1996 Mercury Grand Marquis Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Grand Marquis years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 239 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. That ranks 5th out of 17 Grand Marquis model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (85 complaints, 36%), typically at around 85,000 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 19 fires, 16 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 7 defect investigations involving it.
- 239owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 7NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 85 | 36% | 85,000 | “intake manifold” (59%) | $1,450 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 10% | 62,819 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 21 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 21 | 9% | 114,050 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 8% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 18 | 8% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 16 | 7% | 106,243 | — | — |
| Power Train | 15 | 6% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 15 | 6% | 90,473 | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 4% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 3% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 2% | 90,473 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 2% | 67,750 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 44,489 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 68,800 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 106,243 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Mercury Grand Marquis recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control:cruise control
Problem: Ford is recalling 225,000 my 1992-2003 econoline, my 1993-1995 taurus sho, my 1992-1998 crown victoria, my 1993 bronco, f-series, my 1995-1997 f-series super duty stripped chassis, my 1992-1998 mercury grand marquis, and my 1992-1995 lincoln town car vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired using a wiring harness that is not compatible with the vehicle circuit polarity.
Risk: As a result, the fuse is located in the output circuit rather than in the intended input power feed circuit, and may not offer the intended protection in the event of an electrical short to ground.
Fix: Dealers will install a new wiring harness, or replace the mating electrical component. The recall began on february 18, 2008. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: This could result in an underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles using aftermarket driver's seat belt assemblies that were sold by ford parts departments from january 1, through june 13, 2000. These seat belt assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." the equipment involved is service stock seat belt assemblies, model nos. H 9977, h 9979, t 9063, and t 9217, built by trw vehicle safety systems, inc. (trw) manufactured from june 1, 1998 through may 21, 2000. Some of these seat belt assemblies may have been installed as service replacement equipment on the vehicles involved in the recall.
Risk: In the event of a collision, these seat belts may not restrain an occupant increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the service seat belt assemblies that were installed in these vehicles from january 1 through june 13, 2000.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles using aftermarket front passenger side seat belt assemblies that were sold by ford parts departments from january 1, through june 13, 2000. These seat belt assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." the equipment involved is service stock seat belt assemblies, model nos. H 9977, h 9979, t 9063, and t 9217, built by trw vehicle safety systems, inc. (trw) manufactured from june 1, 1998 through may 21, 2000. Some of these seat belt assemblies may have been installed as service replacement equipment on the vehicles involved in the recall.
Risk: In the event of a collision, these seat belts may not restrain an occupant increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the service seat belt assemblies that were installed in these vehicles from january 1 through june 13, 2000.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: When in the secondary latched position, the driver door latches may open when subjected to transverse loads less than that specified in fmvss no. 206, "door locks and door retention components."
Risk: The driver's door, when closed only to the secondary latched position, may not sustain a 1,000 pound transverse load.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver door latch.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Rear brake line failure (EA03012) — opened Jul 25, 2003, closed Apr 11, 2005, led to recall 05V086000.
- Rear brake line failure (RQ03004) — opened Mar 11, 2003, closed Jul 25, 2003.
- Ball joint separation (RQ03002) — opened Jan 3, 2003, closed Jun 3, 2003.
- Speed control deactivation switch fires (EA02025) — opened Sep 6, 2002, closed Jun 30, 2004.
- Fuel-fed fires (DP02007) — opened Aug 22, 2002, closed Dec 4, 2002.
- Post rear end collision fires (SQ01014) — opened Nov 27, 2001, closed Oct 3, 2002, led to recall 02I003000.
- Improper height for head restraints (DP98007) — opened Jul 28, 1998, closed Sep 28, 1998.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH the instrument panel began started flashing off and on before going black. The contact stated that he was headed to an off ramp the head lights stopped functioning. The contact stated no warning…
The contact owns a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH at night, the headlights became inoperable. While driving for approximately 30 more miles and exiting the off ramp, the headlights started to flicker. The headlights momentarily worked but then…
When driving and turn to left vehicles steering wants to lock up
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mercury grand marquis. While driving at various speeds, the headlights became very dim and hindered the contact's visibility. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that there was no failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mercury grand marquis. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the transmission fluid leaked onto the gasket pan. There was no fluid visible on the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the torque converter…
Other Mercury Grand Marquis years
← 1995 Grand Marquis · 1997 Grand Marquis →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Grand Marquis | 9 | 2 |
| 2010 Grand Marquis | 25 | 2 |
| 2009 Grand Marquis | 26 | 2 |
| 2008 Grand Marquis | 80 | 3 |
| 2007 Grand Marquis | 96 | 3 |
| 2006 Grand Marquis | 143 | 2 |
| 2005 Grand Marquis | 488 | 4 |
| 2004 Grand Marquis | 348 | 1 |
| 2003 Grand Marquis | 362 | 1 |
| 2002 Grand Marquis | 78 | 0 |
| 2001 Grand Marquis | 157 | 3 |
| 2000 Grand Marquis | 162 | 6 |
| 1999 Grand Marquis | 164 | 3 |
| 1998 Grand Marquis | 143 | 5 |
| 1997 Grand Marquis | 316 | 4 |
| 1996 | 239 | 5 |
| 1995 Grand Marquis | 179 | 5 |
See all Mercury Grand Marquis problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Mercury models
Embed this 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 85 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Grand Marquis model years, the 1996 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.