The 1983 Ford Fairmont has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 38,089 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE RETAINING CLIP AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
THE PARK LEVER ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES CONTAINS A DEFECTIVE SPRING WHICH COULD PREVENT AUTOMATIC ENGAGEMENT OF THE PARKING GEAR.
THE PARK ACTUATING LEVER ROD SPRING WILL BE REPLACED WITH AN UPGRADED SPRING WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Modulator valve failed, causing gear shift to stick.”
“Replacement alternator failed.”
“Radiator fan failed.”
“Vehicle stall when crossing a intersection after a stop.”
“Vehicle stalls in traffic when crossing a intersection after a stop.”
“Vehicle stalls intermittently.”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1983 Ford Fairmont as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.