Most common 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis problems
Share of the 488 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 →
2005 Mercury Grand Marquis recalls (4)
Exterior lighting › Headlights
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.
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.
Steering › Rack and pinion › Pinion shaft
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…
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.
Steering
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,…
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…
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
On certain passenger vehicles, the battery cable includes a fusible link that May contact and subsequently chafe on a #2 cross member attaching bolt.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis:
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) related to the alleged defect, with owners describing a loss of both low and/or high beam headlights…
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 entrance ramp.
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 poor headlight performance ranging from intermittent outage and dimming to eventual headlights…
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 Marquis vehicles.ODI analyzed Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaints received from consumers…
What 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis owners say
Lights all 293 →
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that several years ago while driving at night at an undisclosed speed, the headlights became inoperable. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the headlights resumed normal operation. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer and had the headlights serviced under a Customer Satisfaction Program. Recently, the contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the headlights became inoperable without warning. The contact was forced to use the hazard lights after multiple attempts to restart the headlights had failed. The contact coasted the vehicle to the nearest gas station and upon arrival the headlights began to operate. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where he was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. …
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.
Electrical system all 75 →
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.
I was traveling on northfield road in bedford heights ohio and turned right on to the drive way that leads to walmart. The steering wheel snapped completely loose spinning around. I lost control of the steering and the car crashed into a curb before I could apply the brakes. This occurred approximately an hour after I picked up my car from liberty Ford dealership for repairs done in response to recall number 13s08 - steering column shaft and customer satisfaction program number - 14n01. (lighting control module).
Air bags all 67 →
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.
Passenger seat belt pre-tensioner has malfunctioned. Air bag check light flashing code 34. My mechanic informs me the entire SRS will not function in a crash. He was informed by Ford that a replacement part is no longer available. The vehicle mileage is around 43,000. No rust and no collision damage. With the numerous complaints about this same problem why hasn't a safety recall be issued? Why hasn't Ford been required to stock replacement parts for a longer time?
2005 Mercury Grand Marquis engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis a good car?
Based on 488 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Grand Marquis rates avoid: 2.6× 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 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis?
The lights — 293 complaints, 60% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the electrical system (75) and air bags (67).
How many recalls does the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis, the most recent from December 22, 2015 (headlights). 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 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 73,000 miles; 29% 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.