2003 Mercury Grand Marquis Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Grand Marquis years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 362 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis. That ranks 2nd out of 17 Grand Marquis model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (207 complaints, 57%), typically at around 95,100 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 2 fires, 14 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 6 defect investigations involving it.
- 362owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 6NHTSA investigations
- 22complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting problems | 207 | 57% | 95,100 | “lighting control module” (17%) | $840 |
| Electrical System problems | 51 | 14% | 95,100 | “lighting control module” (22%) | — |
| Steering | 28 | 8% | 97,462 | — | — |
| Suspension | 28 | 8% | 56,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 27 | 7% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 4% | 18,445 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 3% | 44,763 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 3% | 8,115 | — | — |
| Wheels | 10 | 3% | 78,831 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 2% | 110,439 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 2% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 1% | 166,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 1% | 39,527 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 1% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 1% | 93,250 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 1% | 241 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 1% | 113,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 114,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 36,953 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 22,014 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 265,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 179,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 107,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Mercury Grand Marquis recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured October 3, 2001, to August 2, 2005. The affected vehicles have a lighting control module (LCM) that may fail, resulting in a loss of headlights.
Risk: A loss of headlights can reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the LCM, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S39.
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
- Loss of headlights (PE15028) — opened Aug 10, 2015, closed Jan 8, 2016, led to recall 15V861000.
- Loss of headlamp/exterior lighting (DP15002) — opened Apr 1, 2015, closed Aug 11, 2015.
- Loss of headlight function (PE08066) — opened Nov 26, 2008, closed Mar 24, 2009.
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- Rear axle fracture (PE04010) — opened Jan 22, 2004, closed Jul 8, 2004, led to recall 04V328000.
- Fracture of the steel wheel rim (PE03009) — opened Feb 25, 2003, closed Aug 8, 2003, led to recall 03V279000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While driving my vehicle headlights turn off and back on, sometimes off for minutes sometimes flickering.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact that the headlights were intermittently inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that the instrument panel lights, the brake lights, and the turn signal lights were inoperable. The contact who is a mechanic, had inspected the fuses, the…
The Lighting Control Module has failed and my brake lights and dash board lights turn off after couple minutes while driving with the lights on. I took my vehicle in to dealer already once for problem to be fixed a year ago. They did repair but now same problem is occurring again. I went back to…
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis The contact stated that both the headlamps and the taillights intermittently failed to operate as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed. The dealer placed a processor on the vehicle and…
The headlights shut off without warning
Other Mercury Grand Marquis years
← 2002 Grand Marquis · 2004 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 | 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 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 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, electrical system, steering problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 207 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.