2005 Mercury Grand Marquis Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 16, 2026 · 488 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Grand Marquis years
Far more complaints than other years 1st of 17 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 488 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. That is the most of any Grand Marquis model year in the database (17 years). The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (293 complaints, 60%), typically at around 79,000 miles. Complaints mention 24 crashes, 5 fires, 21 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.

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.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Exterior Lighting293 · ~79,000 mi
Electrical System75 · ~74,000 mi
Air Bags67 · ~53,816 mi
Vehicle Speed Control39 · ~17,908 mi
Seat Belts36 · ~50,830 mi
Steering20 · ~114,800 mi
Structure11 · ~50,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic10 · ~15,000 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling9 · ~20,194 mi
Unknown or Other9 · ~52,100 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Exterior Lighting problems29360%79,000“lighting control module” (18%)$930
Electrical System problems7515%74,000“high beams” (19%)—
Air Bags problems6714%53,816“air bag” (69%)$1,850
Vehicle Speed Control398%17,908——
Seat Belts367%50,830——
Steering204%114,800——
Structure112%50,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic102%15,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling92%20,194——
Unknown or Other92%52,100——
Tires82%27,500——
Visibility82%52,000——
Service Brakes71%79,000——
Engine51%59,000——
Power Train51%75,000——
Visibility/wiper41%149,000——
Interior Lighting20%112,500——
Seats20%108,679——
Suspension20%52,000——
Electronic Stability Control10%———
Electronic Stability Control (esc)10%———
Equipment10%2,900——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%———
Fuel System, Diesel10%200——
Fuel System, Gasoline10%88,000——
Latches/locks/linkages10%12,000——
Parking Brake10%21,200——
Traction Control System10%144,000——
Wheels10%10,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2014, with 65 complaints
2005: 1320052006: 152007: 1020072008: 92009: 2020092010: 352011: 3620112012: 602013: 5820132014: 65652015: 3720152016: 252017: 2620172018: 212019: 1820192020: 72021: 220212022: 72023: 820232024: 52025: 920252026: 2

n = 488 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2005 Mercury Grand Marquis recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

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.

Steering:rack and pinion:pinion shaftNov 5, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V704000 · 36,888 vehicles

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles manufactured March 8, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and on which the upper intermediate shaft was serviced during the course of safety recall 13V-385. The prior repairs may not have been correctly performed.

Risk: Improper servicing of the upper intermediate shaft could cause the shaft to separate, which can then result in a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers will inspect and replace the upper immediate shaft if necessary free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S25.

SteeringAug 29, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V385000 · 355,000 vehicles

Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Severe corrosion can seize the lower intermediate shaft which may cause the upper intermediate shaft to collapse and the steering column lower bearing to separate.

Risk: If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lower intermediate shaft corrosion, and repaired or replaced as necessary. If the steering column lower bearing has separated, a retainer clip will be installed. The recall began on October 23, 2013. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S08.

Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cablesNov 9, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V518000 · 98,836 vehicles

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the battery cable includes a fusible link that may contact and subsequently chafe on a #2 cross member attaching bolt.

Risk: This condition may result in heat damage and could lead to a fire.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the fusible link and position it away from the cross member bolt. If the fusible link has already chafed and copper wires have been exposed, the fusible link will be replaced. The recall began on november 18, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673, or lincoln/mercury at 1-800-521-4140.

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.
  • Steering Column Shaft Obstruction (PE14021) — opened Jul 7, 2014, closed Nov 21, 2014.
  • Loss of headlight function (PE08066) — opened Nov 26, 2008, closed Mar 24, 2009.

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 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the front headlights flickered on and off before turning off. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving at night. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware of scorch marks on the…

Exterior Lighting · received Sep 16, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11764784

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel failed to operate as intended causing the contact to have driven straight instead of turning. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The…

Steering · received May 8, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11736525

my vehicle was running fine, than all of a sudden the transmission would not shift, i was like omg, what is going on, i had my son with me, my son was driving, he was so scared, i was like take a side street, stay level ground, we coasted down pro tech, [XXX] , that is where the car is now, bill…

Power Train · received Sep 27, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11690119

my brother got me this vehicle five yrs ago, and ever since then the air bag light has been on,i have no idea of why it is on, i don't know if it is the fuse, i don't know if there is even a air bag is in the vehicle my brother got the vehicle up in vermont, i have a pending cl# [XXX] on another…

Air Bags · received Sep 27, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11690123

My wife has a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. This vehicle has what I believe is an extremely unsafe placement of the brake and accelerator pedals. The pedals are extremely close together, closer than I have ever seen on any other vehicle. My wife has depressed the accelerator while pressing the brake…

Service Brakes · received Sep 12, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11686834

Other Mercury Grand Marquis years

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Owners most often report exterior lighting, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 293 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2005 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 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.