2004 Mercury Grand Marquis Exterior Lighting Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 207 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 207 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis, 59% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 85,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “lighting control” (18% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Lighting control: mentioned in 37 of 207 complaints (18%)
  • Headlights failed: mentioned in 26 of 207 complaints (13%)
  • High beam: mentioned in 22 of 207 complaints (11%)
  • Off without: mentioned in 12 of 207 complaints (6%)

How much does it cost to fix?

Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis at $1,050, and half of them between $1,000 and $1,100.

Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2019), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.

At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?

Based on 168 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles7 · 4%
10k–25k miles1 · 1%
25k–50k miles17 · 10%
50k–75k miles38 · 23%
75k–100k miles46 · 27%
100k–150k miles41 · 24%
150k+ miles18 · 11%

How serious are the reports?

Of 207 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 3 an injury.

Mercury Grand Marquis exterior lighting complaints by model year

Peak: 2005, with 293 complaints
1995: 161995161996: 18181997: 191997191998: 16161999: 201999202000: 21212001: 112001112002: 662003: 20720032072004: 2072072005: 29320052932006: 662007: 5200752008: 552009: 1200912010: 22

n = 853 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearExterior Lighting complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2010 Grand Marquis28%56,100
2009 Grand Marquis14%17,445
2008 Grand Marquis56%76,000
2007 Grand Marquis55%111,350
2006 Grand Marquis64%89,200
2005 Grand Marquis29360%79,000
2004 Grand Marquis20759%85,500
2003 Grand Marquis20757%95,100
2002 Grand Marquis68%45,417
2001 Grand Marquis117%96,321
2000 Grand Marquis2113%122,000
1999 Grand Marquis2012%137,000
1998 Grand Marquis1611%114,500
1997 Grand Marquis196%71,233
1996 Grand Marquis188%130,000
1995 Grand Marquis169%100,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2014, with 27 complaints
2004: 120042006: 22007: 120072009: 92010: 1620102011: 262012: 1420122013: 222014: 272014272015: 262016: 2020162017: 172018: 820182019: 22020: 320202021: 22022: 220222023: 42024: 220242025: 22026: 12026

n = 207 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Exterior lighting:headlightsDec 22, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V861000 · 296,004 vehicles

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.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a local Police Officer stopped the vehicle and made the contact aware that both taillights were inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be…

Received Aug 24, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11759060

The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights were flickering and became inoperable. Occasionally, the headlights operated as designed. There were no warning…

Received Aug 29, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11683841

Auto lights stopped working. Tail lights will not come on

Received Jul 2, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11670846
Mercury Grand Marquis
2003-2005 Mercury Grand Marquis photographed in College Park, Maryland , USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2004 Mercury Grand Marquiss have exterior lighting problems?

No. NHTSA has 207 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis (59% of the 348 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis exterior lighting?

Yes: 1 safety recall list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?

The median reported mileage is 85,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Owners report a typical cost of $1,050 (half paid between $1,000 and $1,100), from 13 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.

What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis?

The most frequent phrase is “lighting control”, in 37 of 207 complaints, followed by “headlights failed” (26).

Other 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis problems

See all 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis problems or exterior lighting problems across all Grand Marquis years.