Total Complaints
5 filings
FORD FORD TRUCK AND VAN · model year
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.
Total Complaints
5 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS | 1 |
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
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!
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!
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!
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!
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
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.