RecallMyCar

1981 Mercury Marquis Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 1981 Mercury Marquis. Check your own VIN below.

3
safety recalls
0
owner complaints to NHTSA

3 safety recalls for the 1981 Mercury Marquis

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Suspension: rear

    NHTSA 82V135000 Reported 4,361 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    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.

    Remedy: The dealer will install new rear suspension lower control arms on both sides of the vehicle without charge.

  2. Interior/under dash (electrical system)

    NHTSA 80V147000 Reported 18,154 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    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.

    Remedy: Dealer will inspect vehicles for the type of relay used, reorient wiring harnesses as necessary, and replace suspect relays with new parts.

  3. Switch (electrical system)

    NHTSA 80V121000 Reported 14,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    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…

    Remedy: Dealer will inspect the involved vehicles and, if necessary, replace the transmission neutral start switch at no charge to owner.

No owner complaints on file

NHTSA has no owner complaints on file for the 1981 Mercury Marquis. For context, the average model year in NHTSA's database has dozens; a zero can mean a reliable vehicle, a rare one, or both.

Compare Mercury Marquis model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Mercury Marquis model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1973 Mercury Marquis20
1974 Mercury Marquis20
1977 Mercury Marquis11
1979 Mercury Marquis50
1981 Mercury Marquis30
1982 Mercury Marquis11
1983 Mercury Marquis21
1984 Mercury Marquis110
1985 Mercury Marquis15
1986 Mercury Marquis04
1987 Mercury Marquis04
1988 Mercury Marquis09
1989 Mercury Marquis010
1990 Mercury Marquis06
1991 Mercury Marquis09
1992 Mercury Marquis024
1993 Mercury Marquis023
1994 Mercury Marquis030
1995 Mercury Marquis020
1996 Mercury Marquis031
1997 Mercury Marquis153
1998 Mercury Marquis029
1999 Mercury Marquis024
2000 Mercury Marquis023
2001 Mercury Marquis026
2002 Mercury Marquis011
2003 Mercury Marquis033
2004 Mercury Marquis012

Checking a specific 1981 Mercury Marquis

How do I know if my 1981 Mercury Marquis has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 1981 Mercury Marquis; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercury dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 80V121000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Mercury models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.