1985 Ford F150 problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1985 Ford F150. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 10 | 36% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 14% |
| Structure | 3 | 11% |
| Suspension | 3 | 11% |
| Tires | 3 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 7% |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 4% |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1985 ford f-150 headlights failed and vehicle shut off. *kb when the vehicle shut off, the consumer drifted off to the right side of the roadway and struck a guard rail. *jb”
Electrical System · filed Aug 23, 2006
“The vehicle experienced tire tread separation on 2 different occasions. While driving on 04/10/03 the passenger rear tire experienced partial tread separation which resulted in a blow out. While driving 70 mph on 04/12/03 the driver's rear tire tread completely separated and almost caused a dangerous collision. Tire…”
Tires · filed Apr 14, 2003
“This cause's loud poping and cracking noise when turning and excessive tire wear on the out side of tire. Ford rep. Told me that there was not a recall on this and that even if there was due to age of the truck that they would not pay towards fixing it. I pointed out that this is a safety issue, but this didn't make…”
Structure · filed Jul 24, 2002
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- F-SERIES FUEL TANK FIRES
Defect Petition DP89005 · opened Jan 26, 1989 · closed Aug 1, 1989
- FUEL LEAKS/FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE87017 · opened Jan 28, 1987 · closed May 26, 1987
Technical service bulletins
17 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1985 Ford F150. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Information on a new transmission fluid usage chart. *yc
9888 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 1998
Information on tire company telephone numbers for customer assistance. *yc
9852 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 1998
Information on a buzzing or rattle noise from the exhaust system. *tt
9864 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 1998
Fluid- transmission fluid usage charts. *jd
97511 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 1997
Frame- rivet replacement with bolts- service tips. *jd
9747 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 17, 1997
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1985 Ford F150 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1985 Ford F150?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.