Mercury Grand Marquis Problems by Year
NHTSA has 3,015 owner complaints and 21 safety recalls on file for the Mercury Grand Marquis, across 17 model years (1995–2011). The 2005 model year has the most complaints (488). The most reported problem area overall is exterior lighting.
Mercury Grand Marquis years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Grand Marquis year: 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2005 Grand Marquis: 488 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2003 Grand Marquis: 362 complaints, 1 recall
- 2004 Grand Marquis: 348 complaints, 1 recall
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2011 Grand Marquis: 9 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2010 Grand Marquis: 25 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2009 Grand Marquis: 26 complaints, 2 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Mercury Grand Marquis problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting problems | 853 | 16 | 11 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 359 | 15 | 6 |
| Electrical System problems | 312 | 17 | 13 |
| Steering problems | 309 | 17 | 20 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 305 | 16 | 82 |
| Air Bags problems | 189 | 17 | 65 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 172 | 16 | 23 |
| Suspension problems | 166 | 16 | 8 |
| Seat Belts problems | 136 | 16 | 12 |
| Power Train problems | 120 | 16 | 8 |
| Structure problems | 117 | 16 | 8 |
| Visibility | 98 | 15 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 94 | 15 | 2 |
| Tires | 88 | 15 | 7 |
| Engine | 65 | 15 | 2 |
| Equipment | 37 | 14 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 37 | 14 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 35 | 12 | 7 |
| Wheels | 29 | 13 | 4 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 17 | 9 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 17 | 8 | 0 |
| Interior Lighting | 16 | 8 | 0 |
| Seats | 13 | 10 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Mercury Grand Marquis problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2005: exterior lighting (293) · electrical system (75) · air bags (67)
- 2004: exterior lighting (207) · steering (65)
- 2003: exterior lighting (207) · electrical system (51)
- 1997: engine and engine cooling (124)
- 1996: engine and engine cooling (85)
All Mercury Grand Marquis model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Grand Marquis | 9 | 2 | — | Electrical System | |
| 2010 Grand Marquis | 25 | 2 | — | Steering | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Grand Marquis | 26 | 2 | — | Steering | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 Grand Marquis | 80 | 3 | — | Steering | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2007 Grand Marquis | 96 | 3 | — | Tires | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2006 Grand Marquis | 143 | 2 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2005 Grand Marquis | 488 | 4 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Grand Marquis | 348 | 1 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Grand Marquis | 362 | 1 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Grand Marquis | 78 | 0 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2001 Grand Marquis | 157 | 3 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2000 Grand Marquis | 162 | 6 | — | Exterior Lighting | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1999 Grand Marquis | 164 | 3 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1998 Grand Marquis | 143 | 5 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1997 Grand Marquis | 316 | 4 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1996 Grand Marquis | 239 | 5 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | More complaints than other years |
| 1995 Grand Marquis | 179 | 5 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | About as many complaints as other years |
More from Mercury: all Mercury models · VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Grand Marquis years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 1997 (316), 2003 (362), 2004 (348), 2005 (488) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Grand Marquis year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Mercury Grand Marquis?
Exterior Lighting, with 853 complaints across 16 model years.
How many recalls does the Mercury Grand Marquis have?
21 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.