Total Complaints
33 filings
FORD RANGER · model year
1985 FORD RANGER
33 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985FORDRANGER carries 33 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 10 fires, 1 injury, 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 RANGER is electrical system:ignition:switch with 7 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (3) and power train:manual transmission (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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1985 RANGER, 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.
33
Complaints
1
Crashes
10
Fires
1
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 | 7 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070316ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
STALLS AT ANY TEMPERATURE WHILE DRIVING. WHEN STOPPED I HAVE TO ALMOST FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL TO GET MOVING W/O STALLING. HEATER GETS ALMOST TOO HOT.
Mileage: 27,000
20070316VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
STALLS AT ANY TEMPERATURE WHILE DRIVING. WHEN STOPPED I HAVE TO ALMOST FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL TO GET MOVING W/O STALLING. HEATER GETS ALMOST TOO HOT.
Mileage: 27,000
20020521POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT
THE VEHICLE LOST IT'S U JOINT WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVE SHAFT TO BREAK DAMAGING THE FUEL TANK AND DISABLED THE VEHICLE.(OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *YH
20020320ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS CUTTING OFF BECAUSE IGNITION MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
20020313FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VEHICLE STALLS AT ALL SPEEDS, IT APPEARS TO BE A MODULE ON DISTRIBUTOR, PLACED NEAR ENGINE BLOCK. ALSO HAD PROBLEM WITH SPEEDOMETER CABLE.
20020313POWER TRAIN
VEHICLE STALLS AT ALL SPEEDS, IT APPEARS TO BE A MODULE ON DISTRIBUTOR, PLACED NEAR ENGINE BLOCK. ALSO HAD PROBLEM WITH SPEEDOMETER CABLE.
20010508ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH HAS FAILED TWICE. ONCE AT 80,000,AND AGAIN AT 200,000 MILES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20010227VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
STREAM AND LIQUID CAME OUT OF HEATER SYSTEM, BURNED DRIVER'S LEG AND FOOT, CAN NOT USE HEATER. *CJ
20010208ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JUST STALLED WHITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER WAS CRANKING ENGINE, BUT IT DID NOT START. CONSUMER REPLACED IGNITION MODULE. THEN,COULD START VEHICLE WITHOUT A PROBLEM.*AK
20001012ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WOULD STALL. PLEASE PLROVIED FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20001010TIRES:TREAD/BELT
3 TIRES WITHIN 3 MONTHS HAD TREAD COME OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.*AK (DOT NUMBER: AUVRUR351 TIRESIZE: LT2.15/75R)
19991106UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY
19980805ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INTERMITTENT ENGINE STALL.
19970213FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT RUNNING IT CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WHERE THE BATTERY IS LOCATED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.
19970128POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
19961231SUSPENSION:REAR
REAR AXLE FAILED. (FIRST VEHICLE ON 601571) *DH
19961231ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. *DH
19961216ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
OWNER STATES UPON TURNING HEATER ON THERE IS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE VENTS AND THERE IS FAULTY WIRING AND THIS COULD LEAD TO A POSSIBLE FIRE. *AK
19960821POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
VEHICLE WAS LEFT IN PARK IN IDLE POSITION, JUMPED OUT OF GEAR INTO REVERSE. *AK
19960815CrashSUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE
LEFT REAR AXLE SHEARED OFF, CAUSING WHEELS TO FALL OFF, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT) *DH
Compare 1985FORDRANGER 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 RANGER have?▼
The 1985 FORD RANGER has 33 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 10 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 FORD RANGER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 FORD RANGER is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1985 FORD RANGER 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.