Total Complaints
9 filings
GMC C2500 · model year
1989 GMC C2500
9 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989GMCC2500 carries 9 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1989 C2500 is engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1989 C2500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020514ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *YH
20011024POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER FAILED. *YH
20011024SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED ON SEVERAL OCCASION AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *YH
20011024ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *YH
19981120STEERING
THE SEAL KING PINS ON THE STEERING CANNOT BE GREASED & THEY WEAR OUT FAST. *AK
19980922SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SHOULDER STRAPS GET LOOSE, WILL NOT LOCK IN POSITION, DO NOT RETRACT, CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURIES IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *AK
19980505ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
TOO SMALL RADIATOR FOR THIS SIZE OF TRUCK. RADIATOR OVERHEATS.
19960627ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE STARTED BURNING OIL AFTER A OIL CHANGE. PLEASE GIVE DETAIL. *AK
19951127SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE BROKE . TT *JB
Compare 1989GMCC2500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 GMC C2500 have?▼
The 1989 GMC C2500 has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 GMC C2500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 GMC C2500 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1989 GMC C2500 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1989 GMC C2500; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.