Total Complaints
3 filings
FORD TOPAZ · model year
1985 FORD TOPAZ
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985FORDTOPAZ carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1985 TOPAZ is steering: steering wheel/handle bar with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and seats:front assembly:recliner (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1985 TOPAZ. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990406SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBACK FAILED. *AK
19961231FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *SD
19961024FireSTEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
GOING ABOUT 60 MPH ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SMELLED PLASTIC BURNING. PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM KEYHOLE. GRABBED KEY, GOT OUT OF CAR, SAW FLAMES COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, CAR TOTALED, NOTHING LEFT BUT METAL FRAME. *AK
Compare 1985FORDTOPAZ to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 FORD TOPAZ have?▼
The 1985 FORD TOPAZ has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 FORD TOPAZ?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 FORD TOPAZ is STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER.
Is the 1985 FORD TOPAZ 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1985 FORD TOPAZ; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.