Total Complaints
6 filings
GMC JIMMY · model year
1985 GMC JIMMY
6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985GMCJIMMY carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 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 JIMMY is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings, followed by parking brake:conventional (1) and vehicle speed control (1). 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 JIMMY. 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.
6
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19991228SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT RETRACTORS PROBLEMS, WILL NOT LET BELT OUT SMOOTHLY
19990310VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
WHENEVER THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER IS IN USE IT WOULD FAIL TO OPERATE PROPERLY. IT WOULD STOP WORKING AFTER BEING IN USE. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED A NEW MOTOR WAS NEEDED & HAD IT REPLACED. *AK
19971218SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR.
19971003CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE CONSUMER DROVE INTO GARAGE PARK, BUT DID NOT SHUT OFF ENGINE, JUST PARKED. GOT OUT TO MOVE A BIKE, THEN GOT BACK INSIDE THE VEHICLE. PUT SHIFT INTO DRIVE WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE VOLTED FORWARD, HIT AN OBJECT. CONSUMER TRIED TO STEP ON THE BRAKES AGAIN, AND VEHICLE DROVE THROUGH THE GARAGE. *AK
19960711PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILURE. *DH
19950106POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CAR WAS IN GARAGE IN GEAR WAS IN PARK WITH THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE ON, GEAR WENT INTO REVERSE. TT
Compare 1985GMCJIMMY to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 GMC JIMMY have?▼
The 1985 GMC JIMMY has 6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 GMC JIMMY?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 GMC JIMMY is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1985 GMC JIMMY 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.