IllustrationDRIVER 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.
1989 Chevrolet Suburban
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Chevrolet Suburban do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 118.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Suburban 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 62 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.
- Seats. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports5 fire reports8 injury reports
Seats complaints
27 reportsNHTSA 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 . HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NO…
Read full complaint
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 . HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED DUE TO THE VIN. *AK
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
SECOND FALIURE OF REPAIRED DRIVERS SEATBACK. DRIVERS SIDE (LEFT) RECLINER BOLT BROKE CAUSING DRIVER TO STIKE HEAD ON DOOR PILLAR AS HE WAS THROWN REARWARD DURING ACCELERATION ONTO FREEWAY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP WITH FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS SEAT WAS REPAIRED BY HUFFINES CHEVROLET IN LEWISVILLE TX FOR A SIMILAR…
Read full complaint
SECOND FALIURE OF REPAIRED DRIVERS SEATBACK. DRIVERS SIDE (LEFT) RECLINER BOLT BROKE CAUSING DRIVER TO STIKE HEAD ON DOOR PILLAR AS HE WAS THROWN REARWARD DURING ACCELERATION ONTO FREEWAY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP WITH FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS SEAT WAS REPAIRED BY HUFFINES CHEVROLET IN LEWISVILLE TX FOR A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN 1999 WHEN THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED THROWING THE DRIVER ONTO THE REAR SEAT.
THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL IN THE EARLY TO MID '90'S FOR FAILURE OF A BOLT WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE SEAT BACK TO COLLAPSE. WHEN I RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL, I PROMPTLY HAD THE WORK DONE. BUT WHEN I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, I FELT UNEASY BECAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T THINK THEY DID THE WORK. ABOUT A YEAR TO TWO YEARS A…
Read full complaint
THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL IN THE EARLY TO MID '90'S FOR FAILURE OF A BOLT WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE SEAT BACK TO COLLAPSE. WHEN I RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL, I PROMPTLY HAD THE WORK DONE. BUT WHEN I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, I FELT UNEASY BECAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T THINK THEY DID THE WORK. ABOUT A YEAR TO TWO YEARS AFTER THE BOLT WAS "REPLACED" THE SEAT COLLAPSED ON ME. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY FIXED IT IMMEDIATELY. IN HINDSIGHT, I WAS UPSET I DIDN'T KEEP THE BOLT THAT BROKE TO DETERMINE BY TESTING IF IT HAD INDEED BEEN REPLACED AT THE TIME OF THE RECALL. ANYWAY, YESTERDAY, JULY 27, 2000, I WAS DRIVING ALONE AT 40 MPH WHEN THE BOLT AGAIN BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO COLLAPSE AND ME TO FALL BACKWARDS, LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS JUST LUCKY IT WAS A WIDE ROAD AND THERE WAS NOBODY NEAR ME WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I FOUND THE BOLT THAT SNAPPED AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT TESTED. *AK
FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT ANCHOR ATTACHMENT BOLTS BROKE ,CAUSING THE SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
THIS VEHICLE WAS IN A CHAIN REACTION REAR END COLLISION WHEN STRUCK IN THE REAR, DRIVER'S SEAT BACK BOLTS BROKE, CAUSINGTHE SEAT TO COLLAPSE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT, INJURIES TO BACK, NECK, LEFT KNEE, AND HIP. *SLC
RECALL COMPONENT REPAIR COMPLETED THEN FAILED AGAIN. (93V-187) *NLM
DURING A HIGH SPEED ACCIDENT, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATBACK BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO GO FORWARD AND CRUSHING THE OCCUPANT INTO THE STEERING WHEEL, WHICH CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES. PREVIOUSLY HAD RECALL DONE FOR THE SEATBACK BOLTS. *AK
SEAT SUPPORT BOLTS FAILED BEFORE/AFTER RECALL REPAIR CAUSING SEAT BACK TO COLLASPE PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.
Official recalls
393V187000 · Seats
Nov 16, 1993
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 & remedy
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.
93V119000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor
Aug 2, 1993
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 & remedy
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.
93V016000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Feb 1, 1993
UNANTICIPATED HEAT IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT OF THE VENT TUBE.
Consequence & remedy
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.
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
1EA94029 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Jul 29, 1994 · Closed Jul 31, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
AN ALLEGED MALFUNCTION IN THE ATLERNATOR RESULTING IN ENGINE COMPARTMET FIRES.