FORD GRAND MARQUIS · model year

1998 FORD GRAND MARQUIS

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998FORDGRAND MARQUIS carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 GRAND MARQUIS is air bags:on-off switch assembly with 1 filings, followed by steering (1) and exterior lighting:headlights (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 1998 GRAND MARQUIS, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY1
STEERING1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS1

Recent Complaints

20010809EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE FADING/DISCOLORATION, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE USED DURING NIGHT DRIVING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER.*AK

20001120STEERING

WHEN MAKING HARD TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS, CONSUMER HEARS A LOUD METAL ON METAL POPPING SOUND THAT COMES FROM THE FRONT WHEEL WELL AREA, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE STEERING GEAR HAS NO STOP AND THAT IS WHAT'S CAUSING THE NOISE AND THAT IT'S NORMAL. *SLC

19990317AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG NEEDS TO BE DISARMED. WE HAVE GOVT PERM. NO ONE WILL HANDLE THE PROBLEM. HELP PLEASE. I MUST CARRY SMALL CHILDREN IN THE FRONT SEAT.

Compare 1998FORDGRAND MARQUIS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 FORD GRAND MARQUIS have?
The 1998 FORD GRAND MARQUIS has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 FORD GRAND MARQUIS?
The most-complained component for the 1998 FORD GRAND MARQUIS is AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS.
Is the 1998 FORD GRAND MARQUIS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.