Total Complaints
4 filings
GMC 1500 · model year
1985 GMC 1500
4 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 1985GMC1500 carries 4 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 1500 is electrical system:wiring:front underhood with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1985 1500. 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.
4
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030910POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION IS MAKING A LOUD NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN AND WILL NOT RESTART. *AK
20030826SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HYDRAULIC BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE WHEEL OFF AND THE PROBLEM WAS THE HOSE FROM THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES. THE MANUFACTURER OR DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL. *AK AGE AND HEAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE HOSE TO EXPAND INWARD BECAUSE OF THE CLAMP SUPPORT AROUND IT, BECAUSE IT DID NOT EXPAND OUTWARD WHICH SHUT OFF THE NORMAL FLOW OF BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE DID NOT BRAKE EVENLY FOR THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM , BUT NOW WITH THE NEW HOSES, THE VEHICLE NOW BRAKES AS DESIGNED. *SCC *JB
19990315FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WAS TURNING VEHICLE IN SNOW WHEN IT STALLED OUT. NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. LIFTED HOOD & NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM ENGINE AREA. THE CAB AREA OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. *AK
19990315FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WAS TURNING VEHICLE IN SNOW WHEN IT STALLED OUT. NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. LIFTED HOOD & NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM ENGINE AREA. THE CAB AREA OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. *AK
Compare 1985GMC1500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 GMC 1500 have?▼
The 1985 GMC 1500 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 GMC 1500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 GMC 1500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS.
Is the 1985 GMC 1500 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 GMC 1500; 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.