Total Complaints
13 filings
Dodge Charger · model year
1985 Dodge Charger
13 NHTSA complaints. 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
- Complaints
- 13
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1985 Dodge Charger posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 17%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1985DodgeCharger 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, 1 fire, 0 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 Charger is exterior lighting:tail lights with 1 filings, followed by visibility:windshield (1) and electrical system:wiring (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1985 Charger. 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.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1985 Dodge Charger
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19951129FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THE VEHICLE HAD A FIRE AND BURNED EVERYTHING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. TT WIRING CAUGHT FIRE AND MELTED ALL PLASTIC AND RUBBER PARTS ON MOTOR , CONSUMER STATES IT HAD FILLED WITH SMOKE ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. *SLC
19951026EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
TAIL LIGHT BROKE FROM BEING PUSHED.
19951026VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WATER LEAKS THROUGH WINDSHIELD ONTO COMPUTER.
19951026ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
PROBLEM WITH STARTER WIRING.
19951026ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
INTERMITTENT STALLING.
19951026ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR REPLACED FIVE TIMES.
19951026POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
WHEEL BEARING FAILURE.
19951026ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
THERMOSTAT FAILURE.
19951026STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
PROBLEM WITH STEERING GEAR BOX.
19951026SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE FAILURE.
19951026FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS
FUEL INJECTOR FAILURE.
19951026POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
RIGHT FRONT AXLE REPLACED TWICE. *AW
19951026EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
A/C COMPRESSOR FAILED.
Compare 1985DodgeCharger to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 Dodge Charger have?▼
The 1985 Dodge Charger has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 Dodge Charger?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 Dodge Charger is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING.
Is the 1985 Dodge Charger 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.
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 Dodge Charger; 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.