Total Complaints
15 filings
FORD ECONOLINE · model year
1985 FORD ECONOLINE
15 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985FORDECONOLINE carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 4 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 ECONOLINE is electrical system:ignition:switch with 4 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (3) and tires (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 1 investigation file overlapping the 1985 ECONOLINE. 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.
15
Complaints
1
Crashes
4
Fires
3
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 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 3 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010129FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
RECALL 85V061 WAS COMPLETE ON VEHICLE, HOWEVER NOW THE TANK WILL ONLY ALLOW THE CONSUMER TO FILL IT UP HALF WAY. *SLC
20010129ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS SO HOT THE CONSUMER COULD NOT PLACE THEIR HAND ON IT, IT ALSO HAD A BURNING SMELL. *SLC
20010123FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
RECALL 85V061 WAS COMPLETE ON VEHICLE, HOWEVER NOW THE TANK WILL ONLY ALLOW THE CONSUMER TO FILL IT UP HALF WAY. *SLC
20010123ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS SO HOT THE CONSUMER COULD NOT PLACE THEIR HAND ON IT, IT ALSO HAD A BURNING SMELL. *SLC
20000905TIRES
REAR TIRE HAD SEPARATION AND BLOW OUT ON JULY 24, 1999. PURCHASED (2) NEW TIRES FROM FIRESTONE ON JULY 30, 1999 AND HAD THEM PUT ON BACK AND MOVED OLDER TIRES TO REAR. NOTICED SEVERE VIBRATION AND TOOK CAR TO FIRESTONE AND THEY FOUND TREAD SEPARATION. I DID NOT REALIZE TIRES HAD PROBLEMS UNTIL I READ ABOUT ALL THE PROBLEMS IN THE NEWSPAPER.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225-75-R1 )
19990930TIRES
(FIRESTONE R17) TIRE FAILED. *YC
19970717ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED.
19960601STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING COLUMN LOCKS UP WHEN ENGAGING EMERGENCY BRAKE. *DSH
19960601CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT SLIPPED INTO REVERSE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO 2 PARKED CARS. *SD
19960426FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
WHILE DRIVING AFTER VEHICLE WAS PARKED 45 MINUTES, ENGINE QUIT, SMOKE STARTED COMING IN FROM UNDERHOOD;OPENED HOOD, DISCONNECTED BATTERY. *AK
19960312FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
VEHICLE PARKED, FIRE DEVELOPED UNDERNEATH THE DASH. OWNER RECEIVED BURNS AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
19960312FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
VEHICLE PARKED, FIRE DEVELOPED UNDERNEATH THE DASH. OWNER RECEIVED BURNS AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
19960312FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
VEHICLE PARKED, FIRE DEVELOPED UNDERNEATH THE DASH. OWNER RECEIVED BURNS AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
19950405SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE FAILURE, WHEN COMING STEP DOWN GRADING BRAKES OVER HEATED CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. TT
19950209SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
PREMATURE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE PADS/ROTORS, CAUSING RIGHT FRONT END NOISE. *AK
Compare 1985FORDECONOLINE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 FORD ECONOLINE have?▼
The 1985 FORD ECONOLINE has 15 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 4 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 FORD ECONOLINE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 FORD ECONOLINE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH and TIRES.
Is the 1985 FORD ECONOLINE 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.