1985 Ford RangerProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 27 owner complaints about the 1985 Ford Ranger, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years86% below the Ranger median · #33 of 35 years by complaints

Safety recalls1Free fix at dealers Owner complaints2710 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem12Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 16, 2007. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1985 Ford Ranger has problems

27 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

12Electrical system6 crash/fire/injury

5Power train

4Visibility3 crash/fire/injury

3Engine and engine cooling

2Fuel system, gasoline

2Suspension1 crash/fire/injury

1Steering

1Tires

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Electrical system	12	6
Power train	5	0
Visibility	4	3
Engine and engine cooling	3	0
Fuel system, gasoline	2	0
Suspension	2	1
Steering	1	0
Tires	1	0

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1985 Ford Ranger recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 85V-045 · Apr 17, 1985 · 1,250 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1985 vs. every other Ranger year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Ranger median. How we score

11 12 27 35 50 89 73 1051321892324383214134115767556705153462434052892722703261691562351 1 1 27213111939 19 99 46 9

'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'14'16'17'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1985 Ford Ranger, and the recalls they led to.

Apr 11, 1985
STALLING WHEN COLDDP85020 · closed Jun 6, 1985
No recall

In owners' words

What Ranger owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS CUTTING OFF BECAUSE IGNITION MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
Complaint 8005982 · Mar 20, 2002

ARRIVED HOME FROM WORK, PARKED VEHICLE, WENT INSIDE OF HOUSE, HALF HOUR TO HOUR LATER VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK
Complaint 983954 · May 2, 1996

BACKING VEHICLE UP, FRIEND STOPPED, SMELLED WIRING BURNING, SOON SMOKE APPEARED IN STEERING COLUMN, SOON AFTER FIRE ENGULFED THE STEERING COLUMN AREA. *AK
Complaint 983882 · May 1, 1996

Own a 1985 Ranger?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.