2004 Mercury Grand Marquis Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis.

20032005
Complaints
422
Crashes
22
Fires
6
Injuries
16
Fatalities
1
Recalls
1

Worst 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1185 complaints

Headlight/Taillight Failures

Avg mileage:89,483 mi
Crash-related:2
#262 complaints

Steering Defects

Avg mileage:100,750 mi
Crash-related:4
#338 complaints

Electrical Faults

Avg mileage:85,358 mi
Crash-related:1
Fires:1
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis.

Headlight/Taillight Failures
185
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
—
Avg Miles
89,483
Steering Defects
62
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
—
Avg Miles
100,750
Electrical Faults
38
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Avg Miles
85,358
Exterior Lighting:Headlights
21
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
87,535
Unintended Acceleration
17
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
1
Avg Miles
44,807
Interior Lighting
6
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
80,600
Airbags
5
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
—
Avg Miles
90,500
Engine & Cooling
5
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
91,683
Engine Problems
4
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
1
Avg Miles
—
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
4
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
1
Avg Miles
—
Body Structure
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Wipers & Visibility
4
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Fuel System
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
1
Avg Miles
—
Automatic Transmission
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Brakes
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Structural Problems
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Suspension Failures
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Tire Defects
3
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer
3
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Gasoline Fuel System
2
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Transmission / Drivetrain
2
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control
2
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Visibility
2
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Air Bags:Frontal
1
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Instrument Cluster
1
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Electrical System:Ignition:Anti-Theft:Immobilizer/Proximity:Key/Sender
1
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
1
complaints
Crashes
—
Fires
—
Avg Miles
—

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis

1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting ~296,004 vehicles.

15V861000Exterior Lighting:headlights
~296,004 affected

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.

Other Mercury Grand Marquis Years

1981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011

2004 Mercury Grand Marquis — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis has 422 NHTSA complaints, 22 crash-related, and 1 recall campaign. The most common issue is Headlight/Taillight Failures with 185 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis?
Top reported problems: Headlight/Taillight Failures (185 complaints, avg 89,483 mi); Steering Defects (62 complaints, avg 100,750 mi); Electrical Faults (38 complaints, avg 85,358 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 88,610 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis?
NHTSA complaints for the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis include 22 crash-related reports, 6 fire reports, 16 injuries, and 1 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis have any recalls?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 296,004 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (headlight/taillight failures) and verify open recalls have been addressed.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Mercury Grand Marquis reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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