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1989 Ford Mustang

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1989 Ford Mustang do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 81.

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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: 4 of 109 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seat Belts. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports31 fire reports6 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

4 reports
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131,000 miles · Sep 27, 2020
Exterior LightingSeat BeltsVehicle Speed Control

SEAT BELTS PULL OUT AND LATCH HOWEVER THE CROSS BODY PORTION DOES NOT RECEDE BACK INTO FRAME, ONLY CONTINUES TO LOOSEN AND NOT RETRACT THIS HAPPENS AT ANY TIME YOU ATE USING THE SEAT BELTS, HAPPENS WITH FRONT AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS, EITHER STOPPED. DRIVING, BREAKING OR EXCELLING. ITS ALL THE TIME . MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE …

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SEAT BELTS PULL OUT AND LATCH HOWEVER THE CROSS BODY PORTION DOES NOT RECEDE BACK INTO FRAME, ONLY CONTINUES TO LOOSEN AND NOT RETRACT THIS HAPPENS AT ANY TIME YOU ATE USING THE SEAT BELTS, HAPPENS WITH FRONT AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS, EITHER STOPPED. DRIVING, BREAKING OR EXCELLING. ITS ALL THE TIME . MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM IS OLD AND WORE OUT. SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS 131,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON THE MOTOR. NO IDEA WHY THE SPEEDOMETER JUST STOPPED WORKING AS I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN GOING ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR. OVERDRIVE STOPPED WORKING. NO WARNING, NO OCCASIONAL SLIPS. JUST STOPPED WORKING WHILE SWITCHING INTO OVERDRIVE IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. HAVE TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER 50 MILES PER HOUR AS CAR WON'T SHIFT INTO NEXT GEAR. MY GUESS IS CHANGE TRANSMISSION. LOOKING FOR ONE NOW TO EITHER REBUILD IT OR GET A NEW ONE. SWITCHES, DRIVER SIDE SWITCH WOULD NOT CATCH THE WINDOW TO ROLL UP OR DOWN,, THEN THE SWITCH PLATE WOULD STICK AND STARTED SMOKING. I REPLACED THE SWITCH TWICE NOW WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. INTERIOR LIGHTING FOR SPEEDOMETER GAGES ARE NO LIGHTS. UNABLE TO SEE GAGES. ***I DO REALIZE THE CAR IS 31 YEARS OLD NOW. AND MAY JUST BE OLD AGE GETTING TO MY FOXBODY. *** THANK YOU

NHTSA ODI #11361416

82,000 miles · Oct 31, 2014
Exterior Lighting

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE MUSTANG AND FOLLOWING ME AT NIGHT. SHE HAD THE FOG LAMPS TURNED ON ALONG WITH THE HEADLAMPS AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. SHE RAN OFF THE ROAD BEFORE SHE COULD STOP, BUT DID NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE. THE LIGHTS KEPT FLICKERING ON AND OFF STAYING OFF FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. WE FINISHED THE TRIP WE WERE ON WITH JUS…

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MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE MUSTANG AND FOLLOWING ME AT NIGHT. SHE HAD THE FOG LAMPS TURNED ON ALONG WITH THE HEADLAMPS AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. SHE RAN OFF THE ROAD BEFORE SHE COULD STOP, BUT DID NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE. THE LIGHTS KEPT FLICKERING ON AND OFF STAYING OFF FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. WE FINISHED THE TRIP WE WERE ON WITH JUST THE HEADLAMPS AND THEY DID NOT FLICKER. WE DID NOT BRING THE CAR BACK TO TOWN UNTIL AUGUST AND I TOOK IT TO IMMEL MOTORS FORD DEALER IN FREDERICKSBURG, TX. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. AFTER WE GOT IT OUT IT CONTINUED TO FLICKER IF WE USED THE FOG LAMPS SO WE QUIT USING THEM. I RECENTLY FOUND THAT THERE IS A TSB 891711 AUG 89 THAT IDENTIFIES THAT PROBLEM. I BELIEVE IT AFFECTS MORE THAN JUST THE 1989 MUSTANGS. I ALSO BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT IT HAS CAUSED MANY ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLY EVEN DEATHS. I WAS TOLD BY FORD THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL AND THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING TO REPAIR IT, BUT IMMEL MOTORS DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO TO REPAIR THE ISSUE. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED A LONG TIME AGO. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF VEHICLES OUT THERE BEING AFFECTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10651659

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 1999
Exterior Lighting

THE PLASTIC DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHTS GETS FADED AND OPAQUE, CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS TO BE DIMMER, AND MAY RESULT IN VISUAL DIFFICULTIES AND IN A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #835477

Mileage unknown · Oct 28, 1996
Exterior LightingFire

TURNED OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

NHTSA ODI #804104

Official recalls

1

96V071000 · Electrical System:ignition

Apr 25, 1996

THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.

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

4

PE94010 · Fuel Line Routing

Opened Feb 2, 1994 · Closed Apr 19, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available

PE91137 · Hood Latch Failures

Opened Oct 9, 1991 · Closed Feb 27, 1992

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure

There is no summary currently available

PE90052 · Fr Seat Floor Mount Fails

Opened Mar 7, 1990 · Closed Jun 20, 1990

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats

There is no summary currently available

PE89133 · Underdash Fires

Opened Jun 29, 1989 · Closed Nov 28, 1989

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available