FORD FORD TRUCK AND VAN · model year

1989 FORD FORD TRUCK AND VAN

5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989FORDFORD TRUCK AND VAN 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, 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 FORD TRUCK AND VAN is electrical system:starter assembly with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery (1) and electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1989 FORD TRUCK AND VAN, and 8 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
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

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

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS1

Recent Complaints

20070827STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD GALANT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WHERE THE GEAR BOX RESTS IS WEAK AND THROWS OFF THE STEERING. THE FRAME IS NOT SOLID, THEREFORE THE PRESSURE FROM MAKING A TURN CAUSES THE FRAME TO FAIL. WHEN HE TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL, HE LOSES CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO IMPROPER ALIGNMENT. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 149,540.

Mileage: 149,540

20010828ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!

20010828ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!

20010828ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!

20010828ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

BOUGHT USED, REPLACED ENGINE, REPLACED STARTER,BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, & WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!

Compare 1989FORDFORD TRUCK AND VAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 FORD FORD TRUCK AND VAN have?
The 1989 FORD FORD TRUCK AND VAN has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 FORD FORD TRUCK AND VAN?
The most-complained component for the 1989 FORD FORD TRUCK AND VAN is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR.
Is the 1989 FORD FORD TRUCK AND VAN 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.