The 1985 Ford F-250 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 976 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
TRUCKS FAIL TO MEET REQUIREMENT OF FMVSS NO. 301, FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY, IN A 30 MPH FRONT ANGULAR BARRIER TEST IMPACT BECAUSE OF THE OMISSION OF THE NOSE SHIELD ON MIDSHIP FUEL TANK. CONSEQUENCE OF…
INSTALL NOSE SHIELD ON THE MIDSHIP FUEL TANK. FUEL TANK.
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.
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.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“The firewall cracked, which reduced the braking capability of the vehicle.*jb”
“Wrangler loadrange e lt 235/85r16, dot unknown, replacement tires with 70000 miles on a 1985 ford, f250. All 4 tires showed sidewall cracks. *ak dot mdor 1 dov 155, tires have sidewall cracks near the rim on both the inside and outside. *slc”
“The right rear axle brok.e, caused us to hit the bridge on the right and then richocheted us to the left and we hit a 5 ton tow truck. Which totaled the pickup into a million pieces. We have pictures of the accident scene. *ak”
“Smoke poured out of all heating vents - smelled like burning leaves. Truck was shut off and smoke ceased. Turned heating lever to off and went to dealer .”
“Applies pressure, does not appear back brakes are working properly, changed brake shoes/vaccuum pump, still having problem. *ak”
“The hauling camper had numerous engine shut offs at various speeds due to ignition module failure. This failure caused loss of power steering and brakes. The consumer states that the manufacturer should correct this design defect. *yh”
“The hauling camper had numerous engine shut offs at various speeds due to ignition module failure. This failure caused loss of power steering and brakes. The consumer states that the manufacturer should correct this design defect. *yh”
“Engine compartment fire. *sd”
F-SERIES FUEL TANK FIRES
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:INSTANCES WERE FOUND WHERESPRING LOCK COUPLINGS FAILED CAUSING GASOLINE TO BE RELEASED THROUGHOUTTHE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING FIRES.LEAKS FROM FUEL LINES MAY ALSO BE ACONTRIBUTING CAUSE TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT…
There is no summary currently available
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1985 Ford F-250 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.