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1989 GMC SuburbanProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 17 owner complaints about the 1989 GMC Suburban, most often about the seats. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints177 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem4Seats

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 31, 2004. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1989 GMC Suburban has problems

17 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
Seats43
Seat belts30
Service brakes, hydraulic20
Steering20
Tires21
Engine and engine cooling20
Equipment10
Fuel system, gasoline10
Power train11
1 other systems10

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

2 recalls

1989 GMC 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 GMC.

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

'66'74'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

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

  1. SEAT BACK BOLT BREAKAGEEA92022 · closed Nov 19, 1993
    Led to recall 93V-187
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA94029 · closed Jul 31, 1996
    No recall
  3. TRAILER HITCH SEPERATIONPE90004 · closed Feb 2, 1990
    No recall
  4. SEAT BACK FAILURESPE92026 · closed Jun 24, 1992
    No recall
In owners' words

What Suburban owners report

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

THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WOULD ORDER THE PART AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP THERE WAS NO PART. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Complaint 979006 · Feb 12, 1996
AS A RESULT OF RECLINER BUCKET SEAT RECALL, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE MOUNTING BOLT BROKE AND THE ENTIRE BACK OF SEAT RELEASED, INJURING CONSUMER'S WIFE. *AK
Complaint 812667 · Jun 2, 1997

Own a 1989 Suburban?

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