Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering felt loose. The contact stated that the power steering was still operable however, the vehicle would drift to the left or right with no input on the steering wheel. The contact stated that he would correct the steering and the vehicle would continue to drift to the right and to the left. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed and the mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V385000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V385000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the lower intermediate shaft was replaced. The contact stated that it was determined that the upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing did not need to be replaced at the time. Several years after the recall repair was completed, the steering column began lowering unintendedly, and a zip tie was used to keep it in place. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
total collapse of upper immediate steering shaft resulting on total separation/failure and complete loss of steering. this literally separated/fell apart in my hand when i was cleaning the front seat carpeting. i had just finished driving back from a 100 mile trip. if this would have happened on the freeway, i would have lost all steering of the vehicle resulting in catastrophic injury or death TO myself or others. i called ford and told them what happened. i found out there was a recall on this item. i found out this car was service for this before. even though this car went in for the recall, this item (upper steering shaft) has totally failed again. i have seen that this is COMMON for this steering to fail even after the initial recall "repair". this could have easily resulted in death and ford is willing to do nothing about it. …
Left home the other day I noticed that the steering had become was stiff when the wheels were straight..it wasn't bad turning till it was going straight..the next day the steering became stiff and erratic. It would work sometimes and it would be stiff...found out the lower steering shaft had frozen up..There was a recall back in 2013 doe the lower shaft with is breaking..My car was a Florida car but Ford supposed have fixed it because I was moving back to NY..Have been back in NY for 3 1/2 years now it froze up..The recall for cars in the northern states..Seeing I was moving back to NY they claimed they did the recall..it shouldn't have corroded that fast..I have no way to prove they did the recall or if they faked it..It is cleared as it had been repaired..
My vehicle is from a northern state and came down to [redacted] and my intermediate shaft collapsed after looking up through ford if my recall had ever been done it shows that it had been done but the part that says it was replaced looked like it was never replaced and I had to fix that problem myself and then noticed that my steering wheel was not working properly so I looked under the dash and there was a green retainer that came out of the steering column and now my vehicle has no steering do to this and I believe ford should make this a recall cause a lot of people have had the same problems and I found that out looking it up
I have had trouble with my power steering on my 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. When its cold outside or when I need to make a really quick turn of the wheel it turns very hard and has caused me to almost have and accident. The car has speed sensitive power steering on it . I have owned several Ford cars and trucks but this is the first steering problem I have had. I really wish I had never bought a car with this type of power steering system on it. I think that this a problem on Ford cars with this type of steering system on them I have talked with several other Ford car owners with the same problem and none of them have been given a real answer as to what can be done.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and attempting a left turn, a loud abnormal noise was heard from the vehicle as the power steering assist failed. The contact lost steering control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch, causing the air bags to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the left hip and right leg. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the vehicle was destroyed and could not be repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.
The gear shift id on the dash board has quit working, and we can only identify the gear that we have engaged by feel. Also, we have a recurring problem with the left rear turn signal flash going bad. When this happens, the turn signal flashes at a super fast rate. Both of these problems are safety issues. The gear shift problem happened while the car was stationary, the turn signal problem happened while making a left turn.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the upper intermediate steering shaft failed. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the mechanic discovered that the subframe was rusted and corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. While driving 20 MPH on a residential road, the contact heard an abnormal clicking noise coming from the steering wheel. While attempting to make a right turn, the steering wheel detached without warning. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Related recalls
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…
Steering complaints in other Grand Marquis years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the steering of the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, 29% of the model year's 80 complaints. The component named most often is steering wheel/handle bar (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-704 (pinion shaft, Nov 5, 2014); NHTSA recall 13V-385 (steering, Aug 29, 2013). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering 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.