CHEVROLET G20 · model year

1985 CHEVROLET G20

6 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1985CHEVROLETG20 carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1985 G20 is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly with 1 filings, followed by latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1985 G20, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

6
Complaints
2
Crashes
2
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

6 filings

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

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM1
SUSPENSION:FRONT1
TIRES1

Recent Complaints

20090928CrashTIRES

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1985 CHEVROLET G20, WITH COOPER WEATHER- MASTER ST STEEL P225/75/R15 TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH THE DRIVER-SIDE FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. HE REPLACED THE FAILED TIRE WITH THE SPARE TIRE; HOWEVER, 15 MILES LATER, THE DRIVER-SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER AND CRASH. THE POLICE AND EMS WERE NOTIFIED. HE SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND EXTENSIVE BRUISING ON HIS ENTIRE BODY. A POLICE OFFICER CONCLUDED THAT BECAUSE THE SIDE-WALLS WERE SPLIT, THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 140,000.

Mileage: 140,000

20000205SUSPENSION:FRONT

VAN PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN DRIVING AND WHEN PUTTING ON THE BRAKES. *AK

19970918SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THE FRONT BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP. HAD BRAKES REPAIRED DUE TO STRESS ON THE FRONT BRAKES FROM THE BACK BRAKES NOT SELF ADJUSTING. THEY SUPPOSE TO BE SELF ADJUSTING. *AK

19970828FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)

19960111LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

CAN NOT GET OUT OF VEHICLE WHEN LOCKED UNLESS YOU ROLL DOWN WINDOW AND OPEN DOOR FROM OUTSIDE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

19950202CrashFireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

VAN WAS REAR ENDED AND DAMAGE GAS TANK, VAN BURNED. TT

Compare 1985CHEVROLETG20 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1985 CHEVROLET G20 have?
The 1985 CHEVROLET G20 has 6 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 CHEVROLET G20?
The most-complained component for the 1985 CHEVROLET G20 is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1985 CHEVROLET G20 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1985 CHEVROLET G20; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.