Total Complaints
45 filings
FORD F150 · model year
1985 FORD F150
45 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985FORDF150 carries 45 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, 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 F150 is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 4 filings, followed by tires:tread/belt (4) and electrical system:ignition (4). 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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1985 F150. 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.
45
Complaints
1
Crashes
7
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 3 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 3 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 2 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060823CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1985 FORD F-150 HEADLIGHTS FAILED AND VEHICLE SHUT OFF. *KB WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF, THE CONSUMER DRIFTED OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK A GUARD RAIL. *JB
20030414TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TIRE TREAD SEPARATION ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. WHILE DRIVING ON 04/10/03 THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED PARTIAL TREAD SEPARATION WHICH RESULTED IN A BLOW OUT. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON 04/12/03 THE DRIVER'S REAR TIRE TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED AND ALMOST CAUSED A DANGEROUS COLLISION. TIRE INFO: DAYTON, RADIAL STAG ST 31X10.50R15LT, DOT-V060U6A118, NOT ORIGINAL, 90% OF TREAD INTACT, 2K-3K MILES ON TIRES AT TIME OF FAILURE. *NLM.....*AK
20020724STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THIS CAUSE'S LOUD POPING AND CRACKING NOISE WHEN TURNING AND EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE OUT SIDE OF TIRE. FORD REP. TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL ON THIS AND THAT EVEN IF THERE WAS DUE TO AGE OF THE TRUCK THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY TOWARDS FIXING IT. I POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT THIS DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERANCE, JUST TOUGH LUCK ON MY PART. THEY TOLD ME HAVE THE CROSS MEMBER WELDED TO THE FRAME. THIS HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE ONCE SOMETIME IN THE PAST, I DO NOT KNOW WHEN. BUT IT DIDN'T HOLD . SO I AM AT A LOSE AT WHAT DO NOW OR WHERE TO TURN FOR HELP WITH THIS. *AK
20020514TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE FIRESTONE DEALER REFUSED TO PROCESS A RECALL CLAIM FOR THE FAULTY FIRESTONE TIRES FROM COPIES PRESENTED BY THE CONSUMER (FIRESTONE ATX). *YH
20020514POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER STATED THAT IT GOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT GEARS, HE WAS TOLD WHEN THEY TOOK THE STEERING COLUMN APART EVERYTHING FELL OUT. *YD
20020307SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACE INNER AND OUTER WHEEL BEARING, AND GREASE SEALS AFTER THEY BURNT UP AND SMOKED SEVERAL TIMES DURING A ROAD TRIP. *YD
20020307SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307PARKING BRAKE
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307PARKING BRAKE
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307PARKING BRAKE
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FOOT PEDAL UNIT COLLAPSED AND WAS REPLACED, A YEAR LATER BOTH REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES UNDERNEATH FAILED AND REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACED THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER. *YD
20020307POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER STATED THAT IT GOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT GEARS, HE WAS TOLD WHEN THEY TOOK THE STEERING COLUMN APART EVERYTHING FELL OUT. *YD
20011024TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE FIRESTONE DEALER REFUSED TO PROCESS A RECALL CLAIM FOR THE FAULTY FIRESTONE TIRES FROM COPIES PRESENTED BY THE CONSUMER (FIRESTONE ATX). *YH
20010822ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILED INTERMITTENTLY NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE THE PROBLEM COULD BE IDENTIFIED. ENGINE STALL WAS INSTANTANEOUS AND WITHOUT WARNING; DANGEROUS TRAFFIC SITUATIONS RESULTED. HOT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AGGRAVATED THE PROBLEM, BUT THE HEAT FACTOR WAS NOT KNOWN UNTIL THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY ISOLATED. TWO FORD DEALERS WERE ABSOLUTELY NO HELP IN DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM.
20010820ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION FAILURE - REPLACED IGNITION MODULE AT DISTRIBUTOR - NOT IN WARRENTY - PAID $225.32. *AK
20010406FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT BEGAN TO SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD, THE VEHICLE CUT OFF THEN SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). NLM
Compare 1985FORDF150 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 FORD F150 have?▼
The 1985 FORD F150 has 45 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 7 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 FORD F150?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 FORD F150 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES:TREAD/BELT and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 1985 FORD F150 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.