AI Damage1985 GMC Jimmy: common problems
Owners of the 1985 GMC Jimmy filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about parking brake and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Parking brake 17% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 17% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 17% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 17% of all complaints
- Parking brake: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 6.2 L · diesel · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: AWD, RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The consumer drove into garage park, but did not shut off engine, just parked. Got out to move a bike, then got back inside the vehicle. Put shift into drive with foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle volted forward, hit an object. Consumer tried to step on the brakes again, and vehicle drove through the garage.
Seat belt retractors problems, will not let belt out smoothly
Whenever the rear windshield wiper is in use it would fail to operate properly. It would stop working after being in use. Took to dealer & informed a new motor was needed & had it replaced.
Car was in garage in gear was in park with the emergency parking brake on, gear went into reverse. Tt
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Jimmy has 119 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 6, below average.
What to check before buying
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- Jimmy 19845 sources
- Jimmy 19863 sources
- Jimmy 19876 sources
- Jimmy 198815 sources
- Jimmy 198913 sources
- Jimmy 199011 sources
- Jimmy 1991118 sources
- Jimmy 1992122 sources
- Jimmy 1993216 sources
- Jimmy 1994334 sources
- Jimmy 1995499 sources
- Jimmy 1996407 sources
- Jimmy 1997274 sources
- Jimmy 1998238 sources
- Jimmy 1999137 sources
- Jimmy 2000211 sources
- Jimmy 2001100 sources
- Jimmy 99997 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1985 GMC Jimmy?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: parking brake, powertrain, seat belts. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (17%), rollaway, parking brake (17%), seat belts (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1985 GMC Jimmy?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1985 GMC Jimmy from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1985 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.