Independent · Not affiliated with NHTSA or any automaker MethodologyData sourcesData refreshed Oct 6, 2026

1983 Mercury Marquis: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 1983 Mercury Marquis, most recently filed March 1983. Owners have filed 1 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Caution Fewer than 50 complaints filed. With this few reports, patterns may not be meaningful.
Recalls 2campaigns 2 power train Source: NHTSA Complaints 1filed Owner reports, 1982–1991 shown Source: NHTSA ODI
Compare

Recalls (2)

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 1983 Mercury Marquis. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 1983 Mercury Marquis. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 83V028000 Filed Mar 7, 1983

POWER TRAIN:TRANSMISSION:AUTOMATIC

Power train · automatic transmission
Official NHTSA text
Summary
THE PARKING GEAR MAY NOT ENGAGE, EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE "PARK" POSITION. THIS OCCURS IF THE LINKAGE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION THAT ACTUATES THE PARK GEAR WAS IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. A PIN THAT RETAINS COMPONENTS ON A LINKAGE (ACTUATING) ROD COULD BREAK AND THE LINKAGE MAY NOT ENGAGE THE PARKING GEAR.
Remedy
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARKING PAWL ACTUATING ROD ASSEMBLY.
Repair progress not yet reported98,162 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 83V028000
Listed for 1983 Mercury Marquis. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 83V017000 Filed Feb 24, 1983

POWER TRAIN:TRANSMISSION:AUTOMATIC:LEVER AND LINKA

Power train · automatic transmission · lever and linkage · column shift
Official NHTSA text
Summary
THE SHIFT INDICATOR MAY NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE SHIFT SELECTOR POSITION. SOME VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE RETAINING CLIPS THAT MAY NOT BE HARD ENOUGH. THE CLIP MAY LOOSEN OR FALL OFF, AND THE SELECTOR TUBE MAY BECOME DISPLACED.
Remedy
THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE RETAINING CLIP AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
Repair progress not yet reported36,000 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 83V017000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Which Marquis years had the most recalls?Best & worst years →Every recall for the Mercury MarquisAll model years →Where is the VIN on my car?VIN location guide →

Owner complaints (1)

1 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The electrical system is mentioned most often.

0involved a crash
1involved a fire
0injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1983 Mercury Marquis, by component (top 1). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 1.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 1983 compares with other Marquis years

Best and worst Marquis years →
1 1 10 5 4 4 9 10 6 9
1982198319841985198619871988198919901991
This year (1983)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 1983 Marquis for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Marquis years

Where to next

Which Marquis years drew the fewest complaints?Best & worst years →1984 Mercury Marquis report10 complaints · 1 campaigns →1982 Mercury Marquis report1 complaints · 1 campaigns →Have a VIN? Decode itVIN decoder →

1983 Mercury Marquis FAQ

How many recalls does the 1983 Mercury Marquis have?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns: 83V028000 (power train), 83V017000 (power train). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 1983 Mercury Marquis problems?

Owners filed 1 complaints with NHTSA. Electrical system (1) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

How does the 1983 Marquis compare with other years?

Among the 1982–1991 Mercury Marquis model years at least five years old, the 1982 drew the fewest complaints (1) and the 1989 the most (10). The 1983 drew 1. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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