Menu

1989 Chevrolet SuburbanProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 62 owner complaints about the 1989 Chevrolet Suburban, most often about the seats. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

72
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years61% below the Suburban median · #31 of 38 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Free fix at dealersOwner complaints6217 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage165kSeats, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 18, 2017. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1989 Chevrolet Suburban has problems

62 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seats276
Tires71
Seat belts60
Power train52
Engine and engine cooling42
Steering31
Trailer hitches20
Service brakes, hydraulic20
Structure20
4 other systems51

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

1989 Chevrolet Suburban recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Seats

Recall 93V-187 · Nov 16, 1993 · 604,207 vehicles

Risk. IF BOLT FAILURE OCCURS TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WOULDALLOW THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE, AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 93V-016 · Feb 1, 1993 · 1,702,880 vehicles

Risk. THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Best & worst years

1989 vs. every other Suburban year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Suburban median. How we score

'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1989 Chevrolet Suburban, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA94029 · closed Jul 31, 1996
    No recall
In owners' words

What Suburban owners report

Recent seats complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

DRIVER SEAT BACK RETAINING BOLT BROKE LEADING TO TOTAL REARWARD COLLAPSE OF DRIVER SEAT WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. IN SPEAKING WITH MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TODAY IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT HE HAS OR HAD A VEHICLE IN HIS POSSESSION FOR REPAIR OF VERY SAME DEFECT RECENTLY.
Complaint 10096095 · Oct 20, 2004 · 165,000 miles
NHTSA RECALL 93-V-187-000: RECLINER MECHANISM AND SEAT FRAME MAY HAVE FOAM AND/OR VINYL BETWEEN THEM, CREATING A "SOFT" JOINT. THIS "SOFT" JOINT RESULTS IN LOWER THAN SPECIFIED BOLT TORQUE WHICH LEADS TO JOINT LOOSENESS, CAUSING BOLT FATIGUE AND EVENTUAL BOLT FAILURE. CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.…
Complaint 10026555 · Jul 3, 2003
CONSUMER HAD RECALL 93V187000 FOR SEAT RECLINING & HAD IT REPAIRED. PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. DEALER FELT THAT HE WAS NOT OBLIGATED TO REPAIR IT AGAIN. *AK
Complaint 875414 · Nov 22, 2000

Own a 1989 Suburban?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.