Total Complaints
23 filings
FORD BRONCO II · model year
1985 FORD BRONCO II
23 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985FORDBRONCO II carries 23 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 7 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 BRONCO II is electrical system:ignition:switch with 4 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (3) and electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (3). 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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1985 BRONCO II, and 8 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.
23
Complaints
1
Crashes
7
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 3 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030404POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE FRONT SEAL ON THE A4LD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 1985 BRONCO II FAILED. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID BLEW BACK ACROSS THE EXHAUST PIPE CAUSING A LOT OF SMOKE. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND TRANSMISSION. *JB
Mileage: 106,000
19991028STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THE FRAME CRACKED BY THE MOUNT OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER(REAR RIGHTSIDE)
19990509POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED. YH
19990509ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED.
19960601ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. *DSH
19960430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT UNIV. OF NM, DRIVER WAS AWAY FROM VEHICLE, SUDDENLY VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK
19960430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT UNIV. OF NM, DRIVER WAS AWAY FROM VEHICLE, SUDDENLY VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK
19960424FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
EXPERIENCED SHORT IN DASH WHICH CAUSED A FIRE. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK
19960418FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE PARKED VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE DUE TO A SHORT IN THE DASHBOARD AREA. *AK
19960418FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE PARKED VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE DUE TO A SHORT IN THE DASHBOARD AREA. *AK
19960417FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHCOK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK
19960415FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE,W AS AN ENGINE COMPARMENT FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19950630POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
HAS HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT TWICE. *AK
19950608STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
FLOOR PAN UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT HAS FRACTURES DUE TO METAL FATIGUE, CAUSING DRIVER'S SEAT TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH. *SKD
19950427LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH
TAILGATE LOCK STICKS.
19950427SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP
BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON.
19950427SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER
FRONT SHOCKS REPLACED.
19950427VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES REPLACED.
19950427ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP REPLACED.
19950427VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
IDLE SPEED SENSOR REPLACED DUE TO VEHICLE STALLING.
Compare 1985FORDBRONCO II to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 FORD BRONCO II have?▼
The 1985 FORD BRONCO II has 23 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 7 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 FORD BRONCO II?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 FORD BRONCO II is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH.
Is the 1985 FORD BRONCO II 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.