1989 Chevrolet Beretta problems & reliability
51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Chevrolet Beretta. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (7 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1989 Chevrolet Beretta vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 11 | 22% |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 16% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 16% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 12% |
| Structure | 6 | 12% |
| Seats | 5 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Consumer stated while driving, the driver's side seat slid backwards while the vehicle was in motion, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle flipped over twice and landed on a big boulder.*ak the consumer stated she was thrown out of the back windshield and the seat belt did not keep her in the car. *cb *jb”
Seat Belts · filed Dec 10, 2003
“On jan,9 2003 I bought a 1989 chevy beretta with 90000 miles on it for the sum of 2300.00 dollars. On march 31 2003 I was driving down the interstate when the vehicle burst into flames. The fire marshal told me that the fire was caused by a factory defect in the rear window defroster. *jb”
Electrical System · filed Apr 5, 2003
“I'm glad I was in my driveway when I found that I couldn't un-buckle my seatbelt. An emergency situation would have been much more inconveinient.*ak”
Seat Belts · filed Sep 20, 2002
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FR.SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS
Engineering Analysis EA92025 · opened Jul 16, 1992 · closed Jul 8, 1993
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
- SEAT BREAKS FROM TRACK
Preliminary Evaluation PE92048 · opened May 12, 1992 · closed Sep 28, 1992
- PARK BRAKE HANDLE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE92043 · opened Apr 22, 1992 · closed Aug 31, 1992
- STICKING THROTTLE
Preliminary Evaluation PE92021 · opened Feb 24, 1992 · closed Jun 26, 1992
- HINGE PIN FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA92003 · opened Jan 17, 1992 · closed Sep 9, 1992
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Chevrolet Beretta in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1989 Chevrolet Beretta?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.