IllustrationENGINE FIRE, CAUSED BY TRANSMISSION FLUID OVERHEATING AND FLOWING OUT OF VENT TUBE ONTO EXHAUST SYSTEM.*SD
1989 GMC G Series
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all G Series years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
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: 0 of 2 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.
- Power Train. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
2 reportsTHE REAR AXLE AND PINION GEAR HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 53K AND NOW AGAIN 90K AND COST TWICE AS MUCH. TT
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
1PE89132 · Lower Ball Joint Failure
Opened Jun 21, 1989 · Closed Oct 16, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
SUMMARY:EIGHT CONSUMERS AND ONE FLEET MANAGER REPORT PREMATURE LOWERBALL JOINT WEAR.ALLEGEDLY TWO ACCIDENTS HAVE RESULTED.SUBJECTVEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH MAINTENANCE FREE BALL JOINTS.===