Total Complaints
7 filings
TOYOTA VAN · model year
1985 TOYOTA VAN
7 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 1985TOYOTAVAN carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 VAN is seat belts:front:anchorage with 2 filings, followed by tires (1) and steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 1985 VAN, and 1 remain open. 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.
7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 2 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:ARM:IDLER AND ATTACHMENT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030501STEERING:LINKAGES:ARM:IDLER AND ATTACHMENT
1985 TOYOTA VAN WITH POWER STEERING. PART OF LINKAGE CALLED CENTER ARM SNAPPED IN HALF WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH DURING TURNING. THERE WAS IMMEDIATE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. NO BODILY INJURY OCCURRED, BUT HAD THIS OCCURRED AT FREEWAY SPEED, I WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE DEAD. *TS ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***761467
Mileage: 196,616
20001010SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE SEATBELT BUCKLES HAVE CRACKS IN THE PLASTIC OUTER COMPONENTS. IS THERE A RECALL ON THESE SEAT BELTS? ALSO, YOUR WEBSIGHT INDICATES A RECALL FOR STEERING COMPONENTS ON THIS 1985 TOYOTA VAN. HAVING BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED, HOW CAN I KNOW THE AFFECTED PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED?*AK
19990112ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE CAN BE STARTED WITH ANY KEY THAT CAN FIT HALFWAY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. *AK
19981014SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT FAILED DURING COLLISION RESULTING IN INJURY, DUE TO DESIGN FLAW, SEAT BELT ONLY WORKS AT A 15% TILT.
19970727TIRES
NOT NOTIFIED OF RECALL OF STEERING ARM AND FRONT TIRES WEAR UNEVENLY, CONSTANTLY REQUIRING REPLACEMENT.
19970727STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
NOT NOTIFIED OF RECALL OF STEERING ARM AND FRONT TIRES WEAR UNEVENLY, CONSTANTLY REQUIRING REPLACEMENT.
19960624SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT DESIGNED SO THAT IT DOES NOT ENGAGE AT LESS THAN 15 DEGREE TILT, CAUSING IT TO FAIL IN ACCIDENT. *DH
Compare 1985TOYOTAVAN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 TOYOTA VAN have?▼
The 1985 TOYOTA VAN has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 TOYOTA VAN?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 TOYOTA VAN is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES and STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM.
Is the 1985 TOYOTA VAN 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 TOYOTA VAN; 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.