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1989 Chevrolet Suburban
The 1989 Chevrolet Suburban appears in 3 NHTSA recall campaigns (seats, service brakes, hydraulic and power train) and in 62 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is seats: 397.1 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 22.7 per 1,000 across all 1989 model-year vehicles and against 30.4 per 1,000 for the Chevrolet Suburban line as a whole.
That is fewer than the average of 139.9 complaints per model year across the 47 Chevrolet Suburban model years on this register; 4 complaints reported a crash and 5 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2000 (12); the most recent in the file is dated 18 Apr 2017.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 1 investigation naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 24 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: The recliner mechanism and the 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.
Consequence: 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 without prior warning.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the foam and/or vinyl from between the recliner mechanism and the seat frame "soft" joint and replace the recliner bolts.
Filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP..
- 93V119000SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTORReported 2 Aug 1993 · 341,364 units
Defect, as filed: Severe corrosion due to road salt at the joint of the stamped steel center section and the cast outer section can cause the sections to separate.
Consequence: Separation of the rotor sections can cause loss ofbraking ability in the affected wheel. This could result in increased stoppingdistance and/or loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Remedy: Replace the front brake rotors with new rotors with a corrosion protection coating. However, if replacement of brake linings are necessary, it will be done at owner's expense since brake linings are normal maintenance items.
Filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP..
Defect, as filed: Unanticipated heat in the transmission can force the transmission fluid out of the vent tube.
Consequence: The vented transmission fluid can catch fire if exposedto a source of ignition.
Remedy: Install a longer transmission vent hose routed to the left side of the engine compartment of the vehicle.
Filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (manufacturer campaign 93-C-07).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 1989 Chevrolet Suburban (black) against all 1989 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 1989 | Suburban line | All 1989 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 397.1 | 30.4 | 22.7 |
| Seat Belts | 102.9 | 23.4 | 121.1 |
| Tires | 102.9 | 50.5 | 28.6 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 88.2 | 36.9 | 127.6 |
| Power Train | 73.5 | 50.9 | 73.6 |
| Steering | 58.8 | 46.7 | 42.4 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 27 | 397.1 | 30.4 | 22.7 |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 102.9 | 23.4 | 121.1 |
| Tires | 7 | 102.9 | 50.5 | 28.6 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 88.2 | 36.9 | 127.6 |
| Power Train | 5 | 73.5 | 50.9 | 73.6 |
| Steering | 4 | 58.8 | 46.7 | 42.4 |
| Trailer Hitches | 2 | 29.4 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 29.4 | 273.6 | 115.3 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 29.4 | 30.9 | 65.8 |
| Structure | 2 | 29.4 | 37 | 54.1 |
| Visibility | 1 | 14.7 | 65.9 | 30.8 |
| Wheels | 1 | 14.7 | 6.6 | 9.1 |
| Electrical System | 1 | 14.7 | 75.9 | 139.7 |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 14.7 | 37.7 | 14.8 |
62 unique complaints, 68 component mentions; 8 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA94029 | Engineering analysis | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | engine and engine cooling | 29 Jul 1994 | 31 Jul 1996 | — |
Other Chevrolet Suburban model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1978 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1979 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1981 NHTSA | 1 | 1 | 364 |
| 1982 NHTSA | 1 | 1 | 148 |
| 1983 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1984 NHTSA | 0 | 6 | — |
| 1985 NHTSA | 0 | 9 | — |
| 1986 NHTSA | 0 | 7 | — |
| 1987 NHTSA | 0 | 18 | — |
| 1988 | 3 | 30 | 2,044,521 |
| 1989 | 3 | 62 | 2,648,451 |
| 1990 | 3 | 54 | 2,648,451 |
| 1991 | 3 | 51 | 2,076,840 |
| 1992 | 3 | 189 | 2,044,421 |
| 1993 | 0 | 499 | — |
| 1994 | 3 | 856 | 4,302,048 |
| 1995 | 6 | 456 | 3,746,610 |
| 1996 | 3 | 360 | 3,692,465 |
| 1997 | 2 | 412 | 2,263,047 |
| 1998 | 2 | 201 | 508,308 |
| 1999 | 1 | 626 | 279,132 |
| 2000 | 8 | 279 | 3,720,714 |
| 2001 | 6 | 436 | 1,730,729 |
| 2002 | 2 | 274 | 1,357,392 |
| 2003 | 5 | 290 | 1,438,214 |
| 2004 | 4 | 196 | 1,544,549 |
| 2005 | 6 | 111 | 1,484,678 |
| 2006 NHTSA | 1 | 19 | 32,068 |
| 2007 | 4 | 222 | 5,421,100 |
| 2008 | 4 | 159 | 5,421,100 |
| 2009 | 5 | 68 | 5,283,079 |
| 2010 | 3 | 83 | 5,111,926 |
| 2011 | 3 | 112 | 4,503,592 |
| 2012 | 4 | 72 | 2,153,124 |
| 2013 | 4 | 67 | 2,631,647 |
| 2014 | 3 | 29 | 1,884,445 |
| 2015 | 11 | 226 | 9,692,684 |
| 2016 | 6 | 62 | 7,794,483 |
| 2017 | 5 | 18 | 7,750,128 |
| 2018 | 4 | 5 | 4,125,552 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 668,833 |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | 687,373 |
| 2021 | 12 | 0 | 2,932,374 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 1,865,577 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 1,337,868 |
| 2024 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 597,571 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Chevrolet Suburban model years · Chevrolet: 177 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 1989 Chevrolet Suburban have?
3 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 93V187000, was reported to NHTSA on 16 Nov 1993 and concerns seats. Across all model years the Chevrolet Suburban line has 82 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 1989 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 1 action naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 1989 Chevrolet Suburban complain about most?
Seats: 27 of 68 component mentions (397.1 per 1,000). Next is seat belts with 7. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 24 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 24 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.