MercuryCapri1979Overview/mercury/capri/1979/base/

1979 Mercury Capri

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 Capri.

The 1979 Mercury Capri is a compact two‑door coupe that shares its underpinnings with the contemporary Ford Escort platform, employing the era’s standard four‑cylinder powerplant. Though specific technical details for this year are sparse, the model sits early in the Capri’s production timeline, preceding the documented complaint window that spans 19911994, during which the highest recorded complaint count was 40 in 1991 and the lowest just three in 1994. This positioning suggests that the 1979 Capri falls outside the period most scrutinized for reliability issues, offering researchers a baseline reference point before the later fluctuations in owner‑reported problems emerged.

Model year199419931992199119861985198419831979

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length179.1 in
Wheelbase100.4 in

Reliability & federal safety record

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

7
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E019000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpReported 06/03/2008

INTERCONTINENTAL AUTO PARTS IS RECALLING 1,937 FUEL FILTERS, P/NOS ALG 44/1 AND PUROLATOR F10024, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 14 AND FEBRUARY 13, 2008, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE FILTER'S OUTLET CAP MAY… Remedy: INTERCONTINENTAL WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING MARCH 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT INTERCONTINENTAL AT 800-451-2593.

07E064000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpReported 27/08/2007

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.

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 Capri. 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 1979 Capri have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.