2003 Mercury Grand Marquis problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Exterior Lighting (171) · Steering (25) · Exterior Lighting:headlights (19)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mercury Grand Marquis model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
289 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2015-12-22 · campaign 15V861000 · 296,004 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured October 3, 2001, to August 2, 2005. The affected vehicles have a lighting control module (LCM) that may fail, resulting in a loss of headlights.
Risk: A loss of headlights can reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the LCM, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S39.
Service bulletins (90)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure 2019-02-07 · TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2000 and newer ford, lincoln and mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. panel replacement is recommended. follow the service procedure steps to correct the condition
Structure 2019-02-07 · TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2000 and newer ford, lincoln and mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. panel replacement is recommended. follow the service procedure steps to correct the condition
Electrical System 2015-06-01 · ASI-45182 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
summary to be provided on a future date.
Equipment:other:owners/Service/Other Manual 2014-04-11 · CSP-14N01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford: see document search button for owner letter. information regarding the lighting control module extended warranty coverage, for some vehicles, to 15 years or 250,000 miles, whichever occurs first. model 2003-2005 victoria, grand marquis. *pe
Exterior Lighting 2014-04-11 · CSP-14-N-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford: the lighting control module has extended warranty coverage, on certain vehicles, due to a possible crack on solder joint that connects relay to circuit board. model 2003-2005 crown victoria, grand marquis. *pe
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine 2007-10-01 · 07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. updated 2/23/10. *pe
Showing the 6 most recent of 90 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-05-14 · Exterior Lighting“while driving my vehicle headlights turn off and back on, sometimes off for minutes sometimes flickering.…”
2025-05-13 · Exterior Lighting · 160,000 mi“the contact owns a 2003 mercury grand marquis. the contact that the headlights were intermittently inoperable. additionally, the contact stated that the instrument panel lights, the brake lights, and the turn signal lights were inoperable. the contact who is a mechanic, had inspected the fuses, the fuse box, and other unknown parts, but found no fa…”
2025-05-06 · Exterior Lighting“the lighting control module has failed and my brake lights and dash board lights turn off after couple minutes while driving with the lights on. i took my vehicle in to dealer already once for problem to be fixed a year ago. they did repair but now same problem is occurring again. i went back to dealer sunrise ford in fontana and they said recall w…”
2025-01-27 · Exterior Lighting · 127,000 mi“the contact owns a 2003 mercury grand marquis the contact stated that both the headlamps and the taillights intermittently failed to operate as needed. there were no warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed. the dealer placed a processor on the vehicle and rewired the lights however, the failure persisted. t…”
2024-12-22 · Exterior Lighting“the headlights shut off without warning …”
2024-12-10 · Exterior Lighting · 285,000 mi“the contact owns a 2003 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front headlights shutoff independently while turned on. no warning light was illuminated. the local dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact who is an independent mechanic determined that the ligh…”
2024-09-24 · Exterior Lighting · 100,000 mi“the contact owns a 2003 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated while attempting to pull out of the parking lot, the headlights and the taillights became inoperable. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v861000 (exterior lighting). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure…”
2024-09-03 · Fuel/Propulsion System“ head lights suddenly went out while driving at night causing near accident, happening frequently. also, the gas tank leaks when i put gas in car, making it smell badly and making it dangerous if someone drops a cigarette near it.…”
2024-08-29 · Exterior Lighting:headlights · 106,000 mi“the contact owns a 2003 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the headlights were inoperable. there was no warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lighting control module had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehic…”
2024-07-18 · Exterior Lighting · 181,000 mi“the contact owns a 2003 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to operate as needed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the lighting control module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that the…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.