Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 3 | 33% | 105,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 12% | 28,000 miles |
| 2009 | 4 | 15% | 47,000 miles |
| 2008 | 9 | 11% | 58,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2006 | 8 | 6% | 66,000 miles |
| 2005 | 75 | 15% | 74,000 miles |
| 2004 | 40 | 11% | 89,000 miles |
| 2003 | 51 | 14% | 95,000 miles |
| 2002 | 10 | 13% | 50,000 miles |
| 2001 | 13 | 8% | 95,000 miles |
| 2000 | 17 | 10% | 75,000 miles |
| 1999 | 15 | 9% | 130,000 miles |
| 1998 | 15 | 10% | 96,000 miles |
| 1997 | 12 | 4% | 179,000 miles |
| 1996 | 16 | 7% | 106,000 miles |
| 1995 | 20 | 11% | 90,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was driving on the highway I smelled a weird smell coming from the passenger side when I turned to look towards the direction of the passenger side front door it was smoking so I immediately pulled over to the side of highway as I was doing so the passenger front door caught fire. I finished pulling over turned the car off got out and pulled my fire extinguisher out trunk went to the back passenger side door in order to put the flames out in the front passenger side door. Truly upset and scared me. Can't understand why it happened. I did take the door panel off what's I figured it safe to and try to find where and how the fire started and as well to make sure the fire was completely extinguished. All I could see was some exposed wires that were partially covered in blue tape. I was very leary to drive on home but did so cautiously with windows down. …
My 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis ultimate edition, was very great however it caught on fire due to the malfunction of the windshield wipers...they would come on automatically while I was driving, my windshield wiper switch would be on the off position... And the wipers only worked on a high speed seeing none of the other speeds worked...prime example I would warm up the car for 10 min...because its cold outside then I would drive, all of a sudden minutes later, my windshield wiper turn on by itself in a high speed position , I turned the wipers on so I can see if turning off would help it doesn't so clearly it has a mind of its own...as if a ghost was in it...I googled the problem..cleary there are other models of the same and different year numbers that have the same problem...they say its either the wipers motor a relay or the whole left, right indicated switch which the windshield …
Splicing on almost all electrical systems had come apart. Affected were the radio, clock, windows, power seats, lights, door locks, trunk release inside car, low tire monitor warning light stayed on constantly, seat belt warning light stayed on, warning bell for key in ignition stayed on except when car was moving, dome light would not go off whenever you got out of car. Some of these problems were constant and some were intermittent. As a result of the locking problem, our vehicle was stolen, but thankfully found with no damage. With no help from our local Ford dealer, I finally called the Ford motor co. Complaint dept. And was told to get a diagnostic test run on it, which I did at another dealers, and that is when they found the wiring splicing problem. As a result of the electrical problems, it has blown the motors which control both the power seats. …
Tl contact owns a 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that the air conditioning system failed. The air conditioning would erroneously blow through the defrost system. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic for inspection where the failure was located at the temperature control unit. The contact also stated that the temperature control unit was replaced twice prior to the recent failure. The manufacturer advised that they were aware of the failure and that the temperature control unit was on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 9,000 and the current mileage was 78,000.
On October 21, 2016, while I was driving on I-30 in dallas county, a fire occurred in the daimay-supplied driver-side visor lamp assembly of my 2009 Ford Mercury Grand Marquis. The Ford fuse system failed, allowing the fire to burn, melting portions of the visor and roof material. The melted material fell on my left leg and the driver seat and floor of the vehicle, causing 2nd and 3rd degree burns to my leg. Chrysler notified NHTSA of a similar defect in the daimay assembly on July 1, 2014, which resulted in the first of two Chrysler recalls on July 10, 2014. Ford, however, chose to not recall its vehicles with the daimay visor assembly system, despite receiving notice of similar complaints, claims and incidents before the subject incident. …
I had checked the tire pressures prior to a road trip and found them at 38 psi. I reset the pressures to the spec of 33 psi. Shortly the tire monitor came on and signaled a low tire pressure. I rechecked and they were OK. During my trip the light would keep coming on and I tried to reset the system to no avail. On my return, the power door locks kept malfunctioning. The door key pad would work sometime for both the doors and trunk. The next time they might not. The door switches on both passengers and drivers side would work sometimes. With both the tire pressure system and the door locks acting up and creating a nuisance, I took the car to the Ford dealership, two river Ford in mount juliet, tn.. The found a shorted wire in the harness going to the drivers side module that coordinates most of the safety systems on the car. There was no fire in my case, however, there could have been. …
First tried the hazard warning lights while parked on the side of a highway and they did not work. When I drove off I put the headlights on and turned on the windshield wipers. When I got home I turned off the wipers and the headlights but the headlights stayed on. I disconnected the battery cable and 2 days later I drove to the Ford dealership. While driving I noticed that my turn signals were not working. When I got to the dealership I pointed out these problems to the service manager. I left the car and they diagnosed a bad light control module. My car is 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis ls with 57,628 miles. They charged me $740 to replace the module. I researched recalls and I saw a recall 15s39 with # 15V861000 for this exact problem but it only applied to these same cars thru cy 2005. My car is a 2008. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds at night, the headlights intermittently failed to operate without warning. The contact also stated that the instrument panel went blank while experiencing the failure. The contact stated that the headlights resumed normal operation a few minutes after failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to a local dealer to have the vehicle inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Related recalls (2)
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.
Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers
These vehicles were built with the non-cycling power window circuit breaker and the cycling headlamp circuit breaker interchanged.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles, remove the circuit breaker and reinstall the breaker in the correct locations.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Grand Marquis years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (75), 2003 (51), 2004 (40), 1995 (20) and 2000 (17) model years. Electrical complaints make up 15% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Mercury Grand Marquis electrical problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 05V-518 (cables, Nov 9, 2005); 95V-189 (fuses and circuit breakers, Oct 2, 1995). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercury Grand Marquis electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles; 27% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the horn (15 mentions), followed by the ignition (12).
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.