MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS · model year

2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS

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.

633
Complaints
33
Crashes
10
Fires
29
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

633 filings

Crashes Reported

33 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
EXTERIOR LIGHTING260
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM70
AIR BAGS63
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS39
SEAT BELTS35
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL34
STEERING19
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9
SERVICE BRAKES7
STRUCTURE:BODY6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC5
TIRES5
ENGINE5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN4

Recalls (5)

13V38500029/08/2013

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

15V86100022/12/2015

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.

06E05600013/06/2006

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

05V51800009/11/2005

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.

14V70400005/11/2014

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

Recent Complaints

20250927POWER TRAIN

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)

20250927UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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)

20250927AIR BAGS

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)

20250912SERVICE BRAKES

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

20250803AIR BAGS

I bought this car from some stranger who doesn’t 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 what’s due to me so tired of the brakes making my steering wheel jerk & didn’t have any heat in a car I’ve spent my entire check on I really can’t believe this much over a faulty can I get some type of reimbursements for my pain & suffering from driving this guy’s high school car even if it looked like it did brand new pipes falling apart [XXX] won’t stop over heating caused me to run off the road because windows can’t let right window down it’s so much I can say but I rather not thanks this is devastating to me & my child kid doesn’t wanna feel like his dad I has no say so for him or his own child driving in guy’s [XXX] did one thing some else messes up it has caused me so much grief & mental attacks trying to keep this guy car maintained I’ve tried trade ins but theyâ

20250803STRUCTURE:BODY

I bought this car from some stranger who doesn’t 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 what’s due to me so tired of the brakes making my steering wheel jerk & didn’t have any heat in a car I’ve spent my entire check on I really can’t believe this much over a faulty can I get some type of reimbursements for my pain & suffering from driving this guy’s high school car even if it looked like it did brand new pipes falling apart [XXX] won’t stop over heating caused me to run off the road because windows can’t let right window down it’s so much I can say but I rather not thanks this is devastating to me & my child kid doesn’t wanna feel like his dad I has no say so for him or his own child driving in guy’s [XXX] did one thing some else messes up it has caused me so much grief & mental attacks trying to keep this guy car maintained I’ve tried trade ins but theyâ

20250803STEERING

I bought this car from some stranger who doesn’t 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 what’s due to me so tired of the brakes making my steering wheel jerk & didn’t have any heat in a car I’ve spent my entire check on I really can’t believe this much over a faulty can I get some type of reimbursements for my pain & suffering from driving this guy’s high school car even if it looked like it did brand new pipes falling apart [XXX] won’t stop over heating caused me to run off the road because windows can’t let right window down it’s so much I can say but I rather not thanks this is devastating to me & my child kid doesn’t wanna feel like his dad I has no say so for him or his own child driving in guy’s [XXX] did one thing some else messes up it has caused me so much grief & mental attacks trying to keep this guy car maintained I’ve tried trade ins but theyâ

20250701SEAT BELTS

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.

20250701EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

20250513EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

20250512EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

20250324FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This is a serious safety hazard that could result in death or injury. If I hadn’t 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.

20250324FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

This is a serious safety hazard that could result in death or injury. If I hadn’t 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.

20250324FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER

This is a serious safety hazard that could result in death or injury. If I hadn’t 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.

20241108FireSERVICE BRAKES

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 I’m hurting and it’s 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

20241108FireENGINE

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 I’m hurting and it’s 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

20241108FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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 I’m hurting and it’s 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

20241018EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

20240730EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

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

20240622EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

Compare 2005MERCURYGRAND MARQUIS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS have?
The 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS has 633 NHTSA complaints, 33 crashes, 10 fires, 29 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS?
Yes, the 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is STEERING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS?
The most-complained component for the 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 260 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2005 MERCURY 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.