2005 Mercury Grand Marquis
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Mercury › Grand Marquis › 2005
These records cover every 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
5 recalls name the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. Newest first.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A loss of headlights can reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the LCM, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S39.
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 intermediate shaft was serviced during the course of safety recall…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Improper servicing of the upper intermediate shaft could cause the shaft to separate, which can then result in a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers will inspect and replace the upper immediate shaft if necessary free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S25.
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, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts…
Risk and remedy
Risk
If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lower intermediate shaft corrosion, and repaired or replaced as necessary. If the steering column lower bearing has separated, a retainer clip will be installed. The recall began on October 23, 2013. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S08.
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 connection may believe that the quick connector IS fully…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Failure of this connection could lead to fuel spillage and, in the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
Remedy
Ufi will notify owners and replace the filters free of charge. the recall began on august 4, 2006. owners may contact ufi filters USA at 800-230-5876.
On certain passenger vehicles, the battery cable includes a fusible link that may contact and subsequently chafe on a #2 cross member attaching bolt.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition may result in heat damage and could lead to a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the fusible link and position it away from the cross member bolt. if the fusible link has already chafed and copper wires have been exposed, the fusible link will be replaced. the recall began on november 18, 2005. owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673, or lincoln/mercury at 1-800-521-4140.
Owner complaints
488 complaints24 involved a crash5 involved a fire21 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Exterior lighting
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the front headlights flickered on and off before turning off. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving at night. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware of scorch marks on the…
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the front headlights flickered on and off before turning off. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving at night. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware of scorch marks on the LCM, and the relay switch had burn marks. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the front headlights manually, the front headlights remained illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure by phone. The contact was informed that the VIN was not associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 144,500.
- Steering
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel failed to operate as intended causing the contact to have driven straight instead of turning. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The…
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel failed to operate as intended causing the contact to have driven straight instead of turning. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, as the steering column was replaced twice. The contact mention the failure has a occurred on two different occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 145,000.
- Air 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…
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)
- Power train · Unknown 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…
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)
- Service 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…
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 stopped driving this vehicle because I believe it is a crash waiting to happen. I have asked numerous people to sit in the vehicle and see if they feel that the pedals are too close together. To date, all have said that they feel that the pedals are too close together and that they would not drive the vehicle in question because they also feel that this vehicle and no doubt other Ford vehicles with this pedal arrangement are crashes waiting to happen. I request that NHTSA look into the pedal arrangement of this vehicle and all Ford vehicles as I believe this arrangement is a safety hazard that is on the highways of America and may have contributed or directly caused numerous crashes since at least 2005.
- Air bags · Steering · Structure › 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 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 they’ve told me that the car wasn’t worth nothing but $700 what can I do with that basically paid my entire earnings out on a Car I love my step son I just don’t want him to feel like I’m a bad person because I’m dealing with financial stability [XXX] I’ve paid so much & I want my happiness one way or another crooks on social media lined up to [XXX] me you & the next with this false narratives & defected goods [XXX] my great grandpa doesn’t like the way this one car has caused me so much pain going in these rich stores buying parts & being ripped off because the car isn’t stable enough to hold up what I’ve fixed [XXX] it’s going to go on for the rest of my life & I’m scared. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Exterior 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.
- Seat 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.
- Exterior 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…
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.
- Exterior 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 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.
- Electrical system · Unknown or other · Vehicle 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…
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.
- Engine · Service brakes · Vehicle 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…
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 hazards the car was demonstrating and upon further consideration my instinct told me this car was defected and was a big problem waiting to happen INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Exterior 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…
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.
- Exterior 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…
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.
- Exterior 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.
- Engine · Service brakes
When i hit the brake pedal,4 times in past month car accelerated briefly then quit. no warning signs no one can tell me what's wrong i read there was a class action lawsuit file years ago for this problem.
- Service brakes
I had a flat tire well my insurance company sent someone to come and fix it when they got here my car was shut off and in park position, he asked me to press on the parking brake which I did I got out of car shut the door he jacked the car up and the parking brake didn’t hold and the car came down…
I had a flat tire well my insurance company sent someone to come and fix it when they got here my car was shut off and in park position, he asked me to press on the parking brake which I did I got out of car shut the door he jacked the car up and the parking brake didn’t hold and the car came down almost on his. I had to get cylinder blocks and put them under the tires while he jacked up the car to fix my flat. Very dangerous
- Vehicle speed control
I was driving I pressed the cruise control to set it but the vehicle kept accelerating and as I was pressing on the brake it wouldn’t disengage it kept accelerating I kept pressing the brake frantically and THANK GOD it disengaged.. I never touched the cruise control again
- Air bags · Seat belts
My drivers side seat belt works sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t and also my passenger side airbag light stays on when starting the car it flashes a few times and then stays on
- Exterior lighting
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH at night, there was a flash, and the headlights became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's brother informed him to use the high beam headlights. The vehicle…
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH at night, there was a flash, and the headlights became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's brother informed him to use the high beam headlights. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the failure was due to the lighting control module. The contact called the local dealer, who stated that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. The manufacturer was contacted, who informed him that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
- Exterior lighting
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 55 MPH at night, the headlights became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact who is an independent mechanic, stated that he diagnosed that the Light Control Module (LCM) had…
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 55 MPH at night, the headlights became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact who is an independent mechanic, stated that he diagnosed that the Light Control Module (LCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and advised the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was unknown.
- Exterior lighting
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the headlights became inoperable, without warning. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, after turning off and turning on the headlight switch, the headlights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the…
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the headlights became inoperable, without warning. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, after turning off and turning on the headlight switch, the headlights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the lighting control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included on NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was 156,000.
- Exterior lighting · Visibility/wiper
My windshield wipers started coming on and off by themselves in my 2005 grand Marquis. They also started spraying all of the windshield wipers fluid out. The lights also flicker on and off by themselves. The wipers then stopped working all together. I took it to a Ford dealership where they could not locate the problem.
- Exterior lighting › Headlights
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the headlights fluctuated off and on without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior…
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the headlights fluctuated off and on without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting) and referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 81,000. The contact stated the failure happened at any speed and that the vehicle was repaired.
- Air bags · Seat belts
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while the vehicle was started, the driver’s side air bag warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a driver’s air bag pretensioner fault and…
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while the vehicle was started, the driver’s side air bag warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a driver’s air bag pretensioner fault and that the seat belt pretensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,842.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Loss of headlights
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation concerning the loss of headlights in model year (MY) 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles. The subject vehicles share the same architecture and major components.ODI has received 636 unique reports (for all submission dates)…
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation concerning the loss of headlights in model year (MY) 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles. The subject vehicles share the same architecture and major components.ODI has received 636 unique reports (for all submission dates) related to the alleged defect, with owners describing a loss of both low and/or high beam headlights occurring while driving.ODI identified 4 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire ( VOQ) reports alleging minor crash or loss of control incidents due to headlight failures.Drivers alleged running off of the road due to a lack of headlights and one driver reportedly struck a deer.No injuries were indicated in the VOQ crashes.In response to ODI's Information Request (IR) letter, Ford Motor Company (Ford) responded with 4173 unique reports related to the alleged problem.There were a total of 11 crashes reported within that group as well as one injury that occurred when the vehicle struck an unseen object on the side of the road when the headlights failed. Ford also submitted 49,843 warranty claims related to headlight failures.Most reports indicate that the headlights failed without warning leaving the driver with no forward lighting, however some noted the headlights flickered or dimmed prior to turning off.Consumers also noted they were able to hold the flash to pass lever on the steering column mounted stalk to activate the high beams however this is only effective as long as the lever is physically actuated.On December 21st, 2015 Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-861) to remedy headlight failures on (MY) 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles.According to Ford, the headlights of the vehicle are controlled by the Lighting Control Module (LCM) located in the engine compartment of the vehicle.The LCM uses an internal relay, mounted to a circuit board, to control power to the headlights. The headlight relay is soldered to the circuit board at six different terminals. The original equipment LCMs were manufactured in a manner that resulted in the solder joints fatiguing and/or cracking as a result of repeated thermal cycling and/or vibration, a defect condition. The condition could be exacerbated by manufacturing quality issues such as an insufficient amount of solder, effecting the continuity between the circuit board and the relay terminal, and resulting in loss of headlights while driving.Other lighting functions are unaffected by this condition.The LCM manufacturing processes were revised to address the defect condition and Ford has been conducting a warranty extension program to cover defective LCMs since late 2013.Under the recall Ford will replace any remaining defective LCMs in recalled vehicles with remedy LCMs once they become available.See NHTSA recall 15V-861 for further details on the safety recall.The recall action initiated by Ford addresses the safety risks of concern to ODI.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at SaferCar.gov under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.
- Loss of headlamp/exterior lighting
In a letter dated October 2, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) was initially petitioned by the North Carolina Consumers Council, Inc. requesting a defect investigation of an alleged defect condition resulting in headlight and/or exterior lighting failure on 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand…
In a letter dated October 2, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) was initially petitioned by the North Carolina Consumers Council, Inc. requesting a defect investigation of an alleged defect condition resulting in headlight and/or exterior lighting failure on 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles.ODI analyzed Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaints received from consumers and identified a total of 605 reports (for all submission dates) alleging headlight failure.The complaints indicate failures of both low beam headlights typically while driving, a defect condition that was evaluated under a prior ODI investigation (PE08066).Most consumer VOQs indicate that the headlights failed suddenly and without warning leaving the driver with no forward lighting, however some report the headlights flickered or dimmed prior to turning off.In some cases drivers were able to turn the headlights back on after a period of time while others reported the headlights would not come back on at all.Consumers noted they were able to hold the flash to pass lever on the steering column mounted stalk to activate the high beams however this is only effective as long as the lever is actuated.ODI identified 4 VOQ reports alleging minor crash or loss of control incidents due to headlight failures.Drivers indicated running off of the road due to a lack of headlights and one driver reportedly struck a deer.No injuries were indicated in the VOQ crashes.In response to ODI's April 7, 2015 Information Request letter, Ford provided data indicating it has received 3,092 complaints of failed headlights related to the Lighting Control Module (LCM), a device that controls the headlights and other lighting functions.This number includes the complaints Ford reviewed and classified as headlight failure due specifically to the LCM.Within Ford's complaints, there are 11 reports alleging a crash occurred.These drivers reported hitting objects, including other vehicles after the headlights failed causing damage to the affected vehicles.One driver was injured when their car struck an unseen object in the road, jerking the steering wheel from their hands and injuring their shoulder.In total 15 crash allegations were identified, all of which have occurred since ODI's prior evaluation of this issue.This petition has been granted.Preliminary Evaluation PE15-028 has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SarchNHTSAID under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.
- Steering Column Shaft Obstruction
On July 7, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a preliminary evaluation based on five complaints (VOQs) alleging incidents ofinterference between dislodged exhaust manifold heat shields and the lower steering shaft/knuckle, including one alleging the interference resulted in a crash on a highway…
On July 7, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a preliminary evaluation based on five complaints (VOQs) alleging incidents ofinterference between dislodged exhaust manifold heat shields and the lower steering shaft/knuckle, including one alleging the interference resulted in a crash on a highway entrance ramp. Since opening this investigation, ODI has received four additional owner complaints.One indicated that the shield was removed before binding could occur.The other three occurred at low speed and produced some momentary steering binding that was overcome by the driver when additional steering effort was applied.Once the shield was repaired or removed, the steering returned to normal.The single incident ODI identified as a possible crash (VOQ No. 10578715) related to this condition could not be verified and the description of the crash in the complaint was not supported by the police accident report.No additional crash allegations have been identified related to the alleged defect condition.Information provided by Ford in its September 10, 2014 response to ODI's information request letter identified 10 additional incidents resulting in a low rate of 1.6 incidents per 100,000 vehicles sold in vehicles ranging from 7 to 11 years in service.Six of these incidents were reported by a single source, a state police fleet that corrected the problems in March 2011 and has not reported any additional failures since.Ford also reported 5 warranty claims, but these incidents occurred at very low mileages and appeared to be caused by loose or missing heat shield attachment hardware rather than the corrosion condition that was the cause of the more recent incidents and the focus of this investigation.This investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted.The following VOQs are associated with this investigation:10643753, 10615584, 10611362, 10610451, 10578715, 10479681, 10471833, 10317493.
- Loss of headlight function
The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, field and technical data provided by ford and complainant interviews. Ford found that some lighting control modules (lcm) in the subject vehicles contained defective solder joints on the printed circuit board.this condition can lead to…
The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, field and technical data provided by ford and complainant interviews. Ford found that some lighting control modules (lcm) in the subject vehicles contained defective solder joints on the printed circuit board.this condition can lead to poor headlight performance ranging from intermittent outage and dimming to eventual headlights failure.the failure does not affect other lighting functions (park, emergency flasher, brake and flash to pass lights).the agency IS aware of a total of 306 consumers complaints and no report of crash, injury or fatality.ford reports 2,074 warranty claims related to headlight failure linked to the lcm during the first three years of operation.about 12% (247) of these claims are specific to headlight failure while driving.the average warranty rate for headlight failing while driving IS low (0.05%).ford reports a slightly higher warranty rate experienced for the crown victoria police interceptor vehicles and this IS attributed to the higher duty cycle of these vehicles (headlights on for longer periods).a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation IS closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10205037Inpected or repaired under 13R01 - Requests for recall service action under 13S08
- 10183773For 2005-2012 Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Grand Marquis and Town Car vehicles, Regional Program 13R01 applies to vehicles not registered in corrosion states and not included in Safety Recall 13S08, where operation in high corrosion areas for an extended period may lead to corrosion in the lower intermediate steering shaft swing link. This may result in a compressed upper intermediate steering shaft and separation from the steering column, which can result in a loss of steering control. Vehicles covered under 13R01 that were inspected or repaired without replacement of the lower intermediate shaft, and have relocated to high corrosion areas, may experience subsequent corrosion of the lower intermediate steering shaft swing link.
- 10156863Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
- 10155551Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
- 10109070The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer to historical DTCs and the PC/ED, Section 3 No DTCs Present Index chart for further information.
- 10074793Summary to be provided on a future date.
- 10056190Ford: see document search button for owner letter. Information regarding the lighting control module extended warranty coverage, for some vehicles, to 15 years or 250,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Model 2003-2005 victoria, grand marquis.
- 10055936Ford: the lighting control module has extended warranty coverage, on certain vehicles, due to a possible crack on solder joint that connects relay to circuit board. Model 2003-2005 crown victoria, grand marquis.
- 10054924Ford: the lower intermediate steering shaft, has corrosion of swing link joints, combined with collapsed upper intermediate steering shaft, resulting in steering column separation and loss of steering control. Model 2005-2011 crown victoria, grand marquis, town car. Updated 04/23/14 updated 07/10/15 updated 7/15/15
- 10045340Ford/lincoln/mercury: if battery was disconnected or dead, vehicles/trucks may experience hard starts and engine idle rpm fluctuation and exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0505, p0506, p2111 and p2112.
- 10029205Ford/mercury/lincoln: vehicles may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: drive away hesitation, loss of rpm on deceleration, difficulty starting, and/or idle rpm less than desired. The F53 motorhome chassis IS included.
- 10023943Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, or 6.8L 2V engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. This includes F-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10.
- 10020077Catalytic converter brick rattle or buzzing noise.
- 10018955Light steering efforts at highway speeds.
- 10018949Auto release parking brake system difficult to set.
- 10018943Parking brake control slow to release, vehicles built from 12/06/2004 through 11/21/2005.
- 10018745Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running.
- 10016803High effort to activate horn - vehicles built before 5/6/2005. Oasis.
- 10014697High effort to activate horn.
- 10014276Numerous anti-lock brake (ABS) wheel speed sensor (wss) diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) c1145, c1155, c1175, c1296, c1297, c1298, c1299 and c1222.
- 10014148Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0455 or p0457.
- 10014138Safety belt retraction speed.
- 10014100Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers.
- 10014086General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10014062Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair.
- 10013420Pinpoint test error for front wheel speed sensors - workshop annual update.
- 10013369General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
- 10013321Am/fm and cellular phone reception interference - service tip.
- 10012947Maf diagnostic service tip - vehicles equipped with egr system module (esm).
- 10012940Idle vibration vehicles equipped with single exhaust.
- 10012937Delayed reverse engagement.
- 10011162Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
Every Mercury Grand Marquis model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.