1989 Ford Thunderbird

The supplied federal year-by-year record begins in 1990 and contains no 1989 entry, so 1989 cannot be compared to prior years or placed directly into the annual complaint/recall trend using totals. From 1990 forward, the arc shows complaints climbing from 167 in 1990 and 128 in 1991 to a 1993 peak of 482, then declining; recalls hold at four per year through 1993 and again in 1996, while TSBs rise consistently from 39 in 1990–1991 to 144 in 1996. For 1989 specifically, the data list Vehicle Speed Control and Electrical System as the top complaint areas at 24 each, followed by Service Brakes, Hydraulic at 21 and Seat Belts at 18, with 15 crash-related and 25 fire-related complaints, though no root causes are specified. Because 1989 sits before the start of the annual record yet already shows substantial fire and crash reports alongside electrical and speed-control complaints, it appears to predate the documented surge rather than sit in the calmer post-1993 decline. That gap in the record and the presence of serious-safety complaint categories make 1989 a cautious buy: it is not clearly supported as a low-risk year, so a thorough inspection and maintenance-budget reserve are advisable.