Total Complaints
13 filings
CHRYSLER LEBARON · model year
1985 CHRYSLER LEBARON
13 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985CHRYSLERLEBARON carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 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 LEBARON is engine and engine cooling:engine with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1) and suspension:rear:springs:leaf spring assembly:shackle (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 88 investigation files overlapping the 1985 LEBARON, and 7 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.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY:SHACKLE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030605ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE VEHICLE CUT OFF AFTER BEING DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS FOUR TIMES, AND NOW THE VEHICLE DOESN'T START AT ALL. *JB
20010131ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT STEERING WHEEL TURNED AROUND, EVEN PART WHERE DRIVER PUT KEY IN. CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE DIED BECAUSE WIRING THAT WENT TO STARTER MUST HAVE POPPED OUT BECAUSE LOSS OF ALL POWER. *AK THE CONSUMER SUGGESTED THAT A PERMANENT FASTENING DEVICE BE USED INSTEAD OF BOLTS THAT BECOME LOOSE AND CAUSE STEERING FAILURE. *YH
20010131STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT STEERING WHEEL TURNED AROUND, EVEN PART WHERE DRIVER PUT KEY IN. CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE DIED BECAUSE WIRING THAT WENT TO STARTER MUST HAVE POPPED OUT BECAUSE LOSS OF ALL POWER. *AK THE CONSUMER SUGGESTED THAT A PERMANENT FASTENING DEVICE BE USED INSTEAD OF BOLTS THAT BECOME LOOSE AND CAUSE STEERING FAILURE. *YH
19991001UNKNOWN OR OTHER
RIGHT NOW, I CAN'T SAY IF THERE ARE ANY SERIOUS DEFECT- IM HAVING THE CAR LOOKED OVER BY A MECHANIC...BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS CAR WITH THIS VIN NUMBER RECIEVE SERVICE FROM CHRYSLER IN REGUARDS TO THE TSB & ANY RECALL NOTICES ISSUED. ANY INFORMATION WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. ALSO, IF THIS IS THE WRONG AREA OR IF YOUR DEPT. IS THE WRONG AGENCY TO ASK ON THIS ISSUE, I APOLIGIZE FOR ANY MISTAKES MADE.
19990930SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT SINCE PURCHASED. DEALER WILL NOT FIX PROBLEM. *YC
19990930ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE GASKET VALVE COVER LEAKING. *YC
19970801FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION FOR FIVE MINUTES WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DUE TO THE GASKET VALVE COVER CAMING DETACHED, CAUSING OIL TO ENTER IN THE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CONSUMER STATE THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
19961231SUSPENSION:REAR
REAR AXLE WELD SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE FRAME.
19960923SEAT BELTS
THE PASSENGER'S AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT IS LOCKED, THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT UNLATCH. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAIL INFORMATION.
19960903VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE THROTTLE GOT STUCK AT 65MPH. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. *AK
19960730SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY:SHACKLE
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING STOPED ON HIGHWAY AND THE REAR FRAME BROKE ALMOST CAUSING AND ACCIDENT . *AK WELD BROKE REAR AXLE ATTACHMENT TO FRAME THE AXLE CAME LOOSE FROM VEHICLE, THE WELD BROKE.*JB
19960730STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING STOPED ON HIGHWAY AND THE REAR FRAME BROKE ALMOST CAUSING AND ACCIDENT . *AK WELD BROKE REAR AXLE ATTACHMENT TO FRAME THE AXLE CAME LOOSE FROM VEHICLE, THE WELD BROKE.*JB
19960619FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *SD
Compare 1985CHRYSLERLEBARON to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 7 Open
RQ25005Recall QueryOpen
Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures
PE25009Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Intermittent Loss of Electric Power Steering
RQ25002Recall QueryClosed
Recall 19V-293 Post Remedy Failures
PE24018Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Engine Stall With Intermittent Restart
RQ24004Recall QueryOpen
Loss of motive power due to an internal wiring connector short.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 CHRYSLER LEBARON have?▼
The 1985 CHRYSLER LEBARON has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 CHRYSLER LEBARON?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 CHRYSLER LEBARON is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY:SHACKLE.
Is the 1985 CHRYSLER LEBARON 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.