IllustrationBOLTS TO BACK OF DRIVER'S SEAT SHEARED OFF CAUSING SEAT TO COLLAPSE, RECALL WORK ON THE BOLTS COMPLETE, HOWEVER THEY STILL FAILED.
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 reportsBUCKET SEAT RECLINER BOLTS, BOTH ON DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S SIDES, BROKE PRIOR TO/AFTER RECALL REPAIRS (93V-187).
BOLT HOLDING SEAT BACK FAILED, CAUSING SEAT BACK TO FALL BACKWARDS.
DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 45MPH WHEN DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARDS FOR NO REASON; OBSCURED DRIVER'S VIEW. DRIVER HAD TO GRABB WHEEL & APPLY THE BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE. CHECKED SEAT & NOTICED THE BOLTS HAD EITHER BROKE OR WERE SHEARING OFF. *AK
TWO YEARS AFTER THE RECALL HAD BEEN DONE ON THIS VEHICLE THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BACK FELL OFF AND THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO GET THE SEAT REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BOLTS BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO DROP BACK AFTER RECALL REPAIRS (93V-137). *AK
RECALL- NO 93V187000. THE DRIVER'S SEATBACK MECHANISM FAILED DURING OPERATION, CAUSING THE SEAT TO GO BACK. *AK CONSUMER STATES FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING A BRIEF LOSS OF CONTROL, THIS WAS A RECALL(93V187) SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT BUCKET SEATS PERSISTS. *SLC
SEAT BACK BOLTS BROKE, CAUSING BACK OF SEAT TO RECLINE.
3RD PASSENGER SEAT TIE DOWN BRACKET WELD FAILED.
SEAT BACK RECLINES UNEXPECTEDLY, CAUSING INJURY. *DSH
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.