Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3 | 12% | 56,000 miles |
| 2009 | 4 | 15% | 33,000 miles |
| 2008 | 15 | 19% | 27,000 miles |
| 2007 | 13 | 14% | 39,000 miles |
| 2006 | 37 | 26% | 38,000 miles |
| 2005 | 39 | 8% | 18,000 miles |
| 2004 | 23 | 7% | 50,000 miles |
| 2003 | 27 | 7% | 25,000 miles |
| 2002 | 17 | 22% | 50,000 miles |
| 2001 | 27 | 17% | 50,000 miles |
| 2000 | 13 | 8% | 99,000 miles |
| 1999 | 12 | 7% | 108,000 miles |
| 1998 | 9 | 6% | 60,000 miles |
| 1997 | 24 | 8% | 114,000 miles |
| 1996 | 19 | 8% | 114,000 miles |
| 1995 | 23 | 13% | 136,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Yesterday, Tuesday 23, 2014, I backed out of a parking spot on the parking deck about 15 feet and put the car in drive. It lurched forward at a tremendous high speed and although I hit the brakes, the auto slammed into the retaining wall at the parking spot I had just backed out of. I was wearing my seat belt and the air bag deployed. I received minor bruising on my arms, legs and ribs due to the air bag deployment. This auto has side air bag as well, but only the drive air bag deployed. I was checked out by a medic, who was staying at the resort and heard the crash. There were no witnesses. Ems arrived and checked me over. A police report was filed. ..updated 06/26/14
I was pulling into a parking space and had almost come to a stop when the vehicle suddenly lurched forward & hit a (vacant) store front. I feel the vehicle accel- erated on it's own as I was applying the brake at the time, my foot did not slip off of the brake. The vehicle is equipped with "drive by wire" or, no cable is attached to the throttle body from the accelerator. The dealer repaired the front end of the vehicle and extensively examined the throttle system. No apparent cause was determined and they told us it May never happen again. We have traded the vehicle in since repairs were completed due to lack of confidence in it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis. He applied pressure to the brake pedal when attempting to park the vehicle, but it lurched forward. The vehicle crashed through the garage walls into the adjacent room. There was no personal injury. There were damages to the walls and furniture which occupied the adjacent room. The front end of the vehicle sustained moderate damages. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was repaired for the body damages. The technician was unable to determine the cause of failure. The failure and current mileages were 10,000. Updated 11/23/09 updated 11/24/09
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond when the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by switching to the park position. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, but the contact was unaware of the diagnosis. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,000.
Update on odi number 10208094. On the day the Mercury that I own was returned to the dealer to solve the safety problem, an accident occurred within 10 miles of my home. The vehicle was a late model Lincoln town car. One person was pronounced dead at the hospital and the driver died a few days later. The following is a quote from the next day brevard county florida local newspaper (florida today). ?the traffic circle at the intersection of wickham road and lake andrew drive was beginning to hum with the rush of Friday evening traffic when a light blue sedan hit the curb and crashed through some bushes into a retention pond.? ?some said the car made a noise like a roaring freight train as it plunged into the water. A few said it shot off like a rocket.? End of quote. It is time some one pays attention to the seriousness this safety problem. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal and driving approximately 5 MPH, the RPM reading increased as the vehicle jerked forward. The contact stated all the warning lights on the instrument panel illuminated. The failure recurred various times causing a crash. The contact was driving approximately 60 MPH when the vehicle accelerated, causing the contact to crash into a guard rail and a concrete wall. The police reported to the scene and a report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis where the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 17,869.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis. While pulling up to a traffic light, the vehicle accelerated forcefully. The brake pedal was depressed multiple times, but the vehicle accelerated and tapped the preceding vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The engine was turned off, restarted, and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The failure recurred on a separate occasion. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the engine revved and then accelerated forcefully. The brake pedal was depressed multiple times and the vehicle accelerated over the parking space block. The engine was turned off. After restarting, the vehicle resumed as normal. The failure recurred on a separate occasion. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,766. Updated 11/09/15
Related recalls (2)
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Grand Marquis years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (39), 2006 (37), 2001 (27), 2003 (27) and 1997 (24) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Mercury Grand Marquis acceleration problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 08V-051 (cruise control, Feb 4, 2008); 07V-336 (vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercury Grand Marquis acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 47,000 miles; 53% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (26 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (26).
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.