Total Complaints
6 filings
GMC SUBURBAN · model year
1985 GMC SUBURBAN
6 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 1985GMCSUBURBAN carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 SUBURBAN is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc with 1 filings, followed by seats (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads (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 SUBURBAN. 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.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DIFFERENTIAL PROPORTIONAL VALVE | 1 |
| TRAILER HITCHES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040108FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AS A RESULT OF ENGINE TROUBLE.*MR CONSUMER MERGED OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, FLAMES THEM ENGULFED THE VEHICLE. *PH *NM
19950906TRAILER HITCHES
HITCH PLATE FORM CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING, BOLTS CAME THROUGH THE FRAME. TT
19950711SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
THE FRONT BRAKES PREMATURELY LOCKED UP. *AK
19950711SEATS
WELDS ON THE 3RD SEAT FRAME BROKE. *AK
19950711SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
MINIM AL WEAR OFFRONT BRAKE PADS. *AK
19950711SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DIFFERENTIAL PROPORTIONAL VALVE
REPAIRED REAR PROPORTIONAL VALVE. *AK
Compare 1985GMCSUBURBAN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 GMC SUBURBAN have?▼
The 1985 GMC SUBURBAN has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 GMC SUBURBAN?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 GMC SUBURBAN is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS.
Is the 1985 GMC SUBURBAN 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 SUBURBAN; 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.