MercuryCapri1986Overview/mercury/capri/1986/base/

1986 Mercury Capri

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

The 1986 Mercury Capri, a sporty compact car produced by Mercury's parent company Ford, requires 4.0 quarts of engine oil with viscosity recommendations of 5W-30, 10W-30, or 10W-40 for routine maintenance. While this model year stands as the final iteration of the first-generation Capri, the available complaint data tracking the model's reliability spans from 1991 to 1994, showing a notable improvement trajectory with complaints dropping from a high of 40 in 1991 to a low of just 3 by 1994. This substantial decline in reported issues over the model's later production years suggests meaningful refinements in build quality and component reliability during the Capri's evolution.

Model year199419931992199119861985198419831982

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 10W-30 / 10W-40OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Serpentine beltE4DZ8620D alt E5ZZ8620C
ThermostatRT1053 discontinued · alt RT1052

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length179.1 in
Overall width68.9 in
Overall height52 in
Wheelbase100.4 in
Curb weight2793 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)57/43

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.0 qt of 5W-30 / 10W-30 / 10W-40 engine oil.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil5W-30 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 15W-40 · 20W-40 · 20W-50
Engine Oil Capacity4.0 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 15W-40 · 20W-40 · 20W-50
Engine Oil Capacity4.0 qt

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 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.

At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Choke System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect)
Every 60,000 miEGR Vacuum Control Solenoid Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
3
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
4
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 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

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.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 3 of 3 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
982461998-12-07Electrical SystemFORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS RELEASED A NEW ELECTRICAL GREASE ( F8AZ - 19G208-AA ) TO REDUCE…
95621995-03-01Service Brakes, HydraulicROUGHNESS CONCERN DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. *TW
95621995-03-01Service Brakes, HydraulicUNKNOWN

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.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1986 Capri take?

4.0 qt of 30W. MULTI-VISCOSITY: BELOW 100 degrees F 5W-30. ABOVE 0 degrees F 10W-30 OR 10W-40. ABOVE 10 degrees F 15W-40. ABOVE 20 degrees F 20W-40 OR 20W-50, per the factory manual.

Does the 1986 Capri have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.