FORD MUSTANG · model year

1989 FORD MUSTANG

127 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989FORDMUSTANG carries 127 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 34 fires, 12 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 MUSTANG is electrical system:ignition:switch with 15 filings, followed by seat belts:front:retractor (13) and electrical system:ignition (13). 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 3 investigation files overlapping the 1989 MUSTANG, and 1 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.

127
Complaints
3
Crashes
34
Fires
12
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

127 filings

Crashes Reported

3 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:IGNITION:SWITCH15
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION13
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING7
SEATS6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH3
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR3
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE3
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH3
STRUCTURE:BODY2

Recent Complaints

20230609TIRES:SIDEWALL

I have had the outside sidewall separate from the rest of the tire on two occasions, with these tires. The first time was in May of 2021, the second on June 1, 2023. I currently have the tire that separated on June 1st. Both times I was on the highway driving around 70 when the car began to shake violently, as if I was on an exaggerated rumble strip. I was able to pull into the emergency lane and change to a spare. The first time I assumed maybe the tire was low on air and didn't report it, however now after having a second tire do the exact same thing believe they are defective. Tire size is 225/55/16, for full disclosure I did purchase the tires and wheels off craigslist, however they were in very good condition. I Believe Granada is a Les Schwab brand. Picture of both tires are attached.

20200927SEAT BELTS

SEAT BELTS PULL OUT AND LATCH HOWEVER THE CROSS BODY PORTION DOES NOT RECEDE BACK INTO FRAME, ONLY CONTINUES TO LOOSEN AND NOT RETRACT THIS HAPPENS AT ANY TIME YOU ATE USING THE SEAT BELTS, HAPPENS WITH FRONT AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS, EITHER STOPPED. DRIVING, BREAKING OR EXCELLING. ITS ALL THE TIME . MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM IS OLD AND WORE OUT. SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS 131,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON THE MOTOR. NO IDEA WHY THE SPEEDOMETER JUST STOPPED WORKING AS I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN GOING ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR. OVERDRIVE STOPPED WORKING. NO WARNING, NO OCCASIONAL SLIPS. JUST STOPPED WORKING WHILE SWITCHING INTO OVERDRIVE IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. HAVE TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER 50 MILES PER HOUR AS CAR WON'T SHIFT INTO NEXT GEAR. MY GUESS IS CHANGE TRANSMISSION. LOOKING FOR ONE NOW TO EITHER REBUILD IT OR GET A NEW ONE. SWITCHES, DRIVER SIDE SWITCH WOULD NOT CATCH THE WINDOW TO ROLL UP OR DOWN,, THEN THE SW

Mileage: 131,000

20200927VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SEAT BELTS PULL OUT AND LATCH HOWEVER THE CROSS BODY PORTION DOES NOT RECEDE BACK INTO FRAME, ONLY CONTINUES TO LOOSEN AND NOT RETRACT THIS HAPPENS AT ANY TIME YOU ATE USING THE SEAT BELTS, HAPPENS WITH FRONT AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS, EITHER STOPPED. DRIVING, BREAKING OR EXCELLING. ITS ALL THE TIME . MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM IS OLD AND WORE OUT. SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS 131,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON THE MOTOR. NO IDEA WHY THE SPEEDOMETER JUST STOPPED WORKING AS I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN GOING ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR. OVERDRIVE STOPPED WORKING. NO WARNING, NO OCCASIONAL SLIPS. JUST STOPPED WORKING WHILE SWITCHING INTO OVERDRIVE IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. HAVE TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER 50 MILES PER HOUR AS CAR WON'T SHIFT INTO NEXT GEAR. MY GUESS IS CHANGE TRANSMISSION. LOOKING FOR ONE NOW TO EITHER REBUILD IT OR GET A NEW ONE. SWITCHES, DRIVER SIDE SWITCH WOULD NOT CATCH THE WINDOW TO ROLL UP OR DOWN,, THEN THE SW

Mileage: 131,000

20200927EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SEAT BELTS PULL OUT AND LATCH HOWEVER THE CROSS BODY PORTION DOES NOT RECEDE BACK INTO FRAME, ONLY CONTINUES TO LOOSEN AND NOT RETRACT THIS HAPPENS AT ANY TIME YOU ATE USING THE SEAT BELTS, HAPPENS WITH FRONT AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS, EITHER STOPPED. DRIVING, BREAKING OR EXCELLING. ITS ALL THE TIME . MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM IS OLD AND WORE OUT. SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS 131,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON THE MOTOR. NO IDEA WHY THE SPEEDOMETER JUST STOPPED WORKING AS I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN GOING ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR. OVERDRIVE STOPPED WORKING. NO WARNING, NO OCCASIONAL SLIPS. JUST STOPPED WORKING WHILE SWITCHING INTO OVERDRIVE IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. HAVE TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER 50 MILES PER HOUR AS CAR WON'T SHIFT INTO NEXT GEAR. MY GUESS IS CHANGE TRANSMISSION. LOOKING FOR ONE NOW TO EITHER REBUILD IT OR GET A NEW ONE. SWITCHES, DRIVER SIDE SWITCH WOULD NOT CATCH THE WINDOW TO ROLL UP OR DOWN,, THEN THE SW

Mileage: 131,000

20141031EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE MUSTANG AND FOLLOWING ME AT NIGHT. SHE HAD THE FOG LAMPS TURNED ON ALONG WITH THE HEADLAMPS AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. SHE RAN OFF THE ROAD BEFORE SHE COULD STOP, BUT DID NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE. THE LIGHTS KEPT FLICKERING ON AND OFF STAYING OFF FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. WE FINISHED THE TRIP WE WERE ON WITH JUST THE HEADLAMPS AND THEY DID NOT FLICKER. WE DID NOT BRING THE CAR BACK TO TOWN UNTIL AUGUST AND I TOOK IT TO IMMEL MOTORS FORD DEALER IN FREDERICKSBURG, TX. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. AFTER WE GOT IT OUT IT CONTINUED TO FLICKER IF WE USED THE FOG LAMPS SO WE QUIT USING THEM. I RECENTLY FOUND THAT THERE IS A TSB 891711 AUG 89 THAT IDENTIFIES THAT PROBLEM. I BELIEVE IT AFFECTS MORE THAN JUST THE 1989 MUSTANGS. I ALSO BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT IT HAS CAUSED MANY ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLY EVEN DEATHS. I WAS TOLD BY FORD THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL AND THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING TO

Mileage: 82,000

20140515ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION KEY BECAME EXTREMELY HOT. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TO GET A DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

Mileage: 120,000

20140515ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION KEY BECAME EXTREMELY HOT. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TO GET A DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

Mileage: 120,000

20080528ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD MUSTANG. WHENEVER THE KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION TO START THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. THE CONTACT MUST REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND RETRY IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. HE DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V071000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION); HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 6/16/08 *CN THE STARTER AND RELAY WERE REPLACED.

Mileage: 123,000

20080528ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD MUSTANG. WHENEVER THE KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION TO START THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. THE CONTACT MUST REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND RETRY IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. HE DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V071000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION); HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 6/16/08 *CN THE STARTER AND RELAY WERE REPLACED.

Mileage: 123,000

20061016CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I JUST FILED A COMPLAINT 10-15-06, AND AFTER GOING OVER MY ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVED MY 1989 MUSTANG ON 11-05,, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE WRECK COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAUTLY EQUIMENT THAT IS IN MY CAR,, LIKE I SAID IN MY FIRST FORM I TRIED TO HAVE THIS FIXED WITHIN A WEEK OR SO OF PURCHACING THE CAR,,AND IT DID THE SAME THING BEFORE I GOT HOME FROM THE FORD DEALERSHIP. MIGHT I ADD IT WENT TO A FORD DEALER TO BE FIXED..I REALLY FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS A BIG ISSUSE AND I THINK FORD SHOULD BE RESPONABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE PROBLEM NOT AT MY EXPESNE I HOPE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE ABOUT THIS MATTER... I THOUGHT MY CAR WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS DOING THIS (ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN, FASTER AND FASTER UNTIL YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN THEN IT IS NORMAL AGAIN) UNTIL I SAW YOUR WEB SITE AND READED THE COMPLAITS ON THE 1989 MUSTANG,,, PLEASE HELP,,, THANK YOU SHERRY COOK. *NM

20061015FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING OUT OF NO WHERE THE CAR WILL ACCERATOR ON ITS OWN,,THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY,,SOME TIMES NOT FOR A WEEK,, AND TEN TIMES IN ONE DAY,, I FEEL IT IS VERY DANGEROUS,,IT DONT JUST JUMP UP AND STOP,,IT WILL KEEP DOING IT AND GO FASTER UNTIL I TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART THE CAR,,I HAD A FORD DEALER REPLACE THE THOTTLE BODY,,HOWEVER BEFORE I MADE IT HOME IT DID THE SAME THING,,THIS COSTED ME 500.00 AND THE CAR IS STILL DOING IT UP TO PRESENT DAY..I HAVE ALSO HAD TO BUY MORE STARTERS THAN NORMAL BECAUSE I AM ALWAYS RESTARTING MY CAR WHILE DRIVING,, I PUSH IN CLUTCH AND TURN KEY OFF WHILE A SECOND AND RESTART THE CAR AND LET OUT THE CLUTCH,,LIKE I SAID THIS PUTS ALOT OF PEOPLE IN HARMS WAY AND I FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT RECALL,, I TRYED TO HAVE IT FIXED ON MY OWN HOWEVER I DO FEEL THAT FORD IS REPOSIABLE FOR THIS PROBLEM..

20030307ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL #96 V 071 000, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*JB

20020909ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED ON STEERING WHEEL IT CAUSES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND VEHICLE TO SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20020909ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED ON STEERING WHEEL IT CAUSES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND VEHICLE TO SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20020909SEATS

WHILE DRIVING, AND WHEN CONSUMER HIT BRAKES, DRIVER'S SEAT FULLY RECLINED, DISTRACTING CONSUMER VIEW WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

20020830SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING CONSUMER HIT BRAKES AND DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT STAY IN LOCKED POSITION. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AKTHE DRIVERS SIDE BELT WAS REPLACED, BUT WOULD NOT WORK AFTER INSTALLATION. *JG

20020828SEAT BELTS:FRONT

FRONT PASSENGER LAP SEAT BELT WILL NOT STAY IN LOCKED POSITION ,AND IS CAUSING CONSUMER NOT TO HAVE A SEAT BELT ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

20020703ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

UNDER HOT CONDITIONS IGNITION SPARKS AND CLICKS. DEALER HAS REPLACED SWITCH THREE TIMES, AND PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20020703ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

CONSUMER STATES UNDER HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS THE VEHICLES IGNITION WILL SPARK AND CLICK. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED SWITCH 3 TIMES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

20020514LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

CONSUMER STATES HOOD LATCH WILL NOT WORK IF HOOD IS NOT CLOSED ALL THE WAY.*JB

Compare 1989FORDMUSTANG to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 FORD MUSTANG have?
The 1989 FORD MUSTANG has 127 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 34 fires, 12 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 FORD MUSTANG?
The most-complained component for the 1989 FORD MUSTANG is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 15 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 1989 FORD MUSTANG 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.