Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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?
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# [redacted] on another issue, thank you so much, deeply appreciated, [redacted]
Hello, I own a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis and have been experiencing an apparent problem with the air bag / seatbelt system. There is a light that is on that says airbag. I had it checked out by my local mechanic who said it was likely a seatbelt tensioner per the code in the computer. After doing some research online, I discovered that there were pages of people with similar problems. A working replacement could not be installed as these parts are numbered to the car and have to be repaired and reprogrammed. Dealers have quoted over $500+ for the repair, per my research. Given the amount of people just on the forums, for many years and mileages of this car, just for this problem. There is an apparent problem with Ford's s q.c. From the start. …
I started my vehicle, the air bag light on the dash flashes three times, then another three times, than stays on solid. I took my car to the local Ford dealership and they diagnosed that both driver and passenger seat belt pre-tensioners are shorted out and need to be replaced at a cost of $1608. They told me my air bags will not deploy due to this malfunction. I called Ford motor co and they said there are no plans to issue a recall over this problem. They did give me a claim number and told me that if I get it repaired at a Ford dealership, and there ever is a recall, they will consider reimbursement. A quick search on the internet indicates that this is a fairly common problem with the 2005 Grand Marquis. Given that the air bags will not deploy in an accident, how is this not subject to a safety recall?
This started out with lights and windshield wipers cutting off and on with no apparent wearing. Also burning smell. Took it in got that fixed. I was informed this had occurred in others same exact thing. Right after that next thing was dash lights for ABS, airbag, and anti skid stay on. I took it to 2 places. Was told it was a module unit by one place the other couldn't find a reason. I have not had it fixed since I couldn't get a clear reason for it, also the car runs fine. The lights must mean something. I'm going to sell it but need to get as much a possible for it and this will take away from the buying price. Need to fix but was told the module unit repair seems strange. Please help any advice would be helpful. Thank you
Dt: the contact stated while going through an intersection another vehicle ran a stop sign and struck the contact's vehicle on the side. Upon impact, the contact's vehicle was knocked into another lane and was hit head on by a third vehicle. This second impact caused the other vehicle to tail spin and was hit in the rear by the first vehicle. The side air bags didn't deploy, but the frontal air bags did. The contact was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. There was extensive damage to the side of the vehicle, the outer column was pushed into the seat, and the dashboard came apart. The contact and passenger sustained injuries. The vehicle was totaled by the insurance company. Updated 01/25/06.
Car failed safety inspection due air bag warning light on. Diagnosis indicated that the driver's seat belt pretensioner had failed, and air bag would not inflate in a crash. The pretensioner had to be replaced. This seemed like a premature failure, as the car has only 47924 miles. The service desk person at the dealer said that this was very common in Mercury Grand Marquis. I did some checking on the internet and found that he was correct, according to all of the reports exactly like mine. In virginia a car fails for this light being on. I'm not sure about other states. In view of the frequency of this problem, I feel there should be a recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. When the vehicle was started, the air bag warning indicator illuminated and remained lit, which was a safety concern. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V861000 (exterior lighting). The contact called seth wadley Ford Lincoln at [phone] (located at 333 n. Butler road, pauls valley, OK 73075) and was informed to schedule a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the seat belt pretensioners on the front driver and passenger sides malfunctioned and the seat belt assembly would need to be replaced. Griffith Ford seguin (I-10 frontage rd, seguin, tx) stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle and any repair would be at the contact's expense. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
Airbag complaints in other Grand Marquis years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis?
NHTSA has 67 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis, 14% of the model year's 488 complaints. The component named most often is side/window (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to air bags 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.