Total Complaints
11 filings
MERCURY MARQUIS · model year
1989 MERCURY MARQUIS
11 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989MERCURYMARQUIS carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 3 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 1989 MARQUIS is electrical system:ignition:switch with 3 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder (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 22 investigation files overlapping the 1989 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.
11
Complaints
2
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20041216POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE LABELING ON THE FRONT OF THE CONTAINER STATES 5W30 MOTOR OIL: ON THE BACK OF THE CONTAINER STATES DEXTRON 111 TRANSMISSION FLUID, BECAUSE OF THIS MISLABELING OF THE CONTAINER OIL WAS POURED INTO THE TRANSMISSION INSTEAD OF TRANSMISSION FLUID, WHICH DESTROYED IN ENGINE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS NEGOTIATING WHETHER TO TOTAL THE VEHICLE OR REPLACE THE PART, BECAUSE OF THE TRANSMISSION EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. MODEL NAME TRACK OIL DISTRIBUTED BY RACE TRACK DISTRIBUTORS INCORPORATED. *AK
20010228TIRES:TREAD/BELT
FIRESTONE SUPREME TIRE (P215/70R15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION ALSO CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MUFFLER, CONSUMER REPLACED ALL TIRES AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPLACEMENT TIRES AND FOR THE DAMAGED MUFFLER. *SLC
20000915VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL, CONSUMER PRESSED BUTTON, AND CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. CONSUMER PRESSED ON BRAKES, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. CONSUMER HAD TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION. *AK
20000915SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL, CONSUMER PRESSED BUTTON, AND CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. CONSUMER PRESSED ON BRAKES, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. CONSUMER HAD TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION. *AK
19971223FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
CONSUMER HAS A VEHICLE THAT CONTAINS A FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM THAT WILL TURN ITSELF OFF WHEN VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT SO IT WILL NOT CATCH ON FIRE. CONSUMER HAD CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 60 MPH, DRIVING ON A BUSY MAJOR HIGHWAY WENT TO APPLY BRAKES TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP,DID NOT HIT OR TOUCH ANY TYPE OF OBJECT ,WHEN FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM BECAME INOPERATIVE CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING/BRAKES/ENGINE. CONSUMER COULD NOT RESTART THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE RESTART SWITCH IS LOCATED IN THE TRUNK.THIS DEFECT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
19971120FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE CAUSED FIRE PRIOR TO RECALL.
19970122CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
OWNER STATES THAT SHE RECEIVED MUILTPLE INJURIES FROM WHICH HER DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AFTER HITTING CURB WHILE BRAKING FROM 20 MPH.
19960904ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
CONSUMER STARTED THE CAR AND SMOKE CAME FROM THE IGINITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE CAR NOT TO START, CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED.*AK
19960601FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE. *SD
19960510CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THERE IS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, VEHICLE ACCELERATED IN OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER. *AK
19950414FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
AFTER VEHICLE PARKED, STEERING AREA CAUGHT FIRE. TT
Compare 1989MERCURYMARQUIS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 MERCURY MARQUIS have?▼
The 1989 MERCURY MARQUIS has 11 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 MERCURY MARQUIS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 MERCURY MARQUIS is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER.
Is the 1989 MERCURY 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.