RoadVitals

1985 Ford Bronco Recalls

Safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA that cover this model year

Data refreshed

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
Recall campaignsA 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.
1
Newest Dec 26, 1984
Carrying an NHTSA advisoryCampaigns where NHTSA told owners not to drive the vehicle, or to park it outside, until the repair is done.
0
Open 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.
0
1 investigation on file

Recall campaigns

1 campaign cover this model year — what the defect is, what it could cause, and what the remedy is

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

Dec 26, 1984
246 units potentially affected
The defect: METAL BURRS AND SHARP EDGES ON FUEL RAILS MAY HAVE DAMAGED ADJACENT O-RING SEALS DURING ASSEMBLY. THE DEFECT COULD CAUSE FUEL LEAKAGE WHEN ENGINE IS OPERATING.
The remedy: FUEL RAILS WILL BE INSPECTED FOR LEAKS, WETNESS OR SEEPAGE OF FUEL AND, IF NECESSARY, FUEL RAILS AND RELATED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED WITHOUT COST TO THE OWNER.
FORD MOTOR COMPANYView on NHTSA.gov

What a recall is

Safety recall
A 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.
Safety investigation
NHTSA 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.
Manufacturer communication
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and it is not a recall.

PE87015ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

FRONT BRK CALIPER SEIZURE

Opened Jan 15, 1987
Closed Nov 30, 1987

ANALYSIS:ALLEGEDLY, DURING BRAKE APPLICATION THE DISC BRAKE CALIPERSSEIZE, RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE PULL AND/OR FRONT BRAKE LOCK-UP.SOMEREPORTS CITE A COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL RESULTING IN UNFOREWARNEDAND UNAVOIDABLE TRAVEL INTO OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANES.CONSUMERS CLAIM THATSERVICE PERSONNEL HAVE CONSISTENTLY ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO THE USE OFPHENOLIC PISTONS WHICH OVERHEAT AND SEIZE IN THE CALIPER BORES.INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER DISCLOSED THE COMPLAINT, ACCIDENT,AND INJURY STATISTICS TABULATED ABOVE.OTHER MANUFACTURER-SUPPLIED DATADISCLOSED THAT TWO DESIGN CHANGES WITH POTENTIAL RELEVANCE TO THIS MATTERWERE MADE DURING THE PRODUCTION YEARS IN QUESTION.IN OCTOBER 1981, THESPECIFICATION OF THE MAXIMUM OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF THE PISTON WAS DECREASEDBY 0.0250 MM AND THE MINIMUM INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE CALIPER PISTON BOREINCREASED BY 0.024 MM.THESE CHANGES WERE MADE TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITYOF PREMATURE WEAR OF THE FRONT DISC BRAKE PADS.A SECOND DESIGN REVISIONWAS MADE IN SEPTEMBER 1986 TO REDUCE INADVERTENT CHIPPING OF THE CALIPERPISTONS DURING BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENT.WARRANTY CLAIM DATA WERE INCONCLUS-IVE IN IDENTIFYING A FAILURE TREND ACCOMPANIED BY RISK OF ACCIDENTS.THE HISTORY OF BRONCO BRAKE PULL/DRIFT COMPLAINTS DISCLOSED THAT FORD HADKNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM.AN AUGUST 1986, FORD TRUCK INTEROFFICE LETTERDISCUSSED THE PHENOMENON AND PROVIDED SUGGESTIONS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEMIN THE FIELD.THE CONDITION WAS DEFINED AS RECESSION STEER, MANIFEST TOTHE VEHICLE OPERATOR AS DRIFT OR PULL UPON BRAKE APPLICATION.IN FACT,THE SENSATION WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A NET STEER TO THE LEFT WHEN THE FRONTSUSPENSION MOVES REARWARD UNDER BRAKING FORCES.CONCLUSION:SEIZURE OF THE FRONT CALIPER PISTONS HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIEDAS THE ORIGIN OF THE ALLEGED PROBLEM.ADDITIONALLY, THE HISTORICAL DATAALLEGING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, ACCIDENTS, AND INJURIES DO NOT IDENTIFYA SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT IN EITHER THE BRAKING OR SUSPENSION SYSTEM OF THESUBJECT VEHICLES.======

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .