Total Complaints
9 filings
CHEVROLET C10 · model year
1985 CHEVROLET C10
9 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985CHEVROLETC10 carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 3 fires, 2 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 C10 is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (2) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:catalytic convertor (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 57 investigation files overlapping the 1985 C10, and 2 remain open. 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.
9
Complaints
2
Crashes
3
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070806SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1985 CHEVROLET C10. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE EMISSIONS STATION THAT THE REAR BRAKES ON HIS VEHICLE DO NOT OPERATE. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDS AN AXLE BRAKE ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAS NOT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE THE YEAR HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND WILL NOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL MANUFACTURER CAN REMEDY THE DEFECT. UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR
20010130FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER HAS SMELLED GAS FUME ODORS OUTSIDE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED TANK WAS LEAKING FUEL FROM SIDE SADDLE TANK DUE TO COVER WHICH WAS NOT MOUNTED TO TANK, ALLOWING FOREIGN OBJECTS TO ENTER TANK AND CAUSING TANK TO RUST OUT. TWENTY GALLON TANK. *AK
20000918CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
I HAVE REPLACED SEVEN COILS, FOUR IGNITION MODULES, AND 1 COMPLETE DISTRIBUTOR, ALSO I HAVE REPLACED THE CAP AND ROTOR THREE TIMES. THE TRUCK HAS LEFT ME AND MY ELDERLY PARENTS STRANDED SEVERAL TIMES AND HELPED IN CAUSING AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD HAD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. I HAVE PUT A LARGE SUM OF MONEY INTO THIS VEHICLE, BESIDE THE TIME IT TOOK TO WORK ON IT,PLUS THE TIME I MISSED AT WORK. I AM IN CONSTUCTION AND WHEN MY TRUCK DON'T I USSUALLY CAN'T WORK EITHER/.I FEEL THAT CHEVROLET CORP. SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM OR IN THE VERY LEAST NOTIFY THEIR VEHICLE OWNERS SO WE CAN SOLVE THE DEFECTS OURSELVES. OR NOT EVEN BUY THEM. I ENJOYED MY 1978 CHEVROLET PICKUP UP TO THE DAY IT WAS STOLEN. NOW I AM NOT SO SURE I CAN ENDORSE CHEVROLET AN MORE. I MUST ALSO STATE THAT OWNER BEFORE MY FATHER BOUGHT THE TRUCK HE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT.
20000914CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
I HAVE REPLACED SEVEN COILS, FOUR IGNITION MODULES, AND 1 COMPLETE DISTRIBUTOR, ALSO I HAVE REPLACED THE CAP AND ROTOR THREE TIMES. THE TRUCK HAS LEFT ME AND MY ELDERLY PARENTS STRANDED SEVERAL TIMES AND HELPED IN CAUSING AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD HAD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. I HAVE PUT A LARGE SUM OF MONEY INTO THIS VEHICLE, BESIDE THE TIME IT TOOK TO WORK ON IT,PLUS THE TIME I MISSED AT WORK. I AM IN CONSTUCTION AND WHEN MY TRUCK DON'T I USSUALLY CAN'T WORK EITHER/.I FEEL THAT CHEVROLET CORP. SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM OR IN THE VERY LEAST NOTIFY THEIR VEHICLE OWNERS SO WE CAN SOLVE THE DEFECTS OURSELVES. OR NOT EVEN BUY THEM. I ENJOYED MY 1978 CHEVROLET PICKUP UP TO THE DAY IT WAS STOLEN. NOW I AM NOT SO SURE I CAN ENDORSE CHEVROLET AN MORE. I MUST ALSO STATE THAT OWNER BEFORE MY FATHER BOUGHT THE TRUCK HE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT.
20000818TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00 020; WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND THERE WAS NO NOISE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. CONTINENTAL GENERAL P235/75 R15 AND DOT # ACHL2V7077. FRONT RIGHT TIRE EXPLODED. SECOND TIRE WAS THE LEFT FRONT.*AK DURING THE FIRST TREAD SEPARATION, THE VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL CAUSING DAMAGE TO FENDER AND DOOR. THE SECOND TREAD SEPARATION OCCURED AGAIN WHILE TRAVELLING BUT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *YH
19960515FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD, FOUND AREA NEAR CARBURETOR ON FIRE. *AK
19960404FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANKS ARE BUILT OUTSIDE THE FRAME, CAUSING SERIOUS RISK OF FIRE IN CASE OF BEING HIT FROM THE SIDE. *DSH
19951010FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
UNDER VEHICLE CARRIAGE FIRE, CATALYTIC CONVERTER SUSPECTED OF CAUSING FIRE. TT AFTER SUDDEN EXPLOSION THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE FROM UNDERNEATH THE REAR. THE POWER DOOR FAILED TO WORK AND THE CONSUMER IN TRYING TO GET OUT HAD HIS HAIR ON FIRE BUT PUT IT OUT BY ROLLING ON THE GROUND. *YH
19951010FireSTRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
UNDER VEHICLE CARRIAGE FIRE, CATALYTIC CONVERTER SUSPECTED OF CAUSING FIRE. TT AFTER SUDDEN EXPLOSION THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE FROM UNDERNEATH THE REAR. THE POWER DOOR FAILED TO WORK AND THE CONSUMER IN TRYING TO GET OUT HAD HIS HAIR ON FIRE BUT PUT IT OUT BY ROLLING ON THE GROUND. *YH
Compare 1985CHEVROLETC10 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 CHEVROLET C10 have?▼
The 1985 CHEVROLET C10 has 9 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 3 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 CHEVROLET C10?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 CHEVROLET C10 is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR.
Is the 1985 CHEVROLET C10 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.