Vehicle Recall

Recalls filed in 1989

Manufacturers filed 281 US vehicle safety recalls in 1989, covering 11,427,325 vehicles. 2021 remains the busiest year on record, with 1,094. Ford filed the most that year, with 22.

Campaigns
281
Vehicles covered
11,427,325
Largest recall
1,755,897
Rank by volume
#38 of 60

Makes that filed most in 1989

  1. Ford2,208,763 vehicles22 recalls
  2. Chevrolet231,844 vehicles13 recalls
  3. Mack25,226 vehicles13 recalls
  4. Peterbilt24,257 vehicles11 recalls
  5. Freightliner52,851 vehicles9 recalls
  6. Itasca6,303 vehicles7 recalls
  7. Dodge1,319,850 vehicles6 recalls
  8. Cooper34,581 vehicles5 recalls
  9. Dabryan4,981 vehicles5 recalls
  10. Volvo39,580 vehicles5 recalls
  11. Fleetwood4,423 vehicles4 recalls
  12. Flxible5,731 vehicles4 recalls

Counted by the make named on each filing, so a manufacturer that sells several brands appears once per brand.

Parts recalled most in 1989

  1. Equipment: Labels16 recalls
  2. Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar11 recalls
  3. Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings10 recalls
  4. Vehicle Speed Control10 recalls
  5. Seat Belts: Anchorage8 recalls
  6. Seats8 recalls
  7. Visibility: Heater Core8 recalls
  8. Child Seat7 recalls
  9. Electrical System: Wiring5 recalls
  10. Seat Belts5 recalls

Largest recalls of 1989

  1. Buick — Vehicle Speed Control89V10200016 June 19891,755,897
  2. Fisher Price — Child Seat89C0050002 March 19891,532,000
  3. Evenflo — Child Seat89C00800019 April 19891,397,898
  4. Ford — Seats89V17000013 October 19891,375,500
  5. Dodge — Engine and Engine Cooling: Engine89V23700027 December 1989634,000
  6. Century — Child Seat89C0190003 July 1989533,870
  7. Dodge — Suspension: Lower Arm89V05200029 March 1989500,000
  8. Ford — Engine and Engine Cooling: Engine89V09500012 June 1989481,049
  9. Toyota — Seat Belts: Front89V17500018 October 1989408,225
  10. Pontiac — Engine and Engine Cooling: Gasoline89V23200028 December 1989244,000
  11. Century — Child Seat89C03200030 November 1989233,000
  12. Norcold — Equipment: Recreational Vehicle/Trailer89E01800020 June 1989208,168
  13. Chevrolet — Structure: Hinge and Attachments89V22500018 December 1989170,769
  14. Dodge — Equipment: Labels89V0910005 June 1989120,000
  15. Ford — Seat Belts: Anchorage89V22600018 December 1989118,787
  16. Ford — Service Brakes, Air: Caliper89V08100019 May 1989113,200
  17. Toyota — Steering: Gear Box (other Than Rack and Pinion)89V08900030 May 1989110,217
  18. Evenflo — Child Seat89C02700031 August 198977,477
  19. Firestone — Tires89T0020006 March 198977,114
  20. Honda — Vehicle Speed Control: Accelerator Pedal89V09700013 June 198976,973
  21. Mercury — Seat Belts: Retractor89V08500022 May 198966,300
  22. Dodge — Seats89V01100031 January 198960,000
  23. Subaru — Fuel System, Gasoline89V10300023 June 198957,000
  24. Webb Wheel — Wheels: Multi Piece89E0100001 May 198948,861
  25. Volvo — Power Train: Driveshaft89V20400017 November 198938,000

The 25 largest of 281 filed in 1989. See every recall or the largest on record.

← 1988 (241)1990 (270) →

Every year on record, with the long-run trend.

About this figure

1989 here is the year the recall was filed with NHTSA, not the model year of the vehicles. A 1989 filing routinely covers vehicles built years earlier, and a car of model year 1989 appears in filings for years afterwards.

“Vehicles covered” sums the manufacturer’s own estimate for each campaign. A vehicle recalled twice in 1989 is counted twice, so the figure is not a count of distinct vehicles.

Do Not Drive and Park Outside flags entered NHTSA’s public record in May 2025. This page shows no advisory section for 1989 because the flag did not exist then \u2014 not because no 1989 recall was urgent.

Compiled from NHTSA’s published recall files, which are US government open data and rebuilt daily. Figures on this page reflect the record as of 18 September 2026. Read the methodology, or check a specific vehicle at nhtsa.gov.