2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

1.REAR SEATBELTS OFTEN JAM AND HAVE TO BE UNLOCKED BY A PROFESSIONAL. 2. BLEND DOOR SWITCH THAT CONTROLS HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING GETS STUCK ON HEAT AND BLOWS EXTREMELY HOT AIR YEAR ROUND EVEN IF THE UNIT IS TURNED OFF. VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAYS AND CITY STREETS. 3. VEHICLE SQUEAKS WHILE IN MOTION DUE TO FAULTY BALL BEARINGS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE HEAD LIGHTS WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO THE BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER PUNDMANN FORD (2727 W. CLAY ST. ST. CHARLES, MO.) WERE NOTIFIED BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 173,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE WITH THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING SWITCH IN AUTO MODE, BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR EXTERIOR LIGHTING WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. WHILE IN MANUAL MODE, THE TAIL LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOM HOLZER FORD (39300 W. 10 MILE RD, FARMINGTON HILLS, MI) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V861000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,212.

FORD PANTHER VEHICLES HAD RECIRCULATING BALL STEERING UNTIL 2002, REDESIGNED TO RACK AND PINION STEERING IN 2003. FORD ISSUED RECALL 13S08 FOR SEVERE CORROSION THAT CAN SEIZE THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WHICH MAY CAUSE THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT TO COLLAPSE AND THE STEERING COLUMN LOWER BEARING TO SEPARATE, COVERING 2005-2012 VEHICLES BUT NOT 2003 AND 2004 VEHICLES HAVING SAME PARTS AND SYMPTOMS. STEERING HAS BECOME EXTREMELY STIFF, STEERING WHEEL NOT RETURNING TO STRAIGHT AHEAD ON ITS OWN, AND DIFFICULT TO STEER AT ALL SPEEDS. FORD DEALER LUBRICATED LOWER STEERING SHAFT 2 MONTHS AGO, BUT SYMPTOMS RETURNED IN 2,000 MILES. THESE SYMPTOMS ARE CONCERN FOR REAL DANGER OF COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING.

LOSS OF POWER STEERING. DIFFICULT TO STEER. CORROSION RELATED DEFECT IN THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER FAILED TO PROVIDE THE PART WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME CONCERNING NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V861000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). WILMES CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (2215 E BROADWAY ST, ALTUS, OK 73521, 580-301-7169) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, FUEL SPILLED ALL OVER THE ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS NO SMOKE PRESENT. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO PLACED O-RINGS IN THE FUEL INJECTORS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HILBISH FORD (704-938-3121, LOCATED AT 2600 S CANNON BLVD, KANNAPOLIS, NC 28083) WHERE THE O-RINGS AND THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,500.

WHEN DRIVING THE CAR AND MAKING A TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION, AT THE POINT THE STEERING WHEEL HAS TURNED 180 DEGREES AND IS NOW UPSIDE DOWN FROM "NORMAL POSITION", IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE STEERING WHEEL IS GOING TO COME OFF!!! IT ROCKS BACK AND FORTH IN THE UPSIDE DOWN POSITION. ALSO.... AT TIMES IT FEELS HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION. THIS PROBLEM APPARENTLY COMES FROM THE UPPER AND LOWER STEERING SHAFTS WHERE THE U-JOINT CONNECTS THE TWO STEERING SHAFTS. IF I SLATHER GREASE ON THE SHAFTS AND WORK THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH ABOUT 30 TIMES, THE "TOUGH STEERING" OR THE FEELING OF NO POWER STEERING SUBSIDES, BUT COMES BACK IN ANYWHERE FROM 1 WEEK TO A MONTH! I CAN BE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND ALL AT ONCE I CAN NOT CHANGE LANES, WHICH IS VERY SCARY AT TIMES!!! WHEN THIS HAPPENS AT 65 MPH IT IS ALMOST TIMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE CAR!!! IT IS ALSO VERY DANGEROUS MAKING A TURN AT 10-20 MPH AS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, THE POWER STEERING QUITS WORKING AND I ALMOST RAM THE CAR SITTING AT THE STOP LIGHT BECAUSE THE CAR WON'T MAKE THE COMPLETE TURN!!! MANY TIMES, I HAVE HAD TO STOP DEAD TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE CAR AS I AM TRYING TO TURN RIGHT, AND THEN WITH ALL MY STRENGTH, CRANK AND MUSCLE THE STEERING WHEEL TO COMPLETE MY RIGHT TURN! ( AND I AM A 6', 245 LB. MAN IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE!!!) I HAD HEARD FROM OTHER GRAND MARQUIS OWNERS THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON EARLIER MODELS OF THE GRAND MARQUIS (2000-2002 MODELS) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THE 2003 GRAND MARQUIS LS MODEL WAS EXCLUDED FROM THIS RECALL!!!. BOTH PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE LISTED APPARENTLY ORIGINATE FROM THE UPPER AND LOWER STEERING SHAFTS AND ARE COMPLETELY UNSAFE!!! THERE IS NO WARNING AS TO WHEN THE STEERING PROBLEM PRESENTS ITSELF. IN THE WINTER, HERE IN ILLINOIS, THE PROBLEM COMPOUNDS IMMENSELY!!!! THIS PROBLEM NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!!! THANK YOU!

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT AND STOP WORKING. THE ONLY WAY I COULD DRIVE AT NIGHT WAS TO PULL THE SWITCH TOWARDS ME AND KEEP THE BRIGHTS ON WHILE DRIVING. IF I LET GO THE LIGHTS WOULDN'T STAY ON AND I COULDN'T SEE THE ROAD. I TRIED TO USE THE SWITCH ON THE DASH TO TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS BUT IT WOULD ONLY WORK FOR THE PANEL LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD. THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR IT WAS VERY SCARY AND WE WERE DRIVING ON TOADS WITH NO STREET LIGHTS LIGHTS. THIS OCCURRED ON WED, FEB. 20 2019. ONCE THIS HAPPENED I PULLED OVER PUT THE CAR IN PARK TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND TRIED TO TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS BUT NOTHING WOULD COME ON SO I PULLED THE SWITCH TOWARDS ME AND KEEP IT LIKE THAT SO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS WOULD COME ON AND I COULD SEE THE ROAD TO DRIVE THIS FOR 30 MIN UNTIL WE GOT HOME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AND TURNED BACK ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 156,000.