SEAT BELT SEPARATION
Opened Nov 27, 1991
Closed Nov 24, 1992
There is no summary currently available
SEAT BELTS
1985 Ford Topaz
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.
3
Latest Apr 6, 1998
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.
2
Overview
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 Ford Topaz, most frequently naming the engine, interior & seats and steering categories. 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine133.3%
- Interior & seats133.3%
- Steering133.3%
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.
STEERING TIE ROD FAILURE
Opened Aug 1, 1990
Closed Nov 29, 1990
There is no summary currently available
STEERING
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Interior & seats
Filed Apr 6, 1998
FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBACK FAILED. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 533900
- Incident
- Jan 7, 1989
Steering
Filed Oct 24, 1996
Fire reported
GOING ABOUT 60 MPH ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SMELLED PLASTIC BURNING. PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM KEYHOLE. GRABBED KEY, GOT OUT OF CAR, SAW FLAMES COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, CAR TOTALED, NOTHING LEFT BUT METAL FRAME. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 803975
- Incident
- Oct 20, 1996
Engine
Filed Aug 1, 1996
Fire reported
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *SD
- NHTSA ID
- 506967
- Incident
- May 4, 1996
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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.