1998 Mercury Grand Marquis Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Grand Marquis years
- About as many complaints as other years 10th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 143 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis. That ranks 10th out of 17 Grand Marquis model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (26 complaints, 18%), typically at around 100,000 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 8 fires, 5 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 143owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 | 26 | 18% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 17 | 12% | 82,400 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 16 | 11% | 114,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 16 | 11% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 15 | 10% | 102,250 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 7% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 6% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 5% | 33,629 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 3% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 2% | 102,281 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 2% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 74,900 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 165,784 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 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.
Equipment:mechanical:integrated jack/leveler/stabilizer
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles have jacking instructions which, if followed, could cause the vehicle operator to place the jack on a frame weld when attempting to raise a rear wheel. If the vehicle is jacked up with the jack placed on the frame weld and if the vehicle is free to roll (wheels not blocked or chocked), the jack could yield and the vehicle may drop suddenly.
Risk: If this occurs and any portion of the operator's body is under the vehicle, the potential for personal injury exists.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a revised jack instruction and stowage card and jack warning label, as well as a supplement to the owner guide.
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.
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
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- 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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
When driving at highway speeds car feels like it is swaying back and forth.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury grand marquis. The contact stated that while examining his vehicle at his residence, he noticed the front ball joints were defective. The vehicle taken to expressway ford of mount vernon (3800 highway 62 e, mount vernon, in 47620) on may 30 2020, where the…
Cracked air intake manifold allowing it to over heat and messing up mass air flow sensor
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury grand marquis. While driving various speeds, the headlights and instrument panel lighting failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the failure occurred periodically. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE FR380 TIRES, SIZE: P225/60R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES HAD PREMATURE BLISTERS AND TREAD DETERIORATION. THE TIRE REPAIR FACILITY (FIRESTONE COMPLETE AUTO CARE, 4401 N FIRST AVE, EVANSVILLE, IN 47710, [redacted])…
Other Mercury Grand Marquis years
← 1997 Grand Marquis · 1999 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 | 143 | 5 |
| 1997 Grand Marquis | 316 | 4 |
| 1996 Grand Marquis | 239 | 5 |
| 1995 Grand Marquis | 179 | 5 |
See all Mercury Grand Marquis problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, steering, exterior lighting problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 26 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 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 1998 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 1998 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.