES NOT SEEM THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE TYPE OF REPAIRS. I DON''T THINK THE 1ST REPAIR WAS DONE CORRECT OR THE OVERHEATING IN THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSED FURTHER DAMAGED , AND IAM CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WHAT ELSE THE OVER HEATING ,SMOKE MAY HAVE CAUSE IAM REQUESTING SOME TYPE OF COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIR BILL AND TOWING CHARGE , I HAVE ATTACHED COPIES OF THE REPAIR BILLS. SINCERELY [XXX]
Mileage: 99,651
19981020FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH, POSSIBLE RECALL ITEM.
19981020SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
BRAKE CALIPERS STICK CONTINUALLY CAUSING DAMAGE TO BRAKES.
19980601STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING FAILED.
Compare 1989FORDFORD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE24030Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Rear-view Camera Failure
PE24027Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of braking caused by rear brake hose failure
AQ22002Audit QueryOpen
Healey Brothers Ford / Open Recall Sale
RQ21001Recall QueryClosed
Power Tailgate Release Systems
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 FORD FORD have?▼
The 1989 FORD FORD has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 FORD FORD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 FORD FORD is STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER.
Is the 1989 FORD FORD 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.