1989 Ford Bronco II problems & reliability
39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Bronco II. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (9 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1989 Ford Bronco II 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 | 8 | 21% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 18% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 18% |
| Visibility | 6 | 15% |
| Tires | 4 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 8% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 5% |
| Power Train | 2 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1989 ford bronco ii, spontaneously caught fire in our garage 8/23/02. I was the original owner of the vehicle which was purchased from a dealer in taylor texas, vin # [xxx]. The vehicle was rolled into the driveway, whereby it burned beyond recognition. The fire department was called. I have contacted ford and…”
Electrical System · filed Sep 12, 2005
“We were driving the speed limit, came around a curve on hwy 86, hit loose gravel and lost control.....we rolled the vehicle once(landing on our top). As soon as the bronco 2 started to roll over, the top of the cab started buckling like an aluminum soda can...the result was the driver side being smashed about two…”
Structure · filed May 2, 2005
“This tire was an original equipment spare, mounted on the right rear on 4-12-97 (3 new tires purchased at same time).the tire had about 22,100 miles on it. It lost about 1/3 of its tread at 50 mph but did not blow out. I heard the loose tread hit the fend. *ak (dot number: hyul tiresize: p205/75r15)”
Tires · filed Jan 9, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- VEHICLE ROLLOVER
Defect Petition DP97006 · opened Dec 3, 1997 · closed May 5, 1999
- WHL SEPARATION/TORQUE LOSS
Preliminary Evaluation PE92029 · opened Mar 16, 1992 · closed Aug 31, 1992
- ROLLOVER PROPENSITY
Engineering Analysis EA89013 · opened Feb 9, 1989 · closed Oct 31, 1990
Technical service bulletins
20 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Bronco II. 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
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
Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc
98246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 1998
Information on a new transmission fluid usage chart. *yc
9888 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 1998
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 II 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 II?
- · 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.