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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.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

Tires complaints

7 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 10, 2001
Tires

IN JULY OF 2000 I WENT TO FIRESTONE TO REPORT A BUBBLE IN MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THE EMPLOYEE SAID THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPERATING AND THAT I SHOULD BUY NEW TIRES. THEY HAD NONE IN STOCK SO I BOUGHT ELSEWHERE. I STILL HAD THE FIRSTONES ON THE REAR. ON EASTER 2001 WHILE RETURNING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH THE LEFT REAR TIRE SUFFE…

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IN JULY OF 2000 I WENT TO FIRESTONE TO REPORT A BUBBLE IN MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THE EMPLOYEE SAID THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPERATING AND THAT I SHOULD BUY NEW TIRES. THEY HAD NONE IN STOCK SO I BOUGHT ELSEWHERE. I STILL HAD THE FIRSTONES ON THE REAR. ON EASTER 2001 WHILE RETURNING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH THE LEFT REAR TIRE SUFFERED TREAD SEPERATION. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE AND HAD THE TIRE CHANGED. I HAD 5 FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE CAR WHO WERE VERY SCARED BY THIS. DAMAGE WAS $2300. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO WRITE A MORE IN DEPTH REPORT OR BE INTERVIEWED. I NEVER SAW ANY INDICATION THAT THESE TIRES WERE RECALLED. IF I HAD LEFT THE ONES ON THE FRONT WE MAY ALL BE DEAD. PLEASE STOP FIRSTONE FROM HANDLING INDIVIDUAL CLAIMS RATHER THAN RECALLING ALL OF THE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE TIRES - NOBODY ELSE SHOULD DIE IN ORDER TO SAVE THEM MONEY AND REPUTATION. I HAVE THE TIRE....AND PHOTOS. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VDXF AXD TIRESIZE: 33X12.50R1)

NHTSA ODI #745184

Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 2000
Tires

YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING 60MPH DOWN HWY 59 IN HOUSTON AND HEARD THIS AWFUL NOISE LIKE I RAN OVER SOMETHING. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET QUICKLY OVER TO THE SHOULDER. SURE ENOUGH THE BACK LEFT TIRE, A FIRESTONE 235/75/15 FR480 (SAME SIZE AS THE RECALL, BUT DIFFERENT FIRESTONE) TIRE PEELED OFF THE BELTS. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT T…

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YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING 60MPH DOWN HWY 59 IN HOUSTON AND HEARD THIS AWFUL NOISE LIKE I RAN OVER SOMETHING. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET QUICKLY OVER TO THE SHOULDER. SURE ENOUGH THE BACK LEFT TIRE, A FIRESTONE 235/75/15 FR480 (SAME SIZE AS THE RECALL, BUT DIFFERENT FIRESTONE) TIRE PEELED OFF THE BELTS. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO POP AND I DON'T KNOW HOW IT DID NOT. IT DID SOME DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE ALSO. I WENT TO A FIRESTONE SHOP AND HE WANTS TO JUST SELL ME NEW TIRES... NOT EVEN REPLACE THE BLOWOUT!!! HE DID GIVE ME AN 800 NUMBER FOR THE DAMAGE.*AK (TIRESIZE: 275/55R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 275/55R15 )

NHTSA ODI #734958

Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2000
Tires

CONSUMER PURCHASED FOUR FIRESTONE LT 235-85-R16 A/TMS TIRES, TWO OF THE TIRES WERE OUT OF ROUND CAUSING VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING. *MJS

NHTSA ODI #556343

Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 2000
Tires

THIS SUBURBAN WAS EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE TIRES LT235/85R16, DOT:VNOR. IT WAS NOT (OE), AND WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH TREAD SUDDENLY PEALED OFF THE TIRE. FIRESTONE WAS NOT CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #872413

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2000
Tires

PE 00 020/TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: RIGHT REAR EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION ON A 1989 CHEVROLET, SUBURBAN WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH WITH DRIVER AND SEVEN PASSENGERS. AFTER MARKET EQUIPMENT INSTALLED AT 134,944 MILES, TIRE SIZE 31X10.50/R15, DOT# VD60AW3258. VEHICLE RECEIVED REAR END BODY DAMAGE, AND TIRE WAS AVAILABLE FOR ANAYLSI…

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PE 00 020/TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: RIGHT REAR EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION ON A 1989 CHEVROLET, SUBURBAN WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH WITH DRIVER AND SEVEN PASSENGERS. AFTER MARKET EQUIPMENT INSTALLED AT 134,944 MILES, TIRE SIZE 31X10.50/R15, DOT# VD60AW3258. VEHICLE RECEIVED REAR END BODY DAMAGE, AND TIRE WAS AVAILABLE FOR ANAYLSIS. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ODI #871816

Mileage unknown · Sep 19, 2000
Tires

COMPLETE TREAD LOSS, NO FLAT, ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVE HOME ON STEEL BELTS( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/15R75 )

NHTSA ODI #731932

Mileage unknown · Jul 26, 1996
TiresCrashInjury

REAR TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT) *DH

NHTSA ODI #506696

Official recalls

3

93V187000 · 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

1

EA94029 · 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.