MERCURY MARQUIS · model year

1994 MERCURY MARQUIS

44 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1994MERCURYMARQUIS carries 44 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 8 fires, 9 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 1994 MARQUIS is visibility:power window devices and controls with 6 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (5) and vehicle speed control:cruise control (4). 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 1994 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.

44
Complaints
2
Crashes
8
Fires
9
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

44 filings

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

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL4
SEATS3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH1
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1

Recent Complaints

20151013EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCURY MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE TAIL LIGHTS, TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS. AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FAILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH AND CONNECTOR PLUG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

Mileage: 130,000

20140331FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCURY MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS INFORMED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 06/11/2014 *JS

Mileage: 100,000

20060518FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

1994 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. MY BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. A NICE MAN PULLED UP NEXT TO ME AND TOLD ME MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT. I WENT HOME POPPED THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND STARTED LOOKING FOR A BAD FUSE. I FOUND IT IN THE CAR COMPARTMENT NOT UNDER THE HOOD. LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD AND SAW SMOKE I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM AND TORE THE WIRES FROM THE SWITCH. I WENT TO A FORD DEALER AND HE SAID IT IS NOT COVERED. WRONG YEAR. THIS IS THE SAME SWITCH THAT HAS CAUSED FIRES THAT BURNED DOWN HOMES AND HAS CAUSED DEATHS. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT FORD HAS NOT INCLUDED ALL OF THE CARS THAT HAVE THESE DEFECTIVE SWITCH'S. I OWN 1 OF THIS MODEL. MY FATHER- IN- LAW OWNS 1 ALSO. HIS CRUISE CONTROL WENT BAD 2 YEARS AGO. IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. IT JUST NEVER CAUGHT ON FIRE. I DISCONNECTED THE SOLENOID IN THE STEERING COLUMN SO IT WOULD SHIFT. HE TOLD ME AFTER I GOT IT RUNNING THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK ANYMORE. I NEVER LOOKED F

Mileage: 135,000

20060518FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

1994 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. MY BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. A NICE MAN PULLED UP NEXT TO ME AND TOLD ME MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT. I WENT HOME POPPED THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND STARTED LOOKING FOR A BAD FUSE. I FOUND IT IN THE CAR COMPARTMENT NOT UNDER THE HOOD. LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD AND SAW SMOKE I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM AND TORE THE WIRES FROM THE SWITCH. I WENT TO A FORD DEALER AND HE SAID IT IS NOT COVERED. WRONG YEAR. THIS IS THE SAME SWITCH THAT HAS CAUSED FIRES THAT BURNED DOWN HOMES AND HAS CAUSED DEATHS. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT FORD HAS NOT INCLUDED ALL OF THE CARS THAT HAVE THESE DEFECTIVE SWITCH'S. I OWN 1 OF THIS MODEL. MY FATHER- IN- LAW OWNS 1 ALSO. HIS CRUISE CONTROL WENT BAD 2 YEARS AGO. IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. IT JUST NEVER CAUGHT ON FIRE. I DISCONNECTED THE SOLENOID IN THE STEERING COLUMN SO IT WOULD SHIFT. HE TOLD ME AFTER I GOT IT RUNNING THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK ANYMORE. I NEVER LOOKED F

Mileage: 135,000

20050817FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

AT APPROXIMATELY 2:00 A.M ON JULY 6, 2005, MY HUSBAND AND 16 YEAR OLD SON WERE AWAKEN BY A NEIGHBOR, TELLING THEM THAT OUR 1994 GRAND MARQUISE (MERCURY) WAS ON FIRE. MY HUSBAND AND SON BARELY ESCAPED WHEN THE FIRE HIT THE HOUSE AND BURNED OUR HOME DOWN TO THE GROUND. THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR NEARLY 7 1/2 HOURS BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE CRUISE CONTROL. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT MY DAUGHTER (13 YEARS OLD) AND MYSELF WERE OUT OF TOWN, BECAUSE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY DO NOT THINK THAT WE WOULD HAVE ALL FOUR ESCAPED FROM THE HOUSE. OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN DEVESTATED AND MY HUSBAND AND SON WERE NOT PHYSICALLY INJURED, BUT THE MENTAL ANGUISH THAT WE ARE ALL SUFFERING AND THE LOSS OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE EVER HAD, IS VERY HARD ON US ALL AND WE ARE HAVING A VERY HARD TIME HANDLING THIS.

20050525CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT

BRIDGESTONE TURANZA T PASSENGER TIRES; P215/70R MADE IN JAPAN. JDJ469; K9902; DOT H434 97T; QL20HZ ONLY LASTED APPROXIMATELY 2K MILES BEFORE THE BELTS BROKE.

20050127FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE OF THE CARPORT AND WITHOUT WARNING IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. DRIVER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. *AK VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED BUT WAS INSPECTED BY ENGINEER WITH VERITE FORENSIC ENGINEERING CONTRACTED BY FORD MOTOR CO. COULD NOT FIND WHAT CAUSED FIRE AND SAID THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH HAD MELTED COMPLETELY. CAR IS NOW PARKED IN THE YARD. *BF

20041114FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

THE SPEED SWITCH ON MY WIFE'S 1994 MERCURY MARQUIS SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY IGNITED CAUSING A MASSIVE FIRE WHICH DESTROYED OUR HOME AND NEARLY KILLED MY FAMILY. *JB

20041026FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN GARAGE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND CONSUMER DISCOVERED FIRE AT 11:30PM. CONSUMER STATED THAT CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING 2-3 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. ALSO, BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE FIRE.*AK

Mileage: 80,000

20030710ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

DEAR SIR/MADAM;IN THE PAST, I HAVE OWNED THE CHEVROLET VEGA, THE PONTIAC FIERO TWO OF THE POOREST AUTOMOBILES EVER BUILD BUT NEITHER OF THESE CARS CAN BEGAN TO COMPARE THE 1994 MERCUY MARQUIE AS TO POOR QUALITY. WITHOUT QUESTION, THE WORST AUTOMOBILE I HAVE EVER PURCHASED!I HAVE HAD TO HAVE 15 WINDOW REGULARTORS INSTALLED FOR A COST OF FROM $175 TO $275 FOR EACH REGULAR INSTALLATION FOR AN APPROXIMATE TOTAL OF $3,000.00.WITH JUST 83,000 MILES, EASILY DRIVEN, THE CAR CURRENTLY USED 1 QT. OF OIL EVERY1,000 MILES. *AK OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE ASKED OTHER MERCURY MARQUIE AND FORD VICTORIA OWNERS OF THE SAME YEARS IF THEY HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. TODATE, I HAVE NEVER FOUND AN OWNER OF THESE SAME YEAR AUTOMOBILES THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND USUALLY MORE THAN ONCE. SERVICE MEN WILL ADVISE THAT. FORDS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND NOT JUST THE YEARS OF THIS MODEL. I AM CURRENTLY IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW CAR. I CANNOT SHOP AMERICAN AS I WOULD PREFER. I WILL S

Mileage: 26,000

20030710VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

DEAR SIR/MADAM;IN THE PAST, I HAVE OWNED THE CHEVROLET VEGA, THE PONTIAC FIERO TWO OF THE POOREST AUTOMOBILES EVER BUILD BUT NEITHER OF THESE CARS CAN BEGAN TO COMPARE THE 1994 MERCUY MARQUIE AS TO POOR QUALITY. WITHOUT QUESTION, THE WORST AUTOMOBILE I HAVE EVER PURCHASED!I HAVE HAD TO HAVE 15 WINDOW REGULARTORS INSTALLED FOR A COST OF FROM $175 TO $275 FOR EACH REGULAR INSTALLATION FOR AN APPROXIMATE TOTAL OF $3,000.00.WITH JUST 83,000 MILES, EASILY DRIVEN, THE CAR CURRENTLY USED 1 QT. OF OIL EVERY1,000 MILES. *AK OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE ASKED OTHER MERCURY MARQUIE AND FORD VICTORIA OWNERS OF THE SAME YEARS IF THEY HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. TODATE, I HAVE NEVER FOUND AN OWNER OF THESE SAME YEAR AUTOMOBILES THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND USUALLY MORE THAN ONCE. SERVICE MEN WILL ADVISE THAT. FORDS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND NOT JUST THE YEARS OF THIS MODEL. I AM CURRENTLY IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW CAR. I CANNOT SHOP AMERICAN AS I WOULD PREFER. I WILL S

Mileage: 26,000

20020529FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CONSUMER STATES CRUISE CONTROL FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. *TT REFERENCED IN EA02-025

20010212EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

THE CAR LIGHTS WENT OUT ON A FOGGY NIGHT ON A CURVING MOUNTAIN ROAD, REPLACED THE LIGHT SWITCH AND THE STEERING COLUMN CONTROL UNIT. *CJ

20010212EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE CAR LIGHTS WENT OUT ON A FOGGY NIGHT ON A CURVING MOUNTAIN ROAD, REPLACED THE LIGHT SWITCH AND THE STEERING COLUMN CONTROL UNIT. *CJ

20010212VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE IAC SOLENOID FAILED CAUSING ENGINE NOISE. *CJ

20010212VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

POWER WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED. *CJ

20010212VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO. *CJ

20010212SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

SQUEAKING NOISE WHILE BRAKING, ROTORS ROUGH & PADS GLAZED, AFTER REPAIR THE BRAKE SYSTEM CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE NOISE. *CJ

20010212ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

CRACKED DRIVE BELT REPLACED. *CJ

20010212EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

THE TURN SIGNAL INOPERATIVE AND BLOWN STOPLIGHT BULB. *CJ

Compare 1994MERCURYMARQUIS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1994 MERCURY MARQUIS have?
The 1994 MERCURY MARQUIS has 44 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 8 fires, 9 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 MERCURY MARQUIS?
The most-complained component for the 1994 MERCURY MARQUIS is VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL.
Is the 1994 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.