1983 Mercury Grand Marquis Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1983 Mercury Grand Marquis, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Heating & air conditioning216.7%
- Transmission216.7%
- Electrical216.7%
- Exterior lighting18.3%
- Powertrain (other)18.3%
- Brakes18.3%
- Visibility18.3%
- Driver assistance18.3%
- Fuel system18.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
FAST IDLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
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. *AK
PARKING GEAR DOES NOT ENGAGE EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION. VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 83V028000. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAST IDLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAST IDLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAST IDLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAST IDLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD DUE TO A FUEL LEAK, FIRE CONSUMED (3) OTHER CARS AS WELL. P
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .