GMC C2500 · model year

1989 GMC C2500

9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category 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). 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 C2500. 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.

9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

9 filings

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

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
STEERING1
POWER TRAIN1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1

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 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.