Vehicle Recall

Recalls filed in 1985

Manufacturers filed 227 US vehicle safety recalls in 1985, covering 10,688,249 vehicles. 2021 remains the busiest year on record, with 1,094. Chevrolet filed the most that year, with 16.

Campaigns
227
Vehicles covered
10,688,249
Largest recall
1,810,000
Rank by volume
#48 of 60

Makes that filed most in 1985

  1. Chevrolet2,768,076 vehicles16 recalls
  2. Ford1,145,531 vehicles15 recalls
  3. Buick332,837 vehicles8 recalls
  4. Mack16,023 vehicles5 recalls
  5. Neoplan7,854 vehicles5 recalls
  6. Volkswagen189,888 vehicles5 recalls
  7. Dodge328,800 vehicles4 recalls
  8. Fleetwood57,582 vehicles4 recalls
  9. Freightliner3,421 vehicles4 recalls
  10. Oshkosh985 vehicles4 recalls
  11. Porsche11,801 vehicles4 recalls
  12. B.f.goodrich2,130 vehicles3 recalls

Counted by the make named on each filing, so a manufacturer that sells several brands appears once per brand.

Parts recalled most in 1985

  1. Tires: Tread/Belt13 recalls
  2. Fuel System, Gasoline: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings10 recalls
  3. Equipment: Labels7 recalls
  4. Exterior Lighting: Flasher Unit7 recalls
  5. Service Brakes, Air: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings7 recalls
  6. Vehicle Speed Control7 recalls
  7. Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings6 recalls
  8. Trailer Hitches6 recalls
  9. Wheels: Rim6 recalls
  10. Wheels: Hubcap/Cover5 recalls

Largest recalls of 1985

  1. Chevrolet — Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Wheel Cylinders85V04800029 April 19851,810,000
  2. Littelfuse — Exterior Lighting: Hazard Flashing Warning Lights85E0090004 February 19851,655,567
  3. STP — Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Fluid85E0270001 October 19851,209,852
  4. Chevrolet — Seat Belts: Webbing85V16900020 December 1985738,485
  5. Westinghouse — Exterior Lighting: Headlights85E00200015 January 1985522,573
  6. Ford — Seat Belts: Rear/Other85V06700021 May 1985515,000
  7. Century — Child Seat85C01900024 May 1985295,814
  8. Dodge — Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Differential Proportional Valve85V0530001 May 1985264,000
  9. Ford — Suspension: Rear85V1450005 November 1985227,027
  10. Ford — Suspension: Rear85V0860003 July 1985226,729
  11. Cummins — Vehicle Speed Control85E01600012 April 1985219,000
  12. Buick — Structure: Bumpers85V04900029 April 1985196,939
  13. American Motors — Steering: Gear Box (other Than Rack and Pinion)85V00700014 January 1985184,508
  14. Wal Mart — Exterior Lighting: Flasher Unit85E0250005 September 1985170,207
  15. Atwood — Equipment: Water Heater85E03500027 November 1985157,606
  16. Triumph — Seat Belts: Front85V0590007 May 1985150,000
  17. EZON — Exterior Lighting: Hazard Flashing Warning Lights85E00500022 January 1985145,000
  18. Mazda — Steering85V1080004 September 1985136,526
  19. Buick — Fuel System, Gasoline: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings85V03400029 March 1985121,095
  20. American Chimei — Exterior Lighting: Flasher Unit85E00700029 January 1985115,000
  21. Auto Shack — Exterior Lighting: Flasher Unit85E01100014 March 1985106,969
  22. Volkswagen — Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings85V09900030 July 1985105,000
  23. Motorcar — Exterior Lighting: Hazard Flashing Warning Lights85E00600029 January 198594,000
  24. Dodge — Fuel System, Gasoline: Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings85V0100001 January 198553,000
  25. Ford — Parking Brake: Air85V16800020 December 198551,500

The 25 largest of 227 filed in 1985. See every recall or the largest on record.

← 1984 (209)1986 (219) →

Every year on record, with the long-run trend.

About this figure

1985 here is the year the recall was filed with NHTSA, not the model year of the vehicles. A 1985 filing routinely covers vehicles built years earlier, and a car of model year 1985 appears in filings for years afterwards.

“Vehicles covered” sums the manufacturer’s own estimate for each campaign. A vehicle recalled twice in 1985 is counted twice, so the figure is not a count of distinct vehicles.

Do Not Drive and Park Outside flags entered NHTSA’s public record in May 2025. This page shows no advisory section for 1985 because the flag did not exist then \u2014 not because no 1985 recall was urgent.

Compiled from NHTSA’s published recall files, which are US government open data and rebuilt daily. Figures on this page reflect the record as of 18 September 2026. Read the methodology, or check a specific vehicle at nhtsa.gov.