Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1989 Chevrolet Caprice, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts4
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Structure2
- Vehicle speed control2
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Tires2
- Seats1
- Suspension1
- Unknown or other1
- Power train1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 1989 Caprice vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1989 Chevrolet Caprice failed the safety check 0.84% of the time — 4% more often than the average 1989 passenger car (0.81%). Median odometer at inspection: 78,845 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In New Zealand
2 1989 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1989 Chevrolet Caprice.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
NHTSA investigations
THROTTLE STICKING/BINDING
THROTTLE STICKING/BINDING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation