- Vehicles
- 2,673
- Built between
- Jan 1983 – Jan 1983
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 28 January 1983
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1983 and January 1983. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1983 Ford ThunderbirdBuilt January 1983 to January 1983
- 1983 Mercury CougarBuilt January 1983 to January 1983
What the defect is
Some of these vehicles may have been built with fuel tanks that have inadequately welded front seams that can leak.
What gets fixed
THE DEALER WILL DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE WAS CORRECTED AT THE FACTORY; IF NOT, THE FUEL TANK WILL BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1983 to January 1983
- Recall reported to NHTSA8 February 1983
- Owners notified28 January 1983
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 8 February 1983.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 3.8 liter engines.system: fuel systems; fuel tank.consequences of defect: leaking fuel, in combination with a source of ignition,could result in a fire and personal injury.note: the owner should not operate his vehicle until the necessary correctionis made.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.