1985 Pontiac Safari problems
The Pontiac Safari is a line of station wagons that was produced by Pontiac from 1955 to 1989. Initially introduced as the Pontiac counterpart of the two-door Chevrolet Nomad, the division adopted the nameplate across its full-size wagon range in 1957. Through its production, the Safari was positioned between Chevrolet full-size station wagons and below its Buick and Oldsmobile counterparts. During the mid-1960s, the Safari added simulated woodgrain trim to the exterior, becoming a feature associated with the model line.
The name "safari" is derived from the Swahili word safari, which means journey, originally from the Arabic سفر (safar) meaning a journey; the verb for "to travel" in Swahili is kusafiri. As General Motors expanded into the intermediate, compact, and subcompact segments, the Safari nameplate saw a similar usage as the Estate (Buick, Chevrolet) and Cruiser (Oldsmobile) nameplates, denoting the highest-trim station wagon in each model range.
After 1989, Pontiac became the first GM division to discontinue its full-size wagons; along with model overlap between its divisional counterparts, demand for full-size wagons had been overtaken by minivans. For 1990, the Pontiac Trans Sport was introduced as the first Pontiac minivan. After 1991, Pontiac ended its use of the Safari nameplate (and production of station wagons) entirely; the GMC Safari continued through the 2005 model year.
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Common 1985 Pontiac Safari problems
The Pontiac Safari 1985 was part of the Pontiac 6000 lineup, which was manufactured by General Motors.
One of the common problems with the Pontiac Safari 1985 was related to the engines. The 4.3-liter diesel V6 engine was unpopular and was discontinued after 1985 due to General Motors' diesel engine problems.
Another common problem with the Pontiac Safari 1985 was related to the transmission. The 3-speed 3T40 automatic transmission was standard in the 1982-1986 models, while the 4-speed 4T60 automatic transmission became available in 1986. The 5-speed Getrag manual transmission was also available in some models. However, the transmission problems were not as prevalent as the engine problems.
The 1985 Pontiac Safari had a unique problem related to the fuel injection system. The 4.3-liter V6 engine in the 1985 model year had fuel injection (FI) as standard, while the 305 V8 engine remained 4-barrel carbureted in 1985 and 1986.
The Pontiac Safari 1985 also had some problems related to the interior and exterior. The interior of the 1985 model year was a mish-mash of Chevy and Pontiac, with the hard points tending to be Chevy.
In summary, the Pontiac Safari 1985 had several common problems related to the engines, transmission, fuel injection system, interior, and exterior. The 4.3-liter diesel V6 engine was unpopular and was discontinued after 1985 due to General Motors' diesel engine problems. The 2.8-liter V6 engine, which was fuel-injected, became available in 1986, but the diesel engine was not carried over to the 1986 model year. The 3-speed 3T40 automatic transmission was standard in the 1982-1986 models, while the 4-speed 4T60 automatic transmission became available in 1986. The 1985 model year had some unique problems related to the fuel injection system, with the 4.3-liter V6 engine having fuel injection (FI) as standard, while the 305 V8 engine remained 4-barrel carbureted in 1985 and 1986. The interior of the 1985 model year was a mish-mash of Chevy and Pontiac, with the hard points tending to be Chevy. The exterior of the 1985 model year had some sheet metal changes, including skirts in the rear quarters and old tail lights. The 1985 model year also had some problems related to the paint, with two-toned paint being standard on all sedans and some trim like the center pillar and hood ornament from the old Bonneville being used.
1985 Pontiac Safari car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Pontiac Safari problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Visibility problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 1985 Pontiac Safari vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
1985 Pontiac Safari complaints
The NHTSA has received 1 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 1985 Pontiac Safari.
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1999-07-30
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: UNABLE TO GET THE FLUID FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR TO CLEAN THE WINDOWS. THERE APPEARS TO BE A ELECTRICAL SHORT.THE PLASTIC PIECE TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM IS BROKEN.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
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