Mercury Lynx Recalls

The Mercury Lynx has 10 recalls spanning the 1981–1985 production run, with the most serious recent issue being a 1985 throttle lever defect on 1.9L engine models with air conditioning, where a misaligned pin can jam the throttle open and prevent it from returning to idle, leaving the driver with an uncontrolled engine.

The other 1985 recall involves the driver's seat track: a pedestal bracket on the forward outboard mount can fracture, allowing the seat to rock during acceleration or braking in a way that can interfere with the driver's ability to operate the vehicle.

Going back to the 1982 model year, rear seatbelt retractors can allow twisted webbing to become wedged inside the housing, jamming the belt so it neither retracts fully nor withdraws properly when needed.

The 1981 model year accounts for the largest cluster of recalls. On vehicles with optional front seat recliners, the shoulder screw attaching the driver's seat back frame to the recliner mechanism can develop fatigue fractures. Separately on 1981 two-door models, the door lock pillars can develop fatigue cracks at the latch striker reinforcement, weakening the attachment to the point where the front door may not stay securely closed. The 1981 floor pan has a fastener placement issue where carpet-securing metal clips may have been positioned over the fuel tank and pierced through its top, allowing fuel to leak. On 1981 vehicles with automatic speed control, fuel migrating into the vacuum servo can cause an O-ring to shrink, create a vacuum leak, and result in unintended gradual acceleration. The 1981 fuel filler inlet may lack an electrical ground, which can allow static to build up at the filler opening and produce an arc that ignites fuel vapor during refueling. On 1981 air-conditioned models, the main engine compartment wiring harness can be routed in contact with a hood prop bracket bolt, chafing through the insulation and causing an electrical short that can start an engine compartment fire. The 1984 model year has a compliance recall related to exhaust emissions standards, limited to vehicles registered in Nova Scotia.