Vehicle recall 83V012000 · February 8, 1983
Mercury Cougar and Ford Thunderbird
Some of these vehicles may have been built with fuel tanks that have inadequately welded front seams that can leak.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Some of these vehicles may have been built with fuel tanks that have inadequately welded front seams that can leak.
- Remedy
- 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.
- 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.
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 83V012000
- Reported to NHTSA
- February 8, 1983
- Filed by
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Owner notification
- January 28, 1983
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 2,673
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Ford Thunderbird (1983): 1983
- Mercury Cougar (1983): 1983
Has your Ford been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. Recall repairs are free.