Total Complaints
10 filings
FORD LTD · model year
1989 FORD LTD
10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989FORDLTD carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 4 fires, 2 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 LTD is electrical system:ignition:switch with 3 filings, followed by equipment:appliance:air conditioner (1) and power train:automatic transmission (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 LTD, 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.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
4
Fires
2
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 3 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19980826POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
DIFFERENTIAL FAILED.
19980826ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP FAILED.
19980414SEATS
DRIVER'S SEAT WOULD SEPARATE FROM THE TRACKS AND ANCHORS. THE DRIVER WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE TEMPORARILY. *AK
19971105VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE STREET THE GAS PEDAL GOT STUCK, AND THE ENGINE ROARED UP. APPLIED FOOT TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND PULLED OVER AND CALLED TOWING COMPANY. *AK
19970211FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
UNDER THE HOOD ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, ELECTRICAL SHORT, BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, SAW SMOKE WHILE DRIVING , VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. *AK
19960430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE.*AK
19960430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE.*AK
19960422FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT, IGNITION SWITHCH FAILURE, VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN OPEN DOOR SAW SMOKE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
19960310POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED PRIOR TO SERVICE RECALL (93V-031). *AK
19950609EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
THE AIR CONDITIONER HOSE LEAK AND THE FREON LEAK OUT. TT
Compare 1989FORDLTD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 FORD LTD have?▼
The 1989 FORD LTD has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 4 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 FORD LTD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 FORD LTD is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1989 FORD LTD 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.