Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1981 Marquis.
The 1981 Mercury Marquis stands as a notably reliable model year, supported by its remarkably low complaint profile: across available owner feedback, just two total complaints were recorded with no single system emerging as a dominant problem area, and the model recorded only one recall for its entire production run.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 212.2 in |
| Overall width | 77.6 in |
| Overall height | 54.7 in |
| Wheelbase | 114.2 in |
| Curb weight | 3702 lb |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The federal record provided covers only the 1990 and 1991 model years — nine to ten years after the 1981 Marquis — showing 8 and 9 complaints respectively with zero recalls, investigations, or TSBs in either year. For the 1981 target year itself, the data records one complaint each in the Fuel/Propulsion System and Seat Belts categories, with no crash or fire complaints reported. Because the year-by-year series does not include 1981 or its immediate contemporaries, no generation-level complaint or recall trend can be established from this dataset, and the data does not specify root causes for the two 1981 complaint areas. The 1990–1991 figures suggest low regulatory activity for later models, but they cannot be extrapolated backward to the 1981 model year. With only two documented complaints and no safety actions recorded for 1981, the available federal record presents no red flags for this vintage. Based solely on the provided data, the 1981 Mercury Marquis appears to be a reasonable purchase candidate from a federal compliance standpoint.
All 2 complaints on record, top 2 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 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.
Showing 4 of 4 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01157 | 2001-08-06 | Unknown Or Other | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 002310 | 2000-11-13 | Power Train | SUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE… |
| 9888 | 1998-04-27 | Power Train | INFORMATION ON A NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHART. *YC |
| 97511 | 1997-03-03 | Power Train | FLUID- TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *JD |
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.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.