FaultScore report
Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 1983 Mercury Grand Marquis with NHTSA between 1995 and 2018. The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain.
14
Complaints
0
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 66,000 miles
Median failure at 82,000 miles
Median failure at 82,000 miles
0 crashes, 1 fires
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
BRAKE LINE PUNCTURES
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC OVER DRIVE TRANSMISSIONS. THE PARKING PAWL ACTUATING CAM RETAINER PIN ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ACTUATING ROD ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY HEAT TREATED. THESE PINS COULD POTENTIALLY FRACTURE IN SERVICE RESULTING IN THE PARKING PAWL NOT ENGAGING THE PARKING GEAR WHEN THE SHIFT SELECTOR IS PLACED IN THE "PARK" POSITION. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT SET, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL FREE.
THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE RETAINING CLIP WHICH RETAINS THE SELECTOR TUBE TO THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK CYLINDER MAY NOT BE OF ADEQUATE HARDNESS. SHOULD THE CLIP LOOSEN AND DISENGAGE FROM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE ASSEMBLY, THE GEARSHIFT SELECTOR LEVER MAY NOT INDICATE THE ACTUAL GEAR POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION. FOR EXAMPLE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL FREE WHEN THE INDICATOR IS IN THE "PARK" POSITION OR COULD ACTUALLY BE IN DRIVE GEAR WHEN THE INDICATOR IS IN THE "NEUTRAL" POSITION.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VEHICLE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD DUE TO A FUEL LEAK, FIRE CONSUMED (3) OTHER CARS AS WELL. P
NHTSA complaint #968028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1983 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE AIR CONDITIONER EMITTED A POWDERY SUBSTANCE. WORLDWIDE FORD IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
NHTSA complaint #11093170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1983 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE AIR CONDITIONER EMITTED A POWDERY SUBSTANCE. WORLDWIDE FORD IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
NHTSA complaint #11093170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1983 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE GEAR LEVER NEEDED TO BE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER FOR THE OVERDRIVE TO ACTIVATE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR LEVER WAS UNABLE TO ENGAGE INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 83V028000 (POWER TRAIN) AND 83V017000 (POWER TRAIN). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.
NHTSA complaint #10667662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE ENGINE DIES WHENEVER IT GETS HOT (NOT OVERHEAT), WHEN IT COOLS DOWN IT STARTS. DURING WARM MONTHS APRIL-SEPT. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ON A DAILY BASIS. IN THE WINTER, IT HAPPENS IF THE CAR SITS AT IDLE FOR 15-20 MINUTES. USUALLY IT HAPPENS ONE OF TWO WAYS. 1. PULL CAR UP TO A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT AND IT DIES. 2. PARK CAR AND TURN OFF ENGINE AND THEN TRY TO RESTART WITHEN 5-10 MINUTES. DURING THIS PAST OCT-MAR IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED ONCE AND THAT WAS YESTERDAY, WHILE IT SAT AT AN IDLE DURING AN IM INSPECTION.
NHTSA complaint #742844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I BROUGT THIS CAR AT AN AUCTION. HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. STATED AND RAN A FEW TIMES AND NOW IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO. PLEASE HELP. THANK-YOU I HOPE.
NHTSA complaint #721584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I BROUGT THIS CAR AT AN AUCTION. HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. STATED AND RAN A FEW TIMES AND NOW IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO. PLEASE HELP. THANK-YOU I HOPE.
NHTSA complaint #721584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
PARKING GEAR DOES NOT ENGAGE EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION. VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 83V028000.
NHTSA complaint #836795 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
HEADLIGHT FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #483079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
FRONT BRAKES WORE PREMATURELY.
NHTSA complaint #483079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
FAST IDLE.
NHTSA complaint #483079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
WIND NOISE/WATER LEAKS IN REAR WINDOWS. *SKD
NHTSA complaint #483079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
HEATER FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #483079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
DEFECTIVE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR.
NHTSA complaint #483079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VEHICLE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD DUE TO A FUEL LEAK, FIRE CONSUMED (3) OTHER CARS AS WELL. P
NHTSA complaint #968028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.