Total Complaints
633 filings
MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS · model year
633 NHTSA complaints, 33 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2005MERCURYGRAND MARQUIS carries 633 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 33 crashes, 10 fires, 29 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 2005 GRAND MARQUIS is exterior lighting with 260 filings, followed by electrical system (70) and air bags (63). 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. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2005 GRAND MARQUIS. 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.
Total Complaints
633 filings
Crashes Reported
33 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 260 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 70 |
| AIR BAGS | 63 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 39 |
| SEAT BELTS | 35 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 34 |
| STEERING | 19 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 9 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 7 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 6 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 5 |
| TIRES | 5 |
| ENGINE | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 4 |
STEERING
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
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS MAY NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE INTERFACE, EVEN THOUGH THE PERSON MAKING THE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BATTERY CABLE INCLUDES A FUSIBLE LINK THAT MAY CONTACT AND SUBSEQUENTLY CHAFE ON A #2 CROSS MEMBER ATTACHING BOLT.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION:PINION SHAFT
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 intermedia
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 told us,my son and i that the transmission fluid is burnt, when i looked at it the fluid was red,and did not smell burnt, this happened [XXX], i do not understand this at all, i am trying to get help through my insurance company, my claim #[XXX], SAFETY INSURANCE, there was transmission fluid on the dipstick red, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 told us,my son and i that the transmission fluid is burnt, when i looked at it the fluid was red,and did not smell burnt, this happened [XXX], i do not understand this at all, i am trying to get help through my insurance company, my claim #[XXX], SAFETY INSURANCE, there was transmission fluid on the dipstick red, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 issue, thank you so much, deeply appreciated, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 pedal on more than one occasion. We went recently for an oil change. The technician pressed the accelerator while pressing the brake pedal while putting the vehicle into reverse. The vehicle lunged into the parking lot. Fortunately, there were no vehicles behind my vehicle. If the technician had been shifting from neutral into drive, he would have driven into the building. The technician said that he has had similar experiences with Ford vehicles and that one of his relatives has a Ford and that this is a frequent experience with that vehicle. I am a disabled Veteran with a below knee amputation of the right leg. I have had no problem driving vehicles before this one. I have stopp
I bought this car from some stranger who doesnât care about my shoulder pains driving a car with the steering wheel upside down these part stores & insurance companies get theirs can I please get whatâs due to me so tired of the brakes making my steering wheel jerk & didnât have any heat in a car Iâve spent my entire check on I really canât believe this much over a faulty can I get some type of reimbursements for my pain & suffering from driving this guyâs high school car even if it looked like it did brand new pipes falling apart [XXX] wonât stop over heating caused me to run off the road because windows canât let right window down itâs so much I can say but I rather not thanks this is devastating to me & my child kid doesnât wanna feel like his dad I has no say so for him or his own child driving in guyâs [XXX] did one thing some else messes up it has caused me so much grief & mental attacks trying to keep this guy car maintained Iâve tried trade ins but theyâ
I bought this car from some stranger who doesnât care about my shoulder pains driving a car with the steering wheel upside down these part stores & insurance companies get theirs can I please get whatâs due to me so tired of the brakes making my steering wheel jerk & didnât have any heat in a car Iâve spent my entire check on I really canât believe this much over a faulty can I get some type of reimbursements for my pain & suffering from driving this guyâs high school car even if it looked like it did brand new pipes falling apart [XXX] wonât stop over heating caused me to run off the road because windows canât let right window down itâs so much I can say but I rather not thanks this is devastating to me & my child kid doesnât wanna feel like his dad I has no say so for him or his own child driving in guyâs [XXX] did one thing some else messes up it has caused me so much grief & mental attacks trying to keep this guy car maintained Iâve tried trade ins but theyâ
I bought this car from some stranger who doesnât care about my shoulder pains driving a car with the steering wheel upside down these part stores & insurance companies get theirs can I please get whatâs due to me so tired of the brakes making my steering wheel jerk & didnât have any heat in a car Iâve spent my entire check on I really canât believe this much over a faulty can I get some type of reimbursements for my pain & suffering from driving this guyâs high school car even if it looked like it did brand new pipes falling apart [XXX] wonât stop over heating caused me to run off the road because windows canât let right window down itâs so much I can say but I rather not thanks this is devastating to me & my child kid doesnât wanna feel like his dad I has no say so for him or his own child driving in guyâs [XXX] did one thing some else messes up it has caused me so much grief & mental attacks trying to keep this guy car maintained Iâve tried trade ins but theyâ
Seat belt does not fully clip in to buckle and tends to come undone while in operation of motor vehicle furthermore requires occupant to wiggle buckle back and forth to attempt to get a good connection between the two, belt and buckle.
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The contact stated that the headlights activated without driver input. The contact removed the circuit wires. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 80,082.
Mileage: 80,082
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and at night, the headlights independently turned off. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the lighting control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic advised the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Mileage: 160,000
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the contact became aware that the front headlamps had intermittently failed to provide proper illumination, greatly reducing nighttime visibility. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting); the VIN was included, but the vehicle was already repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 211,000.
Mileage: 211,000
This is a serious safety hazard that could result in death or injury. If I hadnât escaped in time, I would have been killed. I am urging the NHTSA to investigate this defect and take immediate action to remove these vehicles from the road. Others may not be as lucky. This issue is life-threatening, especially because the fire started while the vehicle was in motion. These vehicles must be recalled and removed from use before more people are injured or killed.
This is a serious safety hazard that could result in death or injury. If I hadnât escaped in time, I would have been killed. I am urging the NHTSA to investigate this defect and take immediate action to remove these vehicles from the road. Others may not be as lucky. This issue is life-threatening, especially because the fire started while the vehicle was in motion. These vehicles must be recalled and removed from use before more people are injured or killed.
This is a serious safety hazard that could result in death or injury. If I hadnât escaped in time, I would have been killed. I am urging the NHTSA to investigate this defect and take immediate action to remove these vehicles from the road. Others may not be as lucky. This issue is life-threatening, especially because the fire started while the vehicle was in motion. These vehicles must be recalled and removed from use before more people are injured or killed.
On [XXX] I was driving this recently purchased Grand marquis . On [XXX] here in San Antonio around ten at night I hit the brakes and something under the hood compartment blew up and it cocked the car . I was trapped inside and when I finally was able to get my seatbelt released I had to break the window with my head . The previous week I reached out to ford and they told me they would address the issue and that they would call me back and that was to no avail. i reached out to ford and at first I was told I would be helped and then a man came on the phone yelling that my vehicle . I need help with resol this issue . My car is totaled and Iâm hurting and itâs because of a car with recalls that are a fire haz and dangerous to be put on the road Thank you and God Bless . was not under any recalls The car had been parked for over ten years beca when the orig owner bought it it had issues with the cruise control and the brakes and the engine and the lights . I investigated about and haz
On [XXX] I was driving this recently purchased Grand marquis . On [XXX] here in San Antonio around ten at night I hit the brakes and something under the hood compartment blew up and it cocked the car . I was trapped inside and when I finally was able to get my seatbelt released I had to break the window with my head . The previous week I reached out to ford and they told me they would address the issue and that they would call me back and that was to no avail. i reached out to ford and at first I was told I would be helped and then a man came on the phone yelling that my vehicle . I need help with resol this issue . My car is totaled and Iâm hurting and itâs because of a car with recalls that are a fire haz and dangerous to be put on the road Thank you and God Bless . was not under any recalls The car had been parked for over ten years beca when the orig owner bought it it had issues with the cruise control and the brakes and the engine and the lights . I investigated about and haz
On [XXX] I was driving this recently purchased Grand marquis . On [XXX] here in San Antonio around ten at night I hit the brakes and something under the hood compartment blew up and it cocked the car . I was trapped inside and when I finally was able to get my seatbelt released I had to break the window with my head . The previous week I reached out to ford and they told me they would address the issue and that they would call me back and that was to no avail. i reached out to ford and at first I was told I would be helped and then a man came on the phone yelling that my vehicle . I need help with resol this issue . My car is totaled and Iâm hurting and itâs because of a car with recalls that are a fire haz and dangerous to be put on the road Thank you and God Bless . was not under any recalls The car had been parked for over ten years beca when the orig owner bought it it had issues with the cruise control and the brakes and the engine and the lights . I investigated about and haz
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the headlights flickered after approximately a minute. The headlights continued to turn on and off independently. The headlights eventually became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Mileage: 85,000
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving 48 MPH, a Police Officer pulled the contact over and informed her that the taillights were inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was drivable and was taken to an independent mechanic and the bulbs were replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The manufacturer then referred the contact to NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Mileage: 120,000
Light control module was replaced per recall via Ford and new LCM became faulty after 4 years. Ford will not replace recalled part due to warranty on recalls. Apparently from Ford and other mechanics, this is a common problem with the LCM not working for long even after replacement.
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.