Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked outside of the garage, there was a strong odor of smoke present. The contact went outside to determine the origin of the smoke and discovered the front of the vehicle engulfed in flames. The fire department was alerted and extinguished the fire. Afterwards, the fire department inspected the vehicle and determined the fire originated at the engine compartment. The vehicle sustained extensive fire damage. The manufacturer was alerted. The consumer stated that he received a recall letter pertaining to cruise control which was the cause of the fire. The consumer contacted the manufacturer informed them of the recall notice and in turn the manufacturer asked them to contact the insurance company which already compensated the consumer for the vehicle. The consumer provided photos and the recall notice for the vehicle. Updated 09/18/07
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis. While driving at speeds of 55 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood and drove onto the emergency lane. The contact confirmed that the fire began inside the dashboard area and spread to the components under the hood. The vehicle was destroyed. The police were called and a report was filed; however, the failure and current mileages were 90,000. Updated 6/1/10 updated 06/18/10.
Tl contact owns a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact received a recall notice for the vehicle speed control: cruise control. While leaving her house, the contact witnessed her vehicle on fire. The fire department stated that the fire originated in the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it currently remains. The powertrain and recall number were unknown. The failure and current mileages were 170,000.
1995 Grand Marquis caught fire while parked. Customer states there was no warnings on why the vehicle caught fire. Dealer told him that his vehicle was not included in any of the recall for this vehicle. The consumer stated he received a recall notice shortly after the incident pertaining to the cruise control switch. The consumer contacted Ford, however Ford stated there was nothing they could do.
While driving vehicle went into open throttle position impact 12:00 position speed unknown, replacement of the throttle float sensor screw linkage. Tt the sudden acceleration resulted in accident eventhough the consumer jammed the brakes to stop the vehicle.
My 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis odometer is over 144K. I've experienced intermittent failure of the headlight switch, especially when temperature is near or below freezing. When it's cold outside, and the vehicle has been sitting for a while and therefore cold when I turn on the headlights, I have to play with the switch for the headlights to stay on. It's now taking longer and longer for me to get the lights to stay lit. I've only experienced one failure while driving on the highway, after the vehicle had been driven for over 20 minutes. When I first purchased my vehicle, I replaced all 4 headlamp bulbs because they were too dim. The replacements didn't resolve the problem. From what I've read, the root cause of the problem is the plastic covering on the headlamps. The composition of the plastic breaks down with age and discolors, reducing the brightness of the headlights. …
Tl contact owns a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis. Several years ago, the vehicle speed control failed. In August of 2007, the contact received a recall notice for the vehicle speed control, but it did not mention to park the vehicle inside. The contact received a second notice for NHTSA campaign id number 08V051000 (vehicle speed control:cruise control), which advised him not to park the vehicle inside due to the possibility of a fire. The contact felt that the first letter should have stated this information. There had been no failure to date. The current mileage was 70,000.
Tl contact owns a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact received a Ford safety recall notice in September of 2007 for the vehicle speed control. The switch was disconnected at that time. He has been informed by Ford since that time and, every month thereafter, that the switch would be repaired the following month. There had been no failure to date. The purchase date and recall number were unknown. The current mileage was 96,000. Updated 3/4/08 the consumer provided the recall number 05s28. Updated 03/04/08
Tl contact owns a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact received a recall notice regarding the vehicle speed control. Several dealers have informed him that the parts for the repair are unavailable. He has experienced the following failures with his vehicle: the serpentine belt, brake rotors, front passenger side strut, and odometer. The mileage information and recall number were unknown.
Tl contact owns a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact received a safety recall notification for the vehicle speed control in September of 2004. The dealer stated that the part would be available the following month. As of January 16, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The current mileage was 124,000 and there had been no failure to date. Updated 02-14-08. Updated
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Ford is recalling 225,000 my 1992-2003 econoline, my 1993-1995 taurus sho, my 1992-1998 crown victoria, my 1993 bronco, f-series, my 1995-1997 f-series super duty stripped chassis, my 1992-1998 Mercury grand marquis, and my 1992-1995 Lincoln town car vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new wiring harness, or replace the mating electrical component. The recall began on February 18, 2008. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
NHTSA investigations
Fuel-fed fires
The fars data shows that the risk of fire from impact in all directions in the subject vehicles is the same as all other sedans.the subject vehicles are not over represented with respect to the risk of fire in real-world high-energy crashes.a further discussion of issues related to post crash fires in the subject vehicles is set out in the closing report for sq 01-014 and that report is in the docket for this…
Acceleration complaints in other Grand Marquis years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis, 13% of the model year's 179 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 08V-051 (cruise control, Feb 4, 2008); NHTSA recall 07V-336 (vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 136,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 4 fires and 4 injuries and 1 death to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.