Total Complaints
5 filings
FORD FORD · model year
1989 FORD FORD
5 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports 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). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 74 investigation files overlapping the 1989 FORD, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
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 1 Open
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationClosed
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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1989 FORD FORD; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.