Total Complaints
24 filings
FORD BRONCO · model year
1985 FORD BRONCO
24 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985FORDBRONCO carries 24 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 10 fires, 3 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 BRONCO is electrical system:ignition:switch with 6 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (3) and fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (2). 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 1985 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.
24
Complaints
4
Crashes
10
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 6 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| TRAILER HITCHES | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010406ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE FAILS TO START AFTER KEY IS IN IGNITION. VEHICLE TOWED. WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC PROBLEM WAS IN IGNITION MODULE.*AK *SLC
20010123SEATS
THE SEATS OF THE VEHICLE ARE BADLY BROKEN AND ARE DANGEROUS. *MJS
20001027ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE SHUTDOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. VEHICLE ACTED LIKE IT WANTED TO STALL.ALSO,VEHICLE WILL START BACK UP. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE.*AK
20000926CrashTIRES
TIRE TREAD SEPARATION CAUSING CRASH INTO CONRETE BARIER I HAVE THE STILL INFLATED TIRE WITH THE TREAD THAT CAME OFF( DOT NUMBER: HYHLF7A069 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
20000906TIRES
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW FOR YOUR DATA BASE THAT THESE TIRES WERE PURCHASED AFTER MARKET, SO FORD HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. ONE TIRE ROLLED THE TREAD RIGHT OFF, SEPARATING RIGHT UNDER THE STEEL BELT. BUT THE TIRE HELD AIR. IT HAPPENED ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD, AT ABOUT 85 DEGREES. I USED THE OTHER 3 TIRES UNTIL THEY HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON THEM WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. HADN'T HEARD ABOUT ANY ISSUE AT THAT TIME SO I DIDN'T REPORT IT.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235X15 )
20000326SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT
THIS IS THE SECOND BRONCO THAT I HAVE OWNED THAT THE DRIVER SEAT HAS FAILED. THE BACK OF THE SEAT FALLS BACK. *AK
19990921ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE EXPERIENCES CONTINUED STALLING DUE TO FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH (TFI MODULE), RECALL ON COMPONENT HOWEVER VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED AND DENIED. MJS
19990310FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANK SHIELD RUSTED THROUGH AND BEGAN TO LEAK. (1ST VEHICLE ON DOC# 530326)
19981014FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH.(ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
19971009FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE.
19960726FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE. FIRE COULD BE ELECTICAL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
19960601CrashTRAILER HITCHES
TRAILER HITCH BALL BROKE, CAUSING TRAILER TO DETACH/ACCIDENT. (NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE REPORT)*SD
19960430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE, (FIRE STARTED IN THE SPEAKER). *AK
19960430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE, (FIRE STARTED IN THE SPEAKER). *AK
19960429FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND WIRES IN THE STEERING COLUMN TO BURN AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
19960429FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND WIRES IN THE STEERING COLUMN TO BURN AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
19960222CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT
VEHICLE LOST CONTROL/SERVED, RESULTING IN ROLLOVER/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SD
19960222CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT
VEHICLE LOST CONTROL/SERVED, RESULTING IN ROLLOVER/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SD
19960209FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
REPLACEMENT OF IGNITION SWITCH, MORE SERVICE DONE HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE DAYS IN FOR REPAIR AND WHILE PARKED CAUGHT FIRE EA95-002 ACTIVE. TT
19950622FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
HAD A GAS LEAK CAUSE BY FAULTY CARBURETOR WHICH CAUSED A FIRE. TT
Compare 1985FORDBRONCO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 FORD BRONCO have?▼
The 1985 FORD BRONCO has 24 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 10 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 FORD BRONCO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 FORD BRONCO is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1985 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.