IllustrationMODULATOR VALVE FAILED, CAUSING GEAR SHIFT TO STICK.
1983 Ford Fairmont
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Fairmont years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 3 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
3 reportsVEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY.
VEHICLE STALL WHEN CROSSING A INTERSECTION AFTER A STOP.
Official recalls
283V017000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift
Feb 24, 1983
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Not supplied
Remedy: THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SELECTOR TUBE RETAINING CLIP AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
82V100000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Oct 13, 1982
THE PARK LEVER ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES CONTAINS A DEFECTIVE SPRING WHICH COULD PREVENT AUTOMATIC ENGAGEMENT OF THE PARKING GEAR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Not supplied
Remedy: THE PARK ACTUATING LEVER ROD SPRING WILL BE REPLACED WITH AN UPGRADED SPRING WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.