Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1983 Fairmont.
The 1983 Ford Fairmont, a compact sedan that required 4.0 quarts of oil with a choice of 5W-30, 10W-30, or 10W-30/10W-40 API viscosities, recorded only six total owner complaints—the most common concerning the Engine & Engine Cooling system—alongside three recalls. This combination of low complaint volume but a notable number of factory-acknowledged issues places the 1983 model year in a reliability context where owner feedback was sparse yet specific, suggesting a generally trouble-free experience tempered by a few known, addressed concerns.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine holds 4.0 qt of 5W-30 / 10W-30 / 10W-40 API engine oil.
| Engine Coolant | ETHYLENE GLYCOL |
| Engine Oil | API · 5W-30 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 15W-40 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4.0 qt |
| Engine Oil | 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 5W-30 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4.5 qt |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1983 Ford Fairmont dominate in one area — the engine & engine cooling, 5 of 6 reports (83%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 3 recall campaigns target the engine & engine cooling, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine & engine cooling pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 6 complaints on record, top 2 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMPS SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF CARTER, ACCUFLOW, NAPA, TRUFLOW, PARTS DEPO, AND PARTS MASTER, SHIPPED BETWEEN AUGUST 2006 AND JULY 2007 FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE… Remedy: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 15, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL AT 248-354-7700.
THE PARK LEVER ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES CONTAINS A DEFECTIVE SPRING WHICH COULD PREVENT AUTOMATIC ENGAGEMENT OF THE PARKING GEAR. Remedy: THE PARK ACTUATING LEVER ROD SPRING WILL BE REPLACED WITH AN UPGRADED SPRING WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Showing 1 of 1 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC INDEX | 1983-02-01 | Unknown Or Other | UNKNOWN |
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
4.0 qt of SINGLE VISCOSITY: 30W API SERVICE SG. MULTI-VISCOSITY: BELOW 100 degrees F 5W-30 API SERVICE SG. ABOVE 0 degrees F 10W-30 OR 10W-40 API SERVICE SG. ABOVE 10 degrees F 15W-40 API SERVICE SG. ABOVE 20 degrees F 20W-40 OR 20W-50 API SERVICE SG., per the factory manual.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.