MercuryLynx1987Overview/mercury/lynx/1987/base/

1987 Mercury Lynx

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Lynx.

The 1987 Mercury Lynx is defined by a reliability profile consisting of three recalls and five total owner complaints. These reports are primarily concentrated on the vehicle's structure, which serves as the top complaint area. This data establishes the model year's standing within the vehicle's reliability history.

Model year1987198619851984

Fitment & sizes

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

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Serpentine beltE4FZ8620E alt E4FZ8620D
ThermostatRT1106 alt E7FZ8575A

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL

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; spark plugs every 30,000 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) · Fuel Filter Water Separator (inspect)
Every 15,000 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 100,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Timing Belt (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.

Owner complaints about the 1987 Mercury Lynx dominate in one area — the structure, 2 of 5 reports (40%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 3 recall campaigns target the structure, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the structure pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
9
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
5
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
5
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 5 complaints on record, top 3 components.

Structure2
Steering2
Seats1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

89V170000SeatsReported 13/10/1989

THE FORWARD OUTBOARD PEDESTAL OF THE SEAT TRACK OF DRIVER'S SEAT MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FATIGUE FRACTURE. Remedy: INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT ON ALL MODELS AND A NEW SEAT TRACK AS NECESSARY

87V139000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsReported 04/09/1987

SPRING LOCK FUEL LINE COUPLING MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ENGAGED. Remedy: INSTALL RETAINER CLIPS OVER THE COUPLINGS TO PREVENT COUPLING SEPARATION AND FUEL LEAKAGE.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 9 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
001882000-09-04Engine And Engine CoolingCONCERNS WITH PREMATURE FAILURE OCCURING ON THE 1.9L MOTORCRAFT REMANUFACTURED LONGBLOCK…
991961999-09-20EquipmentINFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE…
98521998-04-13TiresINFORMATION ON TIRE COMPANY TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. *YC
9626121996-12-16Power TrainTRANSAXLE - TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES AND TORQUE CONVERTER/TRANSAXLE…
962461996-11-18Electrical SystemWIRING - ELECTRICAL DIODE IDENTIFICATION AND SERVICE REPLACEMENTS. *TW

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 Lynx. 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

Does the 1987 Lynx have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.