Total Complaints
8 filings
GMC C1500 · model year
1989 GMC C1500
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989GMCC1500 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 C1500 is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 2 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1989 C1500. 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.
8
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000127SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
AFTER APPLYING BRAKES AND COMING TO A STOP, PEDAL EASES DOWN AND STARTS TO CREEP FORWARD UNLESS PRESSURE IS CONSTANTLY APPLIED. DEALER CAN NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
19981113SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
MAKING A NORMAL OR SUDDEN STOP, BRAKES WILL BECOME SPONGY, GO TO FLOOR, CAUSING A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE, AT LEAST 5 TIMES LONGER.DEALER HAS REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER/ABS SYSTEM/ROTORS/CALIPERS/DISCS /DRUMS AND SHOES. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
19981113SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM
MAKING A NORMAL OR SUDDEN STOP, BRAKES WILL BECOME SPONGY, GO TO FLOOR, CAUSING A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE, AT LEAST 5 TIMES LONGER.DEALER HAS REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER/ABS SYSTEM/ROTORS/CALIPERS/DISCS /DRUMS AND SHOES. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
19981113SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
MAKING A NORMAL OR SUDDEN STOP, BRAKES WILL BECOME SPONGY, GO TO FLOOR, CAUSING A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE, AT LEAST 5 TIMES LONGER.DEALER HAS REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER/ABS SYSTEM/ROTORS/CALIPERS/DISCS /DRUMS AND SHOES. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
19981113SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
MAKING A NORMAL OR SUDDEN STOP, BRAKES WILL BECOME SPONGY, GO TO FLOOR, CAUSING A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE, AT LEAST 5 TIMES LONGER.DEALER HAS REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER/ABS SYSTEM/ROTORS/CALIPERS/DISCS /DRUMS AND SHOES. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
19981113SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
MAKING A NORMAL OR SUDDEN STOP, BRAKES WILL BECOME SPONGY, GO TO FLOOR, CAUSING A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE, AT LEAST 5 TIMES LONGER.DEALER HAS REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER/ABS SYSTEM/ROTORS/CALIPERS/DISCS /DRUMS AND SHOES. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
19980520FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
HAD PARKED VEHICLE. WENT TO REAR OF VEHICLE. HEARD A CRACKING SOUND. NOTICED SMOKE & THEN FIRE COMING FROM DASHBOARD AREA. PUT FLAMES OUT. DASHBOARD AREA WAS MELTED DOWN. REPORTED THE FIRE TO INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK
19950424POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AS RESULT OF OVERFLOW OF FILLER TUBE DUE TO HEAVY LOAD TOWED IN OVERDRIVE WHICH WAS FAILURE TO WARN CONSUMER IN OWNERS MANUAL. TT
Compare 1989GMCC1500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 GMC C1500 have?▼
The 1989 GMC C1500 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 GMC C1500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 GMC C1500 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH.
Is the 1989 GMC C1500 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.