RoadVitals

1985 GMC 1500

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 Sep 23, 2003
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.
0
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.
1

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 GMC 1500, most frequently naming the brakes, electrical and engine categories.

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

  • Brakes125.0%
  • Electrical125.0%
  • Engine125.0%
  • Transmission125.0%

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.

Recent owner complaints

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

Brakes
Filed Sep 23, 2003

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HYDRAULIC BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE WHEEL OFF AND THE PROBLEM WAS THE HOSE FROM THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES. THE MANUFACTURER OR DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL. *AK AGE AND HEAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE HOSE TO EXPAND INWARD BECAUSE OF THE CLAMP SUPPORT AROUND IT, BECAUSE IT DID NOT EXPAND OUTWARD WHICH SHUT OFF THE NORMAL FLOW OF BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE DID NOT BRAKE EVENLY FOR THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM , BUT NOW WITH THE NEW HOSES, THE VEHICLE NOW BRAKES AS DESIGNED. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID
10037644
Incident
Aug 24, 2003
Transmission
Filed Sep 10, 2003

TRANSMISSION IS MAKING A LOUD NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN AND WILL NOT RESTART. *AK

NHTSA ID
10039720
Incident
Sep 10, 2003
ElectricalEngine
Filed Mar 15, 1999
Fire reported

WAS TURNING VEHICLE IN SNOW WHEN IT STALLED OUT. NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. LIFTED HOOD & NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM ENGINE AREA. THE CAB AREA OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. *AK

NHTSA ID
835870
Incident
Jan 6, 1999

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

GMC 1500 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2000010—
1999010—
1998010—
1997010—
1996240037.4
1994290033.8
1990800—
1985Viewing300—

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.