Most common 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis problems
Share of the 239 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercury Grand Marquis complaints by model year
Best Grand Marquis years: 2011, 2010, 2009. Years to avoid: 2005, 1997, 1996, 2003. Compare all years →
1996 Mercury Grand Marquis recalls (5)
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…
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles using aftermarket driver's seat belt assemblies that were sold by Ford parts departments from January 1, through June 13, 2000. These seat belt assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the service seat belt assemblies that were installed in these vehicles from January 1 through June 13, 2000.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles using aftermarket front passenger side seat belt assemblies that were sold by Ford parts departments from January 1, through June 13, 2000. These seat belt assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the service seat belt assemblies that were installed in these vehicles from January 1 through June 13, 2000.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
When in the secondary latched position, the driver door latches May open when subjected to transverse loads less than that specified in FMVSS no. 206, "door locks and door retention components."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver door latch.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis:
Post rear end collision fires
There is no summary currently available
Rear brake line failure
Odi has received 40 complaints alleging rear brake line failure in the subject vehicles, including 8 that have been received this year.an additional 192 reports and 478 warranty claims have been received from Ford.a leak in the rear brake line can cause extended stopping distance.a search of odi's complaint database for peer vehicle complaints, using the same brake line failure criteria as for the subject vehicles…
Ball joint separation
See attached report.
Rear brake line failure
In a letter dated February 25, 2005, Ford motor company (Ford) notified odi that it would be conducting a customer satisfaction program (Ford no. 04b26) to correct a rear brake line chafing concern in approximately 44,000 model year (my) 1997 Ford crown victoria and grand marquis non-fleet vehicles equipped with electronic traction control that werebuilt after March 19, 1997.these vehicles have an additional rear…
Speed control deactivation switch fires
Based on the low rate of fire incidents (2.5 incidents per 100,000 vehicles sold) where failure of the scds is involved and the age of the vehicles ? 7 to 11 years ? A safety-related defect trend has not been identified and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves…
Improper height for head restraints
NHTSA was petitioned to commence a defect investigation of the subject vehicles on July 28, 1998.the petition alleges that the driver's seat head restraint was not high enough at its highest position to protect him from neck injuries sustained during a rear impact collision.other than the subject petitin, odi has received no other complaints of inadequate head restraint height for the subject vehicles.Ford motor…
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…
What 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis owners say
Engine & cooling all 86 →
Tl contact owns a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact started the vehicle and noticed smoke rising from the engine compartment. He then noticed that all of the coolant had leaked out of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic and they stated that the upper and lower intake gaskets needed to be replaced. The contact later found a recall that applied to the failures he was experiencing. The dealer stated that his VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was repaired and the contact wants to be reimbursed. The NHTSA recall number was unknown. The failure mileage was 39,336 and current mileage was 40,000.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle began making a knocking noise and the contact noticed smoke rising from underneath the hood. She pulled the vehicle over and had it towed to the repair shop. The mechanic stated that the plastic intake valve melted. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 89,021. The dealer stated 1 set of disc pads, 2 new rotors, and clutch fan. Updated 09/25/07
Brakes all 23 →
Tl contact owns a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle began making a knocking noise and the contact noticed smoke rising from underneath the hood. She pulled the vehicle over and had it towed to the repair shop. The mechanic stated that the plastic intake valve melted. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 89,021. The dealer stated 1 set of disc pads, 2 new rotors, and clutch fan. Updated 09/25/07
I purchased a pre-owned,low mileage 1996 Grand Marquis Mercury ls[redacted] from a local car dealer in January 2000. The car was in immaculate condition with only 57800 miles on the odometer. November,2003,while driving the car,I lost all braking.my local repair shop fixed the problem[brake line failure].while at my state inspection in March,04,the brake line "blew" out again while the technician was testing the brakes. I feel this is a very serious safety factor. I value my life and I feel there should be a re-call on this problem. So far,repair bills total over $500. This is a great automobile except for the brake problem I am experiencing. Updated 07/26/2012
Fuel & propulsion system all 21 →
The affeced engine is the 4.6l engine with the defective plastic intake manifold part number f8az-9424-bc* installed in 1996 and up all crown vics,Grand Marquis and town cars. This is a very serious safety issue. Consider a family of 6 traveling an interstate, at highway speeds, when the defective intake manifold gives out and a rapid loss of coolant occurs. The driver panics and tries to get to the right shoulder, only to be hit by an 18-wheeler. Or the driver gets to the right shoulder and a highway patrolman stops to render assistance and eventually, a tow truck shows up to tow the vehicle. All these people are in harms way, because the defective intake manifold was not put on the recall list. …
My primary complaint is the stress crack on the intake manifold. This is a known problem by Ford, and has been the subject of a recall program for their fleet vehicles only. The coverage is for 7 years from the vehicles warranty start date, with no mileage limitation. It covers the intake manifold for 4.6 l sohc engines on 1996-2001 crown victoria police vehicles, certain 1998 through 2001 crown victoria taxis and certain 1998-2001 Lincoln town cars, all using the same intake manifold as that on my Grand Marquis (same part number, same part!). The recall program is 01m02. The stress crack caused complete coolant loss and overheating of the engine at highway speeds and the release of coolant onto the windshields of following vehicles. In addition, the reel-type electric window system in the car fails in more than normal fequency. I have had three failres in the past two years.
1996 Mercury Grand Marquis engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis a good car?
Based on 239 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1996 Grand Marquis rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Grand Marquis at the same age. It is one of the Grand Marquis years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis?
The engine & cooling — 86 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe. Next are the brakes (23) and fuel & propulsion system (21).
How many recalls does the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis, the most recent from February 4, 2008 (cruise control). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercury Grand Marquis?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2010 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005, 1997, 1996 and 2003. See the full Mercury Grand Marquis years comparison.
At what mileage do 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 84,000 miles; 13% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.