Total Complaints
2 filings
SUZUKI SAMURAI · model year
1989 SUZUKI SAMURAI
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989SUZUKISAMURAI 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 SAMURAI is seat belts with 1 filings, followed by tires:tread/belt (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 1 investigation file overlapping the 1989 SAMURAI. 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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010116TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE TRAVELING 55MPH HEARD A NOISE. VEHICLE STARTED TO SHIMMY. PULLED VEHICLE OVER & CHECKED ON TIRES. NOTICED LEFT FRONT TIRE, A SPARE, HAD LOST ITS TREAD. TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED SUZUKI SAMAURI JEEP FIRESTONE, SF405, P205/70R15, DOT ELYTCKK508. *AK *JB
19970616SEAT BELTS
RECEIVED ARECALL NOTICE FOR SEAT BELT BUCKLES. AFTER RECALL WORK WAS DONE, SEAT BELTS NOW ARE WORST. CHILD ALMOST FLEW OUT OF SEAT BECAUSE OF REPLACEMENT BUCKLES. *AK
Compare 1989SUZUKISAMURAI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 SUZUKI SAMURAI have?▼
The 1989 SUZUKI SAMURAI has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 SUZUKI SAMURAI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 SUZUKI SAMURAI is SEAT BELTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 1989 SUZUKI SAMURAI 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.