Total Complaints
4 filings
FORD BRONCO · model year
1983 FORD BRONCO
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1983FORDBRONCO carries 4 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1983 BRONCO is parking brake:conventional with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:switch (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (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 4 investigation files overlapping the 1983 BRONCO. 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.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060706TIRES:TREAD/BELT
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THERE WAS A VIBRATION IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY DISCOVERED THE PASSENGER REAR SIDE TIRE HAD A LARGE BULGE ON THE TREAD. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.
Mileage: 141,000
19990712ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE CUTS OFF, AND CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEM STARTING VEHICLE.VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
19960628FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH
19950330PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKES FAILURE. TT
Compare 1983FORDBRONCO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1983 FORD BRONCO have?▼
The 1983 FORD BRONCO has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 FORD BRONCO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1983 FORD BRONCO is PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1983 FORD BRONCO 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.