1989 Ford Bronco problems & reliability
84 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Bronco. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1989 Ford Bronco vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. 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 → | 28 | 33% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 13 | 15% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 10 | 12% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 10% |
| Steering | 7 | 8% |
| Structure | 7 | 8% |
| Seats | 5 | 6% |
| Tires | 5 | 6% |
| Power Train | 3 | 4% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl*the contact owns a 1989 ford bronco. The contact was unable to start the vehicle because the key would not turn in the ignition. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer replaced the ignition switch under nhtsa campaign id number 96v071000 (electrical system: ignition). The dealer was…”
Steering · filed Apr 5, 2010
“Consumer parked the vehicle at a restaurant and went inside to eat. Within ten minutes the consumer noticed fire trucks coming into the restaurant's parking lot. Consumer went outside to investigate what was going on, and noticed that his vehicle was on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. Consumer had the…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 2, 2004
“The floor pan underneath the driver's side seat had thrown. If vehicle was involved in an accident or brakes had to be depressed suddenly driver's side seat belt would rip out because it was attached to the floor pan. There was tsb/ recall in all data b93900801 for the floor pan reinforcement(not in artemis). Artemis…”
Structure · filed Nov 17, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FORD TRUCK INCONSISTENT VEHICLE CONTROL.
Preliminary Evaluation PE91017 · opened Nov 27, 1990 · closed Apr 17, 1991
- FLOORBOARD FRACTURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE90036 · opened Jan 23, 1990 · closed Jul 26, 1990
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Bronco. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system. *tt
002310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2000
Transmission- e40d/4r100-1989-99-main controls, separator plates and separator plate gaskets usage chart. Yd
98168 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2000
Vehicles may experience solid particle contaminants from prior transmission concerns or excess wear, may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system is not properly flushed, fluid in-line filter kit. *mjs
0038 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2000
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt
99816 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Ford Bronco 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 Ford Bronco?
- · 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.