Total Complaints
20 filings
PONTIAC LEMANS · model year
1989 PONTIAC LEMANS
20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989PONTIACLEMANS carries 20 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 2 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 LEMANS is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 5 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc (4) and electrical system:ignition (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 17 investigation files overlapping the 1989 LEMANS. 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.
20
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| WHEELS:MULTI PIECE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990920EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT BUMPER WAS MELTED DOWN BY THE TURN SIGNAL, AND VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME. AK
19990414EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
VERY DISAPPOINTED IN CAR. NO OTHER SUMMARY GIVEN. *MJS
19990414VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
VERY DISAPPOINTED IN CAR. NO OTHER SUMMARY GIVEN. *MJS
19990414UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VERY DISAPPOINTED IN CAR. NO OTHER SUMMARY GIVEN. *MJS
19980807EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER HOSES FAILED.
19980220SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELTS FAILED AFTER RECALL REPAIRS.
19970930CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHILE GOING THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION . THE FRONT OCCUPANTS WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD BECAUSE THE RESTRAINTS DID NOT RETRACT, INJURING THE FRONT OCCUPANTS. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
19970218WHEELS:MULTI PIECE
THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL HUB WEARS DOWN AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, PE 91-101 .
19960307SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT RETACTOR; FAILURE ON THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETACTOR, SEAT BELT IS TOO SHORT TO BE PLACED IN THE BUCKLE. *AK
19960307SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT RETACTOR; FAILURE ON THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETACTOR, SEAT BELT IS TOO SHORT TO BE PLACED IN THE BUCKLE. *AK
19951117SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEATS BELTS ON THE FRONT DO NOT LOCK ,AND BRAKES ON FRONT DO NOT WORK WELL AND THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. TT
19951117SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
SEATS BELTS ON THE FRONT DO NOT LOCK ,AND BRAKES ON FRONT DO NOT WORK WELL AND THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. TT
19950908SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE, SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY. TT
19950830SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVERS SEATBELT HAS BROKEN. THE RED TAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUCKLE CAME OUT AND NOW IT DOES NOT LATCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19950627STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING WHEEL COLUMN FAILED, LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. TT
19950622SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
PREMATURE WEAR OF BRAKES. *TW
19950615ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED/REPLACED TWICE, CAUSES VEHICLE TO PERFORM SLUGGISHLY UPON ACCELERATION. *AW
19950328SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
HEARD RUBBING NOISE, LEFT FRONT BRAKES SEIZED; WEARS OUT PREMATURELY; ALSO, ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. DETAILED INFO WILL BE PROVIDED. TT
19950328ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
HEARD RUBBING NOISE, LEFT FRONT BRAKES SEIZED; WEARS OUT PREMATURELY; ALSO, ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. DETAILED INFO WILL BE PROVIDED. TT
19950313SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
CORRODED REAR DISC BRAKES. TT
Compare 1989PONTIACLEMANS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 PONTIAC LEMANS have?▼
The 1989 PONTIAC LEMANS has 20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 PONTIAC LEMANS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 PONTIAC LEMANS is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 1989 PONTIAC LEMANS 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.