2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR AXLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. AT 15,000 MILES, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WITH CONCERNS OF THE NOISE. AGAIN, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. AT 23,000 MILES THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE REAR AXLE, BEARINGS, SEALS AND THE WHEEL SHAFT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE FAILURE DID NOT PERSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE TRAVELING AT 4 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A RESULT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ON A LATER DATE, WHILE PARKING IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE WALL AND THROUGH THE MASTER BATHROOM OF THE HOME. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HER PELVIS FROM ATTEMPTING TO APPLY EXTREME FORCE TO THE BRAKE. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

HELLO, WE HAVE A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD LIGHTS SHUTTING OFF AT RANDOM TIMES. NOTHING GAVE WARNING TO THIS PROBLEM HAPPENING, WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED, AND WAS JUST FINE FOR A YEAR, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE DAY THE HEADLIGHTS JUST GO OUT. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO(3-1-10). NOW EVERYTIME IT IS DRIVEN WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON, IT IS GUARANTEED TO HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE AND SOMETIMES UP TO 5 TIMES JUST IN 3 MILES OF DRIVING ON MY WIFE'S WAY HOME FROM WORK. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON AFTER THEY GO OUT IS TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT THE CAR OFF, LET SIT FOR A FEW MIN, THEN START AND THEY WORK AGAIN FOR A BIT. THIS IS OVERALL VERY DANGEROUS AND SURPRISING THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR RECEIVED A TICKET YET! I AM A ACTIVE MEMBER ON A CROWN VICTORIA FORUM, AND WITH LITTLE SEARCHING ON THAT SITE OR GOOGLE YOU WILL SEE TONS OF REPORTS OF THIS BEING A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THE 2003-2005 CROWN VICTORIA, GRAND MARQUIS, AND MERCURY MARAUDER. WITH THE HELP OF OTHER MEMBERS ON THAT FORUM IT WAS FOUND TO BE A FAULTY LCM(LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE) WHICH HAS A PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING LIGHTING RELAYS. THE ONLY WAY TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM IS TO PURCHASE A NEW LCM FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN $250 AND $600 WITH NO GUARANTEE HOW LONG THAT PART WILL LAST. I ACTUALLY PURCHASED A NEW ONE TODAY. VERY EXPENSIVE FIX JUST FOR THE USE OF HEADLIGHTS, BUT I VALUE MY FAMILIES SAFETY MORE. I WILL BE KEEPING MY OLD LCM TO POSSIBLY HAVE IT REPAIRED FOR WHEN MY NEW PART FAILS AGAIN. THANKS SO MUCH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS A STRONG BURNING ODOR INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND FLAMES EXCESSIVELY IGNITED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WERE TWO BYSTANDERS WHO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH BOTTLES OF WATER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND A REPORT WAS FILED WITH NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ALTERNATOR. THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,073.

MY 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS BEGAN EXPERIENCING HEADLIGHT FAILURE OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS, WITH BOTH LOWER BEAMS RANDOMLY GOING OFF AND THEN AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OR HOURS COMING BACK ON. OTHER INTERNAL LIGHTS AND LIGHT SENSORS CONTINUED TO WORK NORMALLY. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON AN UNLIGHTED ROAD AT NIGHT, CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION, UNABLE TO SEE THE ROAD AHEAD OR OTHER CARS SEEING ME COMING. NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE08066 DESCRIBES A SIMILAR PROBLEMS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD IN THE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE (LCM), RESULTING IN SEVERAL THOUSAND WARRANTY CLAIMS. IN FACT, THIS HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE THE DEFECTIVE PART ON MY CAR, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED BY A FORD DEALER AT A COST OF $511.07 FOR THE LCM PLUS $184.97 LABOR AND TAX. FORD ADVISES ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT HAS DEVELOPED THE SAME PROBLEM. AN UPGRADED PART LCM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY FORD FOR REPLACEMENT. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS EARLIER FOR REPLACEMENT SO I WOULD NOT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE ODI INVESTIGATION WAS CLOSED 3/24/09. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE REOPENED AS DEALERS TELL ME THAT THEY REPLACE "LOTS" OF THESE MODULES. I HAVE RETAINED THE DEFECTIVE LCM FOR ANALYSIS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 MERCURY MARQUIS ONE EVENING, MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I TRIED TURNING THE SWITCH ON THE DASHBOARD TO THE HEADLIGHT POSITION BECAUSE ORIGINALLY IT WAS ON THE SENSOR POSITION, BUT THEY DIDN'T COME BACK ON. NO MATTER WHAT I DID, THEY REMAINED OFF. FROM THAT NIGHT ON, MY HEADLIGHTS WORK SPORADICALLY. SOMETIMES THEY'LL COME ON RIGHT AWAY AND THEN GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES THEY'LL COME ON IN THE DAYLIGHT WITH THE SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION. IT'S VERY SCARY WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN A BACK COUNTRY ROAD WHERE THERE'S NO STREET LIGHTS AND YOUR HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET LIGHT WAS TO HOLD BACK ON THE HIGH BEAM LEVER. THAT WAS WEIRD TOO BECAUSE THE HIGH BEAMS WOULDN'T WORK WHEN I PUT THE LEVER IN THE ON POSITION, ONLY WHEN I PULLED BACK ON THE LEVER WHICH PUTS THE HIGH BEAMS ON FOR AS LONG AS YOU HOLD THE LEVER. ONE NIGHT I DROVE FOR ABOUT 5 MILES AND THE HEADLIGHTS STAYED ON THE WHOLE TIME. THERE'S JUST NO KNOWING WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO WORK, AND IF THEY DO, HOW LONG THEY'LL STAY ON. I UNDERSTAND IT'S GOING TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT I DON'T HAVE $800 SO HAVEN'T HAD IT REPAIRED YET. I JUST DON'T DRIVE AFTER DARK, WHICH IS VERY INCONVENIENT! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS ADVISED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC THAT THE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STAYED LIT BUT THE HEADLIGHTS AND HIGH BEAMS TURNED OFF COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE A MODULE LOCATED INSIDE A BLACK BOX NEAR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 45,000.

I HAVE A 2003 GRAND MARQUIS GS, THE HEADLIGHTS STARTED TURNING OFF FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS; ONE TIME I HAD A CAR FULL OF CHILDREN AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT ON A BACK ROAD, I ALMOST DROVE INTO A TREE. I HAD TO RIDE HOME WITH THE HIGHBEAMS ON. IT TURNS OUT THAT ITS AN EXPENSIVE PART AND A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THIS MODEL; WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL, WE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED AND IF SO MANY COMPLAINTS ARE BEING FILED WHY IS NOTHING BEING DONE? *TR

I OWN A MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS 03 AT APPROX. 65,000 MILES I WAS DRIVING IN TAMPA AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. IT DIDN'T DO IT FOR A WHILE THEN THEY WENT OUT AGAIN AND NOW THEY GO OUT OFTEN. I TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP AT 72K HOWEVER WARRANTY WAS UP AND THEY WOULD CHARGE ME LIKE %800 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AFTER READING IT APPEARS THAT IS A COMMON DEFECT IN THESE CARS. *TR