Mercury Grand Marquis Reliability
4,948 NHTSA complaints (1981–2011). Complaint rate: 2410.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1992–2001 Mercury Grand Marquis (191 crash-related complaints). The 2009–2011 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Mercury Grand Marquis Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 710 | 1.4% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 368 | 28.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 248 | 4.4% |
| STEERING | 220 | 8.2% |
| AIR BAGS | 165 | 23.6% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 150 | 0.7% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 126 | 4.8% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 116 | 0.0% |
| SEAT BELTS | 104 | 6.7% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 100 | 3.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1981View→ |
| 1982GOOD | — | 8 | 0 | — | View 1982View→ |
| 1983GOOD | — | 14 | 0 | 1 | View 1983View→ |
| 1984GOOD | — | 24 | 2 | 6 | View 1984View→ |
| 1985GOOD | — | 29 | 0 | 9 | View 1985View→ |
| 1986GOOD | — | 22 | 0 | 12 | View 1986View→ |
| 1987GOOD | — | 57 | 2 | 18 | View 1987View→ |
| 1988 | — | 98 | 10 | 32 | View 1988View→ |
| 1989 | — | 69 | 10 | 19 | View 1989View→ |
| 1990GOOD | — | 63 | 7 | 6 | View 1990View→ |
| 1991 | — | 106 | 13 | 15 | View 1991View→ |
| 1992AVOID | — | 330 | 28 | 33 | View 1992View→ |
| 1993AVOID | — | 178 | 11 | 20 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994AVOID | — | 197 | 20 | 20 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995AVOID | — | 222 | 25 | 6 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996AVOID | — | 282 | 10 | 24 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997AVOID | — | 370 | 12 | 7 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998AVOID | — | 168 | 9 | 9 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 202 | 21 | 2 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000AVOID | — | 216 | 21 | 6 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 207 | 34 | 3 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002 | — | 101 | 11 | 2 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003AVOID | — | 448 | 32 | 2 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004AVOID | — | 422 | 22 | 6 | View 2004View→ |
| 2005AVOID | — | 633 | 33 | 10 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006AVOID | — | 187 | 23 | 3 | View 2006View→ |
| 2007 | — | 111 | 8 | — | View 2007View→ |
| 2008 | — | 101 | 15 | 1 | View 2008View→ |
| 2009GOOD | — | 35 | 3 | 1 | View 2009View→ |
| 2010GOOD | — | 35 | 13 | — | View 2010View→ |
| 2011GOOD | — | 11 | 0 | 3 | View 2011View→ |
See also: Mercury Grand Marquisaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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