Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1982 Zephyr.
The 1982 Mercury Zephyr carries the distinction of an exceptionally quiet owner complaint record, with just a single logged grievance across the entire model year — a remarkably low figure that suggests either a well-sorted product or a car fading quietly from active service. That lone complaint centers on the power train, the one area where owners felt compelled to formally document a concern, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recorded two recalls for the year, pointing to at least a couple of manufacturing or design issues that warranted federal intervention. Taken together, this places the 1982 Zephyr in an interesting spot within the model's reliability history: minimal owner-reported problems but a non-trivial recall count, meaning researchers should weigh both the apparent mechanical contentment of owners and the regulatory actions that occurred behind the scenes when assessing this model year's overall quality standing.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 195.7 in |
| Overall width | 70.9 in |
| Overall height | 53.5 in |
| Wheelbase | 105.5 in |
| Curb weight | 2756 lb |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1982 Mercury Zephyr dominate in one area — the power train, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the power train are also the target of recall 82V-100 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 power train 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 2 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.
THE PARK LEVER ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES CONTAINS A DEFECTIVE SPRING WHICH COULD PREVENT AUTOMATIC ENGAGEMENT OF THE PARKING GEAR. Remedy: THE PARK ACTUATING LEVER ROD SPRING WILL BE REPLACED WITH AN UPGRADED SPRING WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Showing 1 of 1 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82-21-9 | 1982-10-01 | Engine And Engine Cooling | UNKNOWN |
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 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.