1985 Jeep Grand Wagoneer: common problems

Owners of the 1985 Jeep Grand Wagoneer filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 5

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 40% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 20% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
4 Steering 20% of all complaints
5 Vehicle speed control 20% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Seat belts: 2 complaints (40% of all).
Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Service brakes: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Steering: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (20% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

4.2 L · petrol · 6 cyl
5.9 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 3-speed

Drive: AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights1 · 20%
seat belts1 · 20%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Seat belts	2	0	0
Exterior lighting	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	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 headlight switch constantly burns out, causing the headlights/running lights/dash and interior lights to burn out, and the truck cannot be driven at night.
Exterior lighting · 1997-06-11 · NHTSA complaint #813013
Driver's and right rear female seat buckles are broken. Please describe details. Tt
Seat belts · 1996-02-14 · NHTSA complaint #979203
Plastic outer shell of seat belt buckles broke, causing belts to release.
Seat belts · 1995-11-02 · NHTSA complaint #485402
Bolt that holds steering wheel has loosened, replaced bolt on steering wheel. Tt the pivot bolt in lower column backed out.
Steering · 1995-10-27 · NHTSA complaint #974090
Auto-tran: gas pedal stuck; engine accelerated in an uncontrollable manner; applied brakes; shut off engine to stop vehicle; no prior warning. Tt
Service brakes · 1995-01-19 · NHTSA complaint #958880

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19953
19961
19971

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Wagoneer has 9 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1985 Jeep Grand Wagoneer?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, exterior lighting, service brakes. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (20%), seat belts (20%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1985 Jeep Grand Wagoneer?

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 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 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.