Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 Zephyr.
With just a single owner complaint recorded — centered on the fuel system — and four recalls issued, the 1979 Mercury Zephyr presents a notably quiet reliability footprint for its model year, suggesting either limited widespread issues or sparse historical reporting; that lone fuel-system complaint stands as the primary documented pain point, while the recall count hints at manufacturer-identified corrections without a corresponding surge in owner dissatisfaction, positioning this year as a relatively low-noise chapter in the Zephyr's reliability narrative.
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1979 Mercury Zephyr dominate in one area — the fuel system, gasoline, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the fuel system, gasoline are also the target of recall 07E-064 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the fuel system, gasoline 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.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
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.
WINDSHIELDS MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON THESE VEHICLES WITHOUT THE APPLICATION OF A BUTYL PRIMER ON THE MOUNTING SURFACE OF THE GLAZING. THE PRIMER IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE ADEQUATE RETENTION OF THE WINDSHIELD TO ITS… Remedy: DEALER WILL REINSTALL THE WINDSHIELD CORRECTLY WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.