PlainCars

Porsche Carrera · model year

1989 Porsche Carrera

8 NHTSA complaints. 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
8
Recalls
0

The verdict

The 1989 Porsche Carrera posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.

20th pctile
complaint volume, own model years
0
recall campaigns

The 1989PorscheCarrera carries 8 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1989 Carrera is exterior lighting:headlights with 1 filings, followed by visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system (1) and power train (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 1989 Carrera. 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.

8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1989 Porsche Carrera

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.

Total Complaints

8 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
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1
POWER TRAIN1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER1
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY1

Recent Complaints

19960711EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

MOISTURE INSIDE HEADLIGHTS. *SD

19960711VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

HEATER FAILED. *SD

19960711POWER TRAIN

SPEEDOMETER FAILED 4 TIMES. *SD

19960711ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

OIL LEAK. *SD

19960711FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

GASOLINE ODOR INSIDE VEHICLE. *SD

19960711ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE FAILED 5 TIMES. *SD

19960711FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

FUEL GAUGE FAILED. *SD

19960711VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

SUNROOF LOOSE. *SD

Compare 1989PorscheCarrera to Similar Vehicles

Carrera vs DodgeMINI RAM VAN → Carrera vs ChevroletK20 → Carrera vs ChevroletS Series → Carrera vs MazdaMazdaspeed6 →

NHTSA Investigations

PE21013Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Loss of Motive Power

DP21001Defect PetitionClosed

Backup Lights Fail To Illuminate

PE13009Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Rapid coolant loss

EA06005Engineering AnalysisClosed

SRS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION

PE05060Preliminary EvaluationClosed

SRS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION

Vehicle Safety Guides

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 Porsche Carrera have?▼
The 1989 Porsche Carrera has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Porsche Carrera?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 Porsche Carrera is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 1989 Porsche Carrera 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 Porsche Carrera; 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.