ChevroletSprint1985Overview/chevrolet/sprint/1985/base/

1985 Chevrolet Sprint

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1985 Sprint.

Transmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1985 Chevrolet Sprint is a subcompact model equipped with a modest‑displacement engine that requires four quarts of oil and can run on a range of viscosities from 20W‑20 to 20W‑50, reflecting its design for economical daily driving. Its three‑speed automatic transmission pairs with an EPA‑rated fuel economy of roughly 34 mpg city, 39 mpg highway and 36 mpg combined, underscoring the Sprint’s efficiency focus. Owner feedback is sparse, with only a single complaint recorded—centered on the fuel‑system—while the model has escaped any factory recalls. Consequently, the 1985 Sprint occupies a low‑complaint niche in the line’s reliability record, indicating that, for researchers, it represents one of the more trouble‑free years in the Sprint’s history.

Model year1991199019891988198719861985

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy34/39/36 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length140.9 in
Overall width60.2 in
Overall height53.1 in
Wheelbase88.6 in
Curb weight1488 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined34 / 39 / 36 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Sprint of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

9.5 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.50 sec — 1987 Turbo 3-door Hatchback
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1987Turbo 3-door Hatchback 1.0L Turbo I-39.50 sec17.20 sec70 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4 qt of 20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil20W-20 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE GM PART NO. 1050017 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBrake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Parking Brake System (adjust) · Steering System (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Cutoff Solenoid (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1985 Chevrolet Sprint dominate in one area — the fuel system, gasoline, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the fuel system, gasoline pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Sprint. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1985 Sprint take?

4 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F 30, ABOVE 20 degrees F: 20W-20, 20W-40, 20W-50, ABOVE 10 degrees F: 15W-40, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 1985 Sprint have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Sprint get?

EPA figures are 34 city / 39 highway / 36 combined mpg.