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 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving my car, thought I smelled something burning. A couple of minutes later I had to slow down and turn right. The brake pedal was soft and I had to go all the way to floor to get the car to slow down. I stopped at my destination a couple of minutes later, popped the hood and there was a fire under the hood. It only lasted a couple of minutes, but burned up an electrical connector. The next day I had it repaired across the street at an auto electrical and marine shop. They said it was at the switch or valve that turned off the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed. My car is a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. While pulling into the driveway between 1-5 MPH, the engine revved and accelerated when the contact depressed the brake pedal. The vehicle crashed through the garage wall. The contacts wife was pinned to another vehicle already in the garage. Her right arm, both knees, and both hips were injured. She had a cut above her left eye, which was closed completely. A police report was filed. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 190,000. Updated 04/16/08 mckinney incident report. Updated 04/16/08
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact received a recall notice in September for the vehicle speed control control. When the dealer disconnected the deactivation switch, they also disconnected the horn. The dealer stated that the fee to reconnect the horn was $45.00; however, the dealer didn't require the contact to pay the fee. Ford is unable to give them a date when the parts for the vehicle speed control will be available. The failure mileage was 90,000, and the current mileage was 100,000. Updated 02-25-08
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mercury Marquis. The contact stated that when he depressed and held down the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled. If he pressed gently on it and released it, the vehicle would begin to accelerate. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The contact believed that the failure could be within the cruise control mechanism or the electrical system. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 98,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. The dealer disconnected the cruise control switch in early September of 2007 under recall number 05s28. The dealer stated that the vehicle was in danger of catching fire because the brake fluid was leaking into the cruise control switch. The brake fluid is currently leaking onto the ground. The current mileage was 128,000 and failure mileage was 124,479.
After changing gear from reverse to drive vehicle suddenly accelerated out of control, hit a curb, and was heading toward a building. Driver was able to maneuver vehicle out of its path, causing vehicle to shut off. Vehicle was towed to dealer . Dealer informed consumer that nothing could be found.
Braking lights began to malfunction, then the cruise control did so too. There were no consequenes due to this malfunctions, untill the car caught on fire. The front driver side tire begain to catch on fire and so did only the front left side of the car.
Extended delay in providing repairs required in recall notification. - in August of 2007 I received a recall notification 05s28 to replace a fused harness in the speed control deactivation switch circuit on my 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. When I called the dealer to schedule the repair, I was told that parts wouldn't be available until January due to a lack of parts. When I called in mid-January I was told that parts will not be available until sometime possible in April. I believe that Ford motor company after having notified everyone to come in and have their cruise control disconnected, believe that they no are subject to any liability and for economic reasons have delayed making the parts and proceeding with this repair. Ford motor company should incur a significant financial penalty to encourage them to take this recall notification seriously.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact received a Ford recall notice for the vehicle speed control: cruise control in August of 2007. He immediately scheduled an appointment to have the vehicle repaired. The dealer stated that the parts would be unavailable until December of 2007; however, they disconnected the wiring harness. When December arrived, the dealer stated that the parts would be unavailable until March of 2008. When March arrived, the dealer stated that the parts would be unavailable until June of 2008. The contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. There had been no failure to date. The recall number was unknown. The current mileage was 98,000. Updated 04/14/08. The consumer stated vehicle was repaired by dealer within 1 week of the complaint. Updated 04/11/08
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact received a Ford safety recall notice for the vehicle speed control in August of 2007. The speed control switch was disconnected at that time. He spoke with the dealer twice, but the part was still unavailable. Complaint number 1400372637 was filed with the manufacturer. There had been no failure to date. The purchase date, powertrain, and recall number were unknown. The current mileage was 46,000. Updated 3/11/08 the consumer stated the dealer informed her the part would be available, however the vehicle is not fixed as of yet. The consumer stated the part still is not available. Updated 03-11-08
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 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis, 8% of the model year's 316 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 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 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 114,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 3 injuries 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.