1985 Ford Ranger problems & reliability
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1985 Ford Ranger. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1985 Ford Ranger vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 12 | 44% |
| Power Train | 5 | 19% |
| Visibility | 4 | 15% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 11% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 7% |
| Suspension | 2 | 7% |
| Steering | 1 | 4% |
| Tires | 1 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 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
“Stalls at any temperature while driving. When stopped I have to almost floor the gas pedal to get moving w/o stalling. Heater gets almost too hot.”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 16, 2007
“The vehicle lost it's u joint which caused the drive shaft to break damaging the fuel tank and disabled the vehicle.(ohio traffic crash report) *yh”
Power Train · filed May 21, 2002
“Vehicle will shut off while consumer was driving. Contacted dealer, and dealer stated that vehicle was cutting off because ignition malfunctioned. *ak”
Electrical System · filed Mar 20, 2002
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STALLING WHEN COLD
Defect Petition DP85020 · opened Apr 11, 1985 · closed Jun 6, 1985
Technical service bulletins
20 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1985 Ford Ranger. 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
Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system. *tt
002310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2000
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 the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc
98246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 1998
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
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 Ranger 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 Ranger?
- · 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.