Total Complaints
2 filings
BUICK ELECTRA · model year
1985 BUICK ELECTRA
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985BUICKELECTRA carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1985 ELECTRA is seats with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:front (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1985 ELECTRA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEATS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990311SEAT BELTS:FRONT
LAP BELT WILL NOT RETRACT PROPERLY, CONSUMER TRYING TO FIND REPLACMENT PART BUT THE SEATBELTS ARE NO LONGER IN STOCK MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE.
19980515SEATS
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BLET BROKE (LAP BELT WOULD NO LONGER RECOIL), BELT NO LONGER IN STOCK, COULD NOT LOCATE A REPLACEMENT PART, NO LONGER MANUFACTURE THE PART.
Compare 1985BUICKELECTRA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 BUICK ELECTRA have?▼
The 1985 BUICK ELECTRA has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 BUICK ELECTRA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 BUICK ELECTRA is SEATS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT.
Is the 1985 BUICK ELECTRA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.