The Ford Fairmont is a vehicle built from 1981 to 1983. Worth buying? It depends heavily on which year you buy at 3.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Fairmont is
The Ford Fairmont is a vehicle that Ford built from 1981 to 1983 — 3 model years. Its closest siblings in the Ford range: F-150, Bronco, Mustang.
Ford Fairmont tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Fairmont owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Ford Fairmont have? Power & range
Powertrain data warming… reload in a moment.
The Fairmont by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Ford Fairmont. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Fairmont | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 7 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 13 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 3.5 / 5 | Best and worst years |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Ford Fairmont?
The Fairmont is a vehicle, built from 1981 to 1983.
What is the Ford Fairmont warranty?
New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Fairmont reliable?
It scores 3.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Fairmont?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Ford
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | 1981–2026 | 462 | 72 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Ford Bronco | 1981–2026 | 146 | 27 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Ford Mustang | 1981–2026 | 240 | 26 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Ford Explorer | 1991–2026 | 212 | 39 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Ford Escape | 2001–2026 | 226 | 41 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Ford Ranger | 1982–2026 | 278 | 58 mpg | 3.5/5 |