Total Complaints
2 filings
GMC K1500 · model year
1989 GMC K1500
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989GMCK1500 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, 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 K1500 is electrical system:ignition with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (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 K1500. 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
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990217SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S INSUFFICIENT PERFORMANCE OF ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, PEDAL WOULD GO DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AND THERE WOULD BE A DELAY IN STOPPING. VEHICLE WOULD KEEP ON GOING. ALSO WHEN VEHICLE IS LOADED DOWN WITH 500 OR MORE POUNDS, THE VEHICLE BRAKES WOULD FAIL TO WORK PROPERLY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY DEALER ON NUMEROUS TIMES, AND WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. *AK
19960313ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
ENGINE; WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLS/HESITATES/STUMBLES. *AK
Compare 1989GMCK1500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 GMC K1500 have?▼
The 1989 GMC K1500 has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 GMC K1500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 GMC K1500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1989 GMC K1500 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.