2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM BY FORD, #14N01: THEY (FORD) TELL ME IN A LETTER THAT MY HEADLIGHTS MAY FAIL WITHOUT ANY NOTICE OF A PROBLEM. THEY (FORD) KNOW THIS IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, BUT THAT IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES ALREADY. THERE ARE BLOGS THAT SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE. IF IT IS THE FUNCTION OF YOUR DEPARTMENT TO PROTECT CONSUMERS THEN PLEASE DO SO. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A DEADLY SAFETY ISSUE..... IF THERE IS EVEN THE SLIGHTEST CHANCE THIS COULD HAPPEN I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS DEPARTMENT HAS NOT RECTIFIED IT AND MADE FORD RECALL THESE VEHICLES. *TR

VEHICLE HAS BECOME INCREASING DIFFICULT TO STEER AND REQUIRES MANUAL STRENGTH TO TURN THE WHEEL. AT THIS TIME WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING IS TOO HARD AND WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. DOING RESEARCH ON THIS VEHICLE I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT OTHER MARQUIS' HAVE EXPERIENCE AND FOR WHICH THERE IS A RECALL. THE CURRENT RECALL ONLY APPLIES TO THE YEARS OF 2005 TO 2011. CALLING THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT PRODUCE ANY HELP OR RESULTS, ONLY AN APOLOGY THAT MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED REPAIR ALL MARQUIS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM OR AT THE VERY LEAST PROVIDE HELP FOR THOSE WHO CALL THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT COMPLAINING OF THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL ATTEMPTED TO SEIZE WHILE THE CONTACT WAS COMPLETING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE WHERE THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT WAS BINDED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS BUT IT DID NOT INCLUDE 2003 MODELS. *TR

HEADLAMPS TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN DARK HIGHWAY AT NIGHT!!! ONLY ABLE TO MAKE HIGH BEAM LAMPS WORK BY PULLING TURN SIGNAL LEVER BACK AND HOLDING IN THAT POSITION. LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM DO NOT WORK, ONLY HIGH BEAM WHEN MANUALLY HELD ON. SHOULD BE RECALLED!!! VERY DANGEROUS!!! *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS HAVE STOPPED WORKING. THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE MOST RECENT ISSUE LEFT MY WIFE AND MOTHER IN LAW STRANDED ALONG THE ROADSIDE. THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE AFTER WORKING THE BLINKERS THE LIGHTS STARTED WORKING. THE NEXT TIME MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND THE LIGHTS JUST WENT OFF AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. IT SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND HAS STRANDED OTHERS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AT 3:15AM MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WITHOUT WORKING CAUSING ME TO PULL ONTO THE SHOULD ER OF THE HIGHWAY. LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME BACK ON REGARDLESS OF WHAT I DID AT THAT MOMENT. THE ONLY WAY TO GET LIGHTS WAS TO PULL THE LEVEL BACK ON THE STEERING COLUMN IN ORDER TO DRIVE WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ON. THE LIGHTS WOULD ONLY STAY ON WITH THE LEVER HELD BACK UNTIL I REACHED MY WORK. THIS HAS KNOW HAPPENED WITH DAILY FREQUENCY WHICH NOW HAS DEEMED MY CAR UNDRIVABLE AFTER DUSK UNTIL I GET THIS FIXED. FROM THE RESEARCH I HAVE CONDUCTED, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE ON THE FORD CROWN VICTORIA AS WELL AS THE MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS IN AN AREA THAT ALLOWED ME TO GET MY CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT THIS MAY NOT BE THE CASE FOR THE NEXT DRIVER WHO EXPERIENCES THE FAILURE OF THE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE FOR THESE VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME HARD TO MANEUVER. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

WHILE DRIVING, LIGHTS TURN OFF BY THEMSELVES. IT CAN BE 3 MINUTES FROM DEPARTURE THEY TURN OFF OR LONGER. THEY JUST DON'T STAY ON. TRY TO TURN ON MANUALLY AND WILL NOT TURN ON. IF I DRIVE LONG ENOUGH THEY COME ON BY THEMSELVES. DANGEROUS WHEN ON STREET WITH NO LIGHTING AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC AT NIGHT OR DRIVING NEXT TO TRAILER RIGS WHO DO NOT KNOW MY VEHICLE IS ON THEIR RIGHT OR LEFT. HAVE READ ON INTERNET MANY OTHERS HAVE THIS ISSUE WITH FORD PRODUCTS AND OTHER YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED AND COULD NOT BE REACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. *TR

DRIVING ON FLORIDA HIGHWAY #70 HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AND ONLY HIGH BEAMS WORKED WHILE HOLDING THEM ON (PULLING HANDLE TOWARD ME). I AM 75 AND A FEMALE, I WAS VERY UPSET HAVING TO DRIVE 24 MILES HOME IN THIS WAY! *TR