Total Complaints
17 filings
GMC JIMMY · model year
1989 GMC JIMMY
17 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989GMCJIMMY carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 1 fire, 4 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 JIMMY is electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (2). 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 JIMMY. 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.
17
Complaints
4
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990830SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE TRAVELING FROM GRAVEL TO SMOOTH ROAD, AND AFTER BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEY WOULD LOCK UP & REAR BRAKES WOULD NOT ACTIVATE. ABS BRAKING PROBLEM GETTING WORSE AS VEHICLE GETS OLDER. WILL BE TAKING TO MECHANIC TO CHECK OUT PROBLEM. *AK
19990824FirePOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
IF IT WEREN'T FOR OUR 11-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER NOTICING SHE COULD SEE SMOKE IN THE BACK WINDOW, ALL SEVEN (7) OF US WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED THIS FIRE. WE HAD TIME TO STOP (THANKS TO HER), CRAWL OUT AND RUN. THERE WAS TRANSMISSION OIL ON THE ROAD FOR ABOUT 60 FEET LEADING UP TO WHERE THE VEHICLE STOPPED. WE COULD HAVE LOST OUR LIVES IN THIS FIRE AND WE ONLY HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR SIX WEEKS AND WERE TOLD IT WAS IN A-1 SHAPE.
19981020VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
WHEN NEEDED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK. IT HAPPENS EVERY RAINY DAY. HAS NOT CAONTACTED DEALER. *AK
19971120SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
DRIVING AT APPROX 15-20 MPH STEPPED ON BRAKES, VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO SLIDE. HAS TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL IN SLUSH OR WET CONDITION. ,WILL NOT STOP. DEALER REPLACED BALL JOINTS/PADS. HAS ALL NEW TIRES. DEFECT IS OCCURRING.
19971120SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
DRIVING AT APPROX 15-20 MPH STEPPED ON BRAKES, VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO SLIDE. HAS TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL IN SLUSH OR WET CONDITION. ,WILL NOT STOP. DEALER REPLACED BALL JOINTS/PADS. HAS ALL NEW TIRES. DEFECT IS OCCURRING.
19971120SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
DRIVING AT APPROX 15-20 MPH STEPPED ON BRAKES, VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO SLIDE. HAS TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL IN SLUSH OR WET CONDITION. ,WILL NOT STOP. DEALER REPLACED BALL JOINTS/PADS. HAS ALL NEW TIRES. DEFECT IS OCCURRING.
19970305ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
19961112SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
VEHICLE'S BRAKING SYSTEM IS EXPERIENCEING PREMATURE WEAR AND TEAR ON PADS AND ROTORS, FOR FIRST 3 YEARS CHANGED EVERY YEAR AND NOW EVERY 2 YEARS. *AK
19961112SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
VEHICLE'S BRAKING SYSTEM IS EXPERIENCEING PREMATURE WEAR AND TEAR ON PADS AND ROTORS, FOR FIRST 3 YEARS CHANGED EVERY YEAR AND NOW EVERY 2 YEARS. *AK
19960715CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS GAVE OUT IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH CAUSED HER TO HIT HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL.*AK CONSUMER STATES DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD WHEN BRAKING AT 20-25 MPH ALLOWING DRIVER TO STEERING WHEEL CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS ADVISED BY CONTRACTOR FOR GM THAT IS HOW THE SEAT BELT IS DESIGNED.*JB
19960715CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT
THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS GAVE OUT IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH CAUSED HER TO HIT HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL.*AK CONSUMER STATES DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD WHEN BRAKING AT 20-25 MPH ALLOWING DRIVER TO STEERING WHEEL CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS ADVISED BY CONTRACTOR FOR GM THAT IS HOW THE SEAT BELT IS DESIGNED.*JB
19951204CrashSTEERING
LOSS OF STEERING WHILE DRIVING, IN FOR REPAIR 6 TIMES, IMPACT 11:00 POSITION SPEED 5 MPH. TT
19951129CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
VEHICLE ROLLED OVER IN AN ACCIDENT. CAUSING MALFUNCTION OF DRIVER SEAT BELT. TT THE DRIVER STATES THAT GETTING THE BELT RELEASED WHEN THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER WAS VERY DIFFICULT. *YH
19951121SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
WHILE DRIVING IN RAIN CONSUMER SAYS BRAKES LOCK UP,MAY CAUSE ACCIDENT. TT
19950926FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
THE GAS TANK RUST OUT AT 70,000 MILE . TT
19950627SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNBUCKLE. TT
19950515ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
DIGITAL DASH HAS GONE OUT FOR THE THIRD TIME, CAN'T READ SPEEDOMETER/GAS TANK/OILAND BATTERY GAUGES. TT
Compare 1989GMCJIMMY to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 GMC JIMMY have?▼
The 1989 GMC JIMMY has 17 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 GMC JIMMY?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 GMC JIMMY is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1989 GMC JIMMY 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.