GMC G SERIES · model year

1989 GMC G SERIES

2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989GMCG SERIES carries 2 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 G SERIES is power train:driveline:differential unit with 1 filings, followed by 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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1989 G SERIES. 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.

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 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
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1

Recent Complaints

19960725FirePOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ENGINE FIRE, CAUSED BY TRANSMISSION FLUID OVERHEATING AND FLOWING OUT OF VENT TUBE ONTO EXHAUST SYSTEM.*SD

19950531POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

THE REAR AXLE AND PINION GEAR HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 53K AND NOW AGAIN 90K AND COST TWICE AS MUCH. TT

Compare 1989GMCG SERIES to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 GMC G SERIES have?
The 1989 GMC G SERIES has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 GMC G SERIES?
The most-complained component for the 1989 GMC G SERIES is POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1989 GMC G SERIES 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.