IllustrationMY MOTHER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN MY 1989 ACURA LEGEND, WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RELEASED UPON THE IMPACT OF THE INCIDENT. SHE WAS THEN CITATED FOR NOT WEARING A SAFETY BELT. I HAVE RECENTLY FOUND THAT THEY WERE RECALLED IN MAY OF 1995. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON A YEAR AGO.*AK
1989 Acura Legend
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Acura Legend do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 29.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Legend years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 34 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
34 reportsOVERHEATING PROBLEMS, IGNITION PROBLEMS, AIRBAG DOES NOT WORK, DOOR OPEN LIGHT STAYS ON, LEAK IN SUNROOF WHEN IT RAINS,
WHILE MAKING A TURN AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION, VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING AND TOOK OFF GOING UP HILL. CONSUMER PUMPED BRAKES AND PULLED HAND BRAKE AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL CONSUMER THEN TURNED ENGINE OFF TO STOP. *AK JLG
WHILE PULLING INTO A SERVICE STATION, BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE TRAVELING AT HWY SPEED OF 60 MPH. VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND INFORMED THAT IGNITION SWITCH HAD FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT UP AND STALLED TWICE MORE. *SLC
SINCE L998 MY CAR HAS FAILED TO START AND AFTER REPEATED EFFORTS, WHEN THE ENGINE HAS COOLED OFF, IT WILL START UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAVE EVEN CALLED THE AAA AND BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVE, THE CAR WILL START ON ITS OWN. I HAVE REPLACED (AT MY EXPENSE) ONE STARTER; AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED (AT THEIR COST) ANOTHER). IN ADDITION, AS…
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SINCE L998 MY CAR HAS FAILED TO START AND AFTER REPEATED EFFORTS, WHEN THE ENGINE HAS COOLED OFF, IT WILL START UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAVE EVEN CALLED THE AAA AND BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVE, THE CAR WILL START ON ITS OWN. I HAVE REPLACED (AT MY EXPENSE) ONE STARTER; AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED (AT THEIR COST) ANOTHER). IN ADDITION, AS THEIR SUGGESTION, I DISENGAGED BY SECURITY SYSTEM, AS IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT A SHORT WAS CAUSING A MALFUNCTION, AND "FREEZING THE ENGINE." THE STARTING PROBLEM PERSISTS ON AN ON AGAIN/OFF AGAIN BASIS. MY CAR HAS ONLY BEEN SERVICED, AT APPROPRIATE TIMES, BY THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I PURCHASED IT. THEY INSIST THAT "NOTHING APPEARS TO BE WRONG WITH THE CAR" BUT IT CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO START, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN SEVERAL MILES, OR WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE. THIS IS A SEVERE HAZARD TO ME AS I AM A SINGLE PERSON AND CAN FIND MYSELF IN A DISTANT LOCATION WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING CAR. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY ANOTHER ACURA LEGEND OWNER (ALSO 1989) THAT HE HAS HAD THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM, AND HAS RECEIVED THE SAME RESPONSE FROM OUR DEALERSHIP. WHEN QUESTIONED, THEY INSIST THAT THIS IS A UNIQUE PROBLEM, BUT I AM DOUBTFUL OF THIS IN LIGHT OF MY FRIEND'S EXPERIENCE.*AK
MY FRIEND AND I WERE TRAVELING ON A FOUR LANE ROAD IN THE RAIN GOING 5 MILES UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT. TWO CARS IN FRONT OF US SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES AND I PROCEEDED TO DO THE SAME THING. FIRST, MY BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME, HAVING ABS I SHOULD HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM, SECOND AS WE HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF USE TWO THINGS HAPPE…
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MY FRIEND AND I WERE TRAVELING ON A FOUR LANE ROAD IN THE RAIN GOING 5 MILES UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT. TWO CARS IN FRONT OF US SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES AND I PROCEEDED TO DO THE SAME THING. FIRST, MY BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME, HAVING ABS I SHOULD HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM, SECOND AS WE HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF USE TWO THINGS HAPPENDED, ONE MY PASSANGER'S SEATBELT DID NOT TAKE HOLD AND HE ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES. SECOND MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING BE TO STRIKE THE STEERING WHEEL WITH NO INJURIES.*AK
REPEATED DIFFICULTY IN STARTING THE CAR. STARTER HAS BEEN REPLACES TWICE/ SECURITY SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED. PROBLEM PERSISTS.*AK
RADIO GOES ON AND OFF, BELLS RING, DASH LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF. VEHICLE STOPS. LOOKS LIKE A DEAD BATTERY, BUT IS NOT. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR OVER THREE MONTHS THIS TIME. NEITHER THE HONDA DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT DEALER CAN FIND THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM IS ONGOING OCCURRING ABOUT EVERY THREE MONTHS. HONDA DEALER TOLD US CAR…
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RADIO GOES ON AND OFF, BELLS RING, DASH LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF. VEHICLE STOPS. LOOKS LIKE A DEAD BATTERY, BUT IS NOT. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR OVER THREE MONTHS THIS TIME. NEITHER THE HONDA DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT DEALER CAN FIND THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM IS ONGOING OCCURRING ABOUT EVERY THREE MONTHS. HONDA DEALER TOLD US CAR WAS REPAIRED. WE WENT TO PICK IT UP, AND IT WOULDN'T START. HAD IT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN 1998.
WHEN DRIVING/APPLYING BRAKES/ ACCELERATING, OR EVEN MAKING TURNS COULD SMELL FUEL FUMES. CONTACTED DEALER WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP. *AK
Official recalls
195V103001 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
May 24, 1995
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES. CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. CHECK THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUG ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS SECURELY LOCKED, THEN PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON. THE LATCH PLATE SHOULD POP OUT OF THE BUCKLE WHEN THE BUTTON IS PRESSED. IF EITHER RELEASE BUTTON SHOWS ANY SIGN OF BREAKAGE OR CRACKING, OR IF EITHER BUCKLE FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY, PROMPTLY CONTACT YOUR AUTHORIZED HONDA/ACURA DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE BUCKLE REPLACED OR REPAIRED, FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER IS DEVELOPING A REMEDY DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE FAILURE OF THE BUTTONS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY BROKEN.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.