MerkurXR4Ti1986Overview/merkur/xr4ti/1986/base/

1986 Merkur XR4Ti

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1986 XR4Ti.

Transmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1986 Merkur XR4Ti came equipped with a three-speed automatic transmission and returned EPA-estimated fuel economy of 16 mpg city, 20 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined. Owner-reported reliability data for this model year shows just ten total complaints, with the electrical system emerging as the most frequently cited issue, while the vehicle carries no factory recalls. This complaint volume and pattern suggest a generally sound platform for the year, though the concentration on electrical components flags a specific area for researcher attention.

Model year19891988198719861985

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

EPA fuel economy16/20/18 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 20 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 15,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1986 Merkur XR4Ti dominate in one area — the electrical system, 3 of 10 reports (30%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the electrical system 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.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
7
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
10
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 10 complaints on record, top 5 components.

Electrical System3
Engine & Engine Cooling3
Exterior Lighting2
Engine & Engine Cooling,Equipment1
Fuel System, Other,Exterior Lighting1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 7 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
00152000-01-10Power TrainINFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS
991961999-09-20EquipmentINFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE…
982461998-12-07Electrical SystemFORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS RELEASED A NEW ELECTRICAL GREASE ( F8AZ - 19G208-AA ) TO REDUCE…
9626121996-12-16Power TrainTRANSAXLE - TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES AND TORQUE CONVERTER/TRANSAXLE…
962461996-11-18Electrical SystemWIRING - ELECTRICAL DIODE IDENTIFICATION AND SERVICE REPLACEMENTS. *TW

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific XR4Ti. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 1986 XR4Ti have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the XR4Ti get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 20 highway / 18 combined mpg.