2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

STEERING SHAFT CORRODED CAUSING STEERING TO BIND UP WHEN TURNING. LATER MODEL OF SAME VEHICLE RECALLED FOR IDENTICAL SAFETY FLAW. RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE 2003 AND ALL OTHER YEARS AFFECTED BY THIS SAFETY DEFECT. *TR

LIGHTING MODULE FAILURE. PARTS HAVE BEEN ORDERED ON 8/27/14, BY PACIFIC MARPLE FORD ,BROOMALL, PA.610-353-5500. DEALER STATED ON 8/27/14 THAT THEY SHOULD RECEIVE THE PART IN APPROXIMATELY IN A MONTH. I VISITED DEALER ON 10/3/20-14 AND THEY TOLD ME FORD HAS NOTIFIED THEM IT MAY BE 2015 NO LIGHTING MODULE I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMANY RELATIONSHIP CENTER ON 9/3/14, 9/15,9/18, 9/23, 10/3,10/25 AND 10/30 2014 MS JODI OF THE CENTER CALLED ME ON 9/18/14 HER PHONE # 866-631-3788 EXT. 77744. SHE STATED SHE WILL CALL ME ON 9/30 WITH AN UPDATE. HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HER SINCE. LEFT MESSAGES FOR HER ON 10/3, 10/25 AND 10/30 2014. I CANNOT DRIVE AT NIGHT. MY AUTO INSPECTION IS NOVEMBER 2014 . NO HEADLIGHTS, CANNOT PASS INSPECTION THIS IS FORD'S RESPONSIBILTY, NOT THE DEALER. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU *TR

TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON I-95 IN EARLY MORNING ALL LIGHTS WENT OUT FOR A FEW SECONDS, LEAVING US IN TOTAL DARKNESS. LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AND EVERYTHING RESUMED AS NORMAL FOR REMAINDER OF OUR TRIP HOME. A COUPLE OF MONTH LATER SAME THING HAPPENED DURING A SHORT EVENING DRIVE NEAR HOME. NO LIGHTS. RESEARCHED THIS FRIGHTENING OCCURRENCE AND FOUND THAT OUR YEAR MAKE MODEL HAS THIS PROBLEM DUE TO BAD LIGHTING MODULE SOLDER JOB. CONTACTED FOR FORD, NO HELP. EVENTUALLY GOT A LETTER FROM FORD STATING THEY WOULD EXTEND WARRANTY ON THIS PART, BUT WOULD ONLY REPLACE MODULE IF IT WAS FAILING AT TIME DEALER LOOKED AT IT, AFTER CHARGING $49 DOLLARS TO TEST FOR CODES. IT HAS NOT FAILED AT A DEALER LOCATION. I AVOID DRIVING AT NIGHT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. *TR

HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING IN COMPLETE DARKNESS. FINALLY FIGURED OUT I HAD TO PULL THE "SAFE TO PASS" IN ORDER TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO STAY ON. DROVE TO WORK WHILE PULLING THE "SAFE TO PASS" STICK ON MY STEERING WHEEL. ABSOLUTELY UNSAFE. *TR

AFTER LEAVING HOME IN THE DARK WITH NO PROBLEMS, I STOPPED AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT AND WENT INSIDE. WHEN I CAME OUT AND STARTED ONTO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED HOW DARK IT WAS IN FRONT OF ME. EVEN THOUGH THE LIGHT SWITCH WAS ON, I HAD NO HEADLIGHTS. I CONTINUED TOWARD THE NEXT EXIT, ONLY TO BE STOPPED BY A HIGHWAY PATROLMAN WHO NOTICED I HAD NO LIGHTS. WHILE STOPPED AND TALKING WITH HIM ABOUT THE PROBLEM, THE LIGHTS COME ON AGAIN. I'M NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR IF THERE'S A CHANCE THAT I'LL NEED THE HEADLIGHTS. FORTUNATELY, THE PATROLMAN WAS SYMPATHETIC AND ISSUED NO TICKET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED APPROXIMATELY TO 4000. THE CONTACT STATED EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS AGGRESSIVELY DEPRESSED UNTIL THE BRAKES RESPONDED AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASED TO 4,000 RPM'S/ WITH THE BRAKE FULLY DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED WITH A SERIES OF LUNGES AT A HIGH SPEED. ONLY BY RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SLAMMING ON THE BRAKE, DID THE VEHICLE STOP ABOUT THREE QUARTERS ACROSS THE INTERSECTION WITH THE ENGINE AT A NORMAL IDLE SPEED. NO WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE HAD A HISTORY OF ALMOST STALLING WHILE COMING TO A STOP. THE DEALER DID NOT FIND ANY CODES. UPDATED 12/04/14

THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER AND A LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE LOWER STEERING ARM AS THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS A RECALL BUT NOT FOR 2003 MODELS? *TR /

2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL ON LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE. *TGW

DRIVING AROUND A BEND ON A DARK COUNTY HIGHWAY IN SOUTHERN NJ, NO STREET LIGHTS. MY HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AND WONT COME BACK ON. SINCE MY STEERING IS STIFF, I ALMOST WRAPPED MYSELF AROUND A TREE. THANK GOD, I HAVE GOOD BRAKES AND DRIVING ON BRAND NEW TIRES ON A DRY ROAD OR I WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. MY MECHANIC HAS ALWAYS CLAIMED THAT THE STIFF STEERING IS A COMMON PROBLEM & A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, BUT COST PROHIBITIVE FOR ME TO FIX. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TODAY, HE SAID IT WAS DEFINITELY THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE ($600 PART). HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE CHRONIC PROBLEM THAT IS HAPPENING AS OF LATE WITH THE LCM'S IN 2003 MARQUIS. I THINK YOU GUYS CLOSED THE CASE TOO EARLY ON THE LCM'S, THE COMPLAINTS BOARDS ALL OVER THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ARE INCREASING IN FREQUENCY. COMBINED WITH EXTREMELY STIFF STEERING, HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT RANDOMLY IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. *TR

HEAD LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON WHEN WE TRIED TO RETURN TO OUR HOTEL IN YANKTON SD. HEAD LIGHTS ARE INTERMITTENT GOING TO WORK DURING MORNING DRIVE IN LINCOLN NE. MORNING SUN IS BRIGHT ENOUGH SO NOT A SAFETY HAZARD. WE CAN NOT TRUST VEHICLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. WENT TO BEATRICE FORD, BEATRICE NE TO GET FIXED BUT WERE TOLD LCM MODULE IS ON BACK ORDER. 8-22-2014. *TR