Total Complaints
19 filings
Nissan Pathfinder · model year
1989 Nissan Pathfinder
19 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports. 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
- Complaints
- 19
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1989 Nissan Pathfinder posts top-10% complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 7%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1989NissanPathfinder carries 19 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 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 Pathfinder is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (2) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 1989 Pathfinder. 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.
19
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1989 Nissan Pathfinder
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
3 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050331UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE 1989 NISSAN PATHFINDER HE HAS CONSIDERED PURCHASING HAS ANY RECALLS. *NM *JB
20011116SEAT BELTS
SEAT BELT CABLE ATTACHMENT JUST BROKE OFF WITH NO LOAD. *AK
20010927SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATES FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENT MAYBE BROKEN OR LOOSE.*JB
20001213ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
THE MANIFOLD BOLTS ARE DEFECTIVE ON THESE VEHICLES. I HAVE NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THESE THINGS WHEN I GET THE CAR INSPECTED. NISSAN FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE THINGS ARE FAULTY PREVIOUS TO 1995. WHAT I FIND INTERESTING IS THAT WHEN THEY DO REPLACE THEM (AT YOUR EXPENSE) THEY USE A MUCH HEAVIER DUTY BOLT! WHY? BECAUSE THEY SCREWED UP THE FIRST TIME. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT'S EXHAUST RELATED AND RI HAS BECOME MUCH TOUGHER ON THESE ISSUES, WHICH COULD FORCE ME TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THESE THINGS!*AK
19991108VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE UP AND STILL IN PARK, VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEED. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND THE PEDAL WENT HALF WAY TO THE FLOORLBOARD. VEHICLE KEPT GOING AT HIGH SPEED, AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF TO GET THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A STOP. *AK
19991108SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE UP AND STILL IN PARK, VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEED. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND THE PEDAL WENT HALF WAY TO THE FLOORLBOARD. VEHICLE KEPT GOING AT HIGH SPEED, AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF TO GET THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A STOP. *AK
19990716SUSPENSION:FRONT
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
19990716ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
19990716ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
19990716UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
19990217CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE ,WENT IMMEDIATELY INTO HIGH SPEED BACKWARDS, HIT TREE DRIVER. PUT VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL ,JUMPED GEAR INTO DRIVE, BRAKES DID NOT HOLD ,HAD TO HIT ANOTHER TREE IN ORDER TO STOP.THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL, RESUTLING IN INJURIES TO DRIVER. *AK
19980712ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
EXHAUST HEADER LEAKED AND CRACKED. THIS IS A NON-MOVING PART AND SHOULD NEVER WEAR OUT.
19971223SEAT BELTS
REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT (REPLACED UNDER RECALL) FAILS. IT WILL OPEN WITH MODERATE FORWARD PRESSURE.
19960531CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
AFTER CAMPAIGN 95V103002 WAS DONE IN MARCH 1996, EXPERIENCED SHOULDER/LAP BUCKLE FAILURE, WHEN BUCKLE DETACHED, ALLOWING DRIVER TO IMPACT WITH INTERIOR. *AK
19960509STEERING:LINKAGES
STEERING TIE ROD BROKE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. IN ONE OCCURRENCE OWNER LOST CONTROL. PLEASE DESSCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
19960417CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION/LOSS OF CONTROL, CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURIES. *SD
19960328ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
BOLTS HOLDING EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAVE SHEARED AND FELL OFF, CAUSING LEAKING HOT EXHAUST FUMES. *AK
19960229STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. *SD
19960208SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH COME LOOSE . TT
Compare 1989NissanPathfinder to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 Nissan Pathfinder have?▼
The 1989 Nissan Pathfinder has 19 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Nissan Pathfinder?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 Nissan Pathfinder is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE.
Is the 1989 Nissan Pathfinder 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.
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 Nissan Pathfinder; 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.