2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 PM ON 3/24/12, I SUDDENLY LOST MY HEADLIGHTS AS I WAS DRIVING SOUTH THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA ON INTERSTATE-95. I PULLED INTO A REST AREA, AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, MY HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR. I DROVE FOR A FEW MORE HOURS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00 PM ON 3/25/12, I LOST MY HEADLIGHTS AGAIN WHILE DRIVING THROUGH FLORIDA. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY FROM MY MOTEL WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE NEXT MORNING, 3/26/12, I TOOK MY CAR TO AN INDEPENDENTLY-OWNED GARAGE, AND THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE. HE WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A NEW MODULE FROM A NEARBY FORD DEALERSHIP AND SUCCESSFULLY INSTALL THE MODULE INTO MY CAR. THERE IS NO QUESTION THE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE MY HEADLIGHTS BY FIRST TRYING TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OR THE HEADLIGHT DIMMER SWITCH. WHAT'S MORE, HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE DEFECTIVE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE TO RESPOND TO AN EXTERNAL COMPUTER COMMAND. THE REPAIR COST $816.77. I WAS CONCERNED THAT I SUDDENLY LOST MY HEADLIGHTS WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, BUT EVEN MORE CONCERNED WHEN I HEARD A PARTS SPECIALIST AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT PROVIDED MY NEW REPLACEMENT LIGHT CONTROL MODULE CLAIM HIS DEALERSHIP WAS REPLACING AN AVERAGE OF THREE OF THESE MODULES WEEKLY ON FORD CROWN VICTORIA PATROL CARS BEING DRIVEN BY LOCAL POLICE. THE IDEA OF POLICEMAN LOSING THEIR HEADLIGHTS DURING HIGH SPEED PURSUITS AT NIGHT MADE ME VERY CONCERNED. MY CONCERN WAS HEIGHTENED WHEN I STARTED INVESTIGATING THE MATTER ON THE INTERNET AND READ MANY STORIES SIMILAR TO MINE. A NUMBER OF THESE STORIES SUGGESTED THAT FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT THESE DEFECTIVE LIGHT CONTROL MODULES FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND THAT A RECALL HAS LONG BEEN IN ORDER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS SERIOUS MATTER. *TR

HEADLIGHTS WILL ACTIVATE AND DEACTIVATE WITHOUT CONTROLS BEING MANIPULATED. WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVE, THEY ONLY STAY ON BRIEFLY. COMMON PROBLEM AMONGST THAT YEAR AND MODEL AFTER PERFORMING AN ONLINE SEARCH FOR THE ISSUE AND POSSIBLE RECALL ACTION BY MERCURY/FORD MOTORS. *JS

HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY, UNEXPECTEDLY GOES OUT COMPLETELY. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS..... *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OVER 30 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND WAIT UNTIL THE LIGHTS RESET INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND TURNED THE SIGNAL LEVER, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHERE THE DEALER REPLACED THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH. THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A SECOND DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE MODULE WHICH CONTROLLED THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE MODULE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED BECAUSE THE PRETENSIONERS HAD FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,450. UPDATED 05/08/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 05/14/12

HEADLIGHTS FAIL TO COME ON OR SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. OTHER LIGHTS, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR FUNCTION. HEADLIGHTS WILL BURN ONLY IF THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER IS HELD BACK. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION THAT IS BEING EXPERIENCED BY MANY FORD CROWN VICTORIA AND MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS OWNERS, MODEL YEARS 2004-2005. DEALERS WILL REPLACE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE FOR $500 WITH NO GUARANTEE IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. I KNOW OF SEVERAL FORD OWNERS WITH THE SAME IDENTICAL PROBLEM. MANY WRECKING YARDS ARE SOLD OUT OF THE SALVAGED LCMS (DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM ANYWAY.) *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED ILLUMINATING WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON NJ HIGHWAY 29 IN TRENTON THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF. THEY WOULD NOT TURN ON EXCEPT WHEN I HELD THE "BRIGHTS" LEVER UP. AT SOME POINT THEY WOULD COME BACK ON, BUT THEN THEY WOULD GO OFF AGAIN. I WAS AT SPEED AND IN TRAFFIC ON A LIGHTED ROADWAY. TOOK CAR TO FORD DEALER BUT DID NOT GET REPAIRED BECAUSE COST IS EXORBITANT (OVER $800). THE PROBLEMS CONTINUES SO I DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT. THIS APPARENTLY HAPPENS FREQUENTLY TO THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR BUT MANUFACTURER DOES NOT SEE IT AS A PROBLEM (I CORRESPONDED WITH THEM ON THIS MATTER). BEFORE I REALIZED THE SEVERITY I CONTINUED DRIVING AND THE LIGHTS CUT OUT ON A POORLY LIGHTED CITY STREET AS I WAS TURNING THE CORNER AND I ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN I COULD NOT SEE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED AND THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE USING THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS. THE LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE RELAY SWITCH AND THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED AND THE CONTACT COULD ONLY USE THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE HEADLIGHT MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000.