RoadVitals

1981 Mercury Marquis

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
0
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Dec 28, 1982
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1981 Mercury Marquis. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
82V135000

SUSPENSION:REAR

Dec 28, 1982
4,361 units potentially affected
The defect: THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED FROM STEEL WITH MATERIAL THICKNESS BELOW THE MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS FOR POLICE DUTY. THIS COULD LEAD TO CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE CONTROL ARMS, AND EVENTUALLY, THE POSSIBILITY OF FRACTURE OF AN ARM.
The remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSTALL NEW REAR SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT CHARGE.
FORD MOTOR COMPANYView on NHTSA.gov
80V147000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

Nov 13, 1980
18,154 units potentially affected
The defect: SOME OF THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAVE ELECTRICAL RELAY SYSTEMS WHICH MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WATER LEAKAGE INTO THE RELAY CASE. WATER ENTRY MAY CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT WITHIN THE RELAY.
The remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT VEHICLES FOR THE TYPE OF RELAY USED, REORIENT WIRING HARNESSES AS NECESSARY, AND REPLACE SUSPECT RELAYS WITH NEW PARTS.
FORD MOTOR COMPANYView on NHTSA.gov
80V121000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Sep 23, 1980
14,000 units potentially affected
The defect: THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY START IN REVERSE GEAR. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING AFFECT". SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A DEFECTIVE NEUTRAL START SWITCH THAT OCCASIONALLY PERMITS ENGINE STARTING WITH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER IN THE REVERSE ("R") POSITION.
The remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT THE INVOLVED VEHICLES AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION NEUTRAL START SWITCH AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
FORD MOTOR COMPANYView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercury Marquis by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2004120026.3
2003330038.5
2002110045.0
2001260141.4
2000230039.4
1999240037.5
1998290137.9
1997531046.1
1996310039.3
1995200026.9
1994300149.7
1993230146.7
1992240149.5
1991900—
1990600—
1989100047.4
1988900—
1987400—
1986412—
1985522—
1984102362.7
1983132—
1982111—
1981Viewing030—
1979050—
1977110—
1974020—
1973020—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.