Total Complaints
14 filings
MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS · model year
14 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1983MERCURYGRAND MARQUIS carries 14 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1983 GRAND MARQUIS is power train:automatic transmission with 3 filings, followed by equipment:appliance:air conditioner (2) and fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1983 GRAND MARQUIS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
14 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
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.
Mileage: 82,000
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.
Mileage: 82,000
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.
Mileage: 66,000
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
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
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
FAST IDLE.
FRONT BRAKES WORE PREMATURELY.
WIND NOISE/WATER LEAKS IN REAR WINDOWS. *SKD
HEADLIGHT FAILED.
HEATER FAILED.
DEFECTIVE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR.
VEHICLE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD DUE TO A FUEL LEAK, FIRE CONSUMED (3) OTHER CARS AS WELL. P
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1983 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.