2008 Mercury Grand Marquis problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (20) · Vehicle Speed Control (13) · Structure:body (5)
🧭 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
66 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Steering:rack And Pinion:pinion Shaft 2014-11-05 · campaign 14V704000 · 36,888 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles manufactured March 8, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and on which the upper intermediate shaft was serviced during the course of safety recall 13V-385. The prior repairs may not have been correctly performed.
Risk: Improper servicing of the upper intermediate shaft could cause the shaft to separate, which can then result in a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers will inspect and replace the upper immediate shaft if necessary free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S25.
Steering 2013-08-29 · campaign 13V385000 · 355,000 vehicles
Defect: Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and W
Risk: If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lower intermediate shaft corrosion, and repaired or replaced as necessary. If the steering column lower bearing has separated, a retainer clip will be installed. The recall began on October 23, 2013. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall n
Service bulletins (16)
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.
Engine 2019-09-18 · DOR-L2Q6V-10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this sku is a radiator fan. the customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the electrical connections. an electrical connection issue may lead to the fan not working potentially throwing a check engine light for overheating.
Equipment 2018-03-30 · SSM 47201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
replacing the original equipment sync/navigation system with either an aftermarket sync/navigation kit or modifying original sync/navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any ford, mercury or lincoln vehicle. only approved genuine ford accessories or origin
Equipment 2017-01-24 · SSM 46332 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
replacing the original equipment sync/navigation system with either an aftermarket sync/navigation kit or modifying original sync/navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any ford, mercury or lincoln vehicle. only approved genuine ford accessories or origin
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe 2016-09-21 · SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the powertrain control/emissions diagnosis (pc/ed) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (etbs). the etc_act and etc_dsd pids should not used to diagnose possible etb concerns. the ids has a limited refresh rate when reading these pids and cannot display quickly enough to
Structure 2016-04-21 · TSB160072 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
inpected or repaired under 13r01 - requests for recall service action under 13s08
Steering 2016-04-21 · 16-0072 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for 2005-2012 crown victoria, 2005-2011 grand marquis and town car vehicles, regional program 13r01 applies to vehicles not registered in corrosion states and not included in safety recall 13s08, where operation in high corrosion areas for an extended period may lead to corrosion in the lower interm
Showing the 6 most recent of 16 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-13 · Steering“total collapse of upper immediate steering shaft resulting on total separation/failure and complete loss of steering. this literally separated/fell apart in my hand when i was cleaning the front seat carpeting. i had just finished driving back from a 100 mile trip. if this would have happened on the freeway, i would have lost all steering of the v…”
2026-09-21 · Steering“my vehicle is from a northern state and came down to [xxx] and my intermediate shaft collapsed after looking up through ford if my recall had ever been done it shows that it had been done but the part that says it was replaced looked like it was never replaced and i had to fix that problem myself and then noticed that my steering wheel was not work…”
2025-11-13 · Steering · 140,000 mi“the contact owns a 2008 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 13v385000 (steering). the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the lower intermediate shaft was replaced. the contact stated that it was determined that the upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing did not need …”
2023-10-11 · Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar“see attached document from complainant…”
2022-05-11 · Steering · 68,000 mi“the contact owns a 2008 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph, the steering felt loose. the contact stated that the power steering was still operable however, the vehicle would drift to the left or right with no input on the steering wheel. the contact stated that he would correct the steering and the vehicle …”
2021-11-18 · Exterior Lighting · 80,000 mi“the contact owns a 2008 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that the wiring harness for the brake pedal sensor was faulty, causing the exterior brake lights to fail to illuminate. the failure almost caused a collision. the dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to bring the vehicle in to be diagnosed. the vehicle was no…”
2021-06-13 · Steering“left home the other day i noticed that the steering had become was stiff when the wheels were straight..it wasn't bad turning till it was going straight..the next day the steering became stiff and erratic. it would work sometimes and it would be stiff...found out the lower steering shaft had frozen up..there was a recall back in 2013 doe the lower…”
2021-03-17 · Exterior Lighting · 72,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury grand marquis. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds at night, the headlights intermittently failed to operate without warning. the contact also stated that the instrument panel went blank while experiencing the failure. the contact stated that the headlights resumed normal operation a few minut…”
2021-03-09 · Vehicle Speed Control · 78,013 mi“i was driving in town and several times when i slowed down to stop at a stop sign or corner, after braking my car accelerated by itself. the engine revved up and made the car jump forward. i had to slightly release the brake snd brake harder to stop and avoid going into the intersection.…”
2020-06-29 · Electrical System · 110,000 mi“odometer fades out most of the time...sometimes it will brighten up so you can see it..but soon fades out again..ford wants $600 to fix it...2008 is the only year that fits and there are 4 different ones that fit..can't find a used one…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.