RoadVitals

1985 Dodge W250

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Mar 21, 1996
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1985 Dodge W250, most frequently naming the steering category. 2 NHTSA investigations name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Steering1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE89110ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

FUEL TANK STRAP FAILURE

Opened Apr 5, 1989
Closed Jun 26, 1989

SUMMARY:TWO FLEETS REPORT 32 INCIDENTS OF FUEL TANK STRAP FAILURE ONVEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL 30 GALLON TANK.===

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
PE87042ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

EXHAUST SYSTEM HEAT

Opened Aug 7, 1987
Closed Nov 9, 1987

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:HIGH UNDERHOOD AND EXHAUSTTEMPERATURES ARE A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CONCERN INVOLVING A VERY LIMITEDNUMBER OF VEHICLES OPERATED BY A FEW SEVERE SERVICE FLEET LOCATIONS.WEARE NOT AWARE OF ANY ACCIDENTS OR FIRES CAUSED BY THE CONDITION, AND WE DONOT CONSIDER IT TO PRESENT A RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY.ANALYSIS:EPA REQUIREMENTS FOR HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES CAUSED EMISSION SYSTEMCHANGES FOR THE 1985 AND 1987 CALENDAR YEARS.BEGINNING IN 1985 DUAL AIRPUMPS REPLACED THE SINGLE UNIT, AND DUAL CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WERE ADDED IN1987.THE CHANGES INCREASED UNDERHOOD AND EXHAUST SYSTEM TEMPERATURES.CONCERNS INCLUDE DRIVEABILITY AND VAPOR LOCK PROBLEMS DUE TO HOT FUELHANDLING AND HEAT DAMAGE TO THE 4 WD DISCONNECT VACUUM RESERVOIR, EXHAUSTSYSTEM HANGERS, SPEEDOMETER CABLE, AND WINDSHIELD WASHER BOTTLE.CURRENTLYMEANS TO REDUCE AND BETTER MANAGE THE TEMPERATURES ARE BEING STUDIED.CONSIDERATIONS ARE: AIR PUMP DIVERTER SYSTEMS, HEAT SHIELD FOR AFFECTEDUNDER BODY COMPONENTS, AND REROUTING FUEL SUPPLY LINES AWAY FROM HEATSOURCES.ADDITIONALLY FIVE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUEDREGARDING VAPOR LOCK ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.PROPOSED ACTION:CLOSE THIS PE.NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT HAS BEENDETECTED.===

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Steering
Filed Mar 21, 1996

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING SECTOR COMES DUE TO BEING LOOSE. CONSUMER COULDN'T STEER TRUCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

NHTSA ID
981060
Incident
Mar 10, 1996

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Dodge W250 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1994101
1993802
1992702
1991603
1990202
1989102
1988011
1987102
1986102
1985Viewing102
1984001
1983201
1982001
1981001

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.