IllustrationSUDDEN/UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE BEING DRIVEN ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO A HALT BY APPLYING THE BRAKES AND TURNING ENGINE OFF. *AK
1985 Mercury Grand Marquis
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 78.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Marquis years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 21 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports8 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
21 reportsWHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT RUNNING IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE. *AK *JB
WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, THEN SUDDENLY FLAMES SHOT OUT OF STEERING COLUMN.*AK
ELECTRIC IGNITION MODULE BURN OUT, CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL.
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED THE STEERING COLUMN TO CAUGHT FIRE. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR FAILED.
WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, RESULTING IN STEERING MELTING. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DASH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
CAR WAS PARKED, VEHICLE STARTED BY ITSELF AND CAUGHT FIRE. IGNITION SWITCH CAUGT FIRE. *AK
WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS ON THROTTLE STICKS. WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT ON PEDAL POPS. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE91125 · Brake Line Punctures
Opened Sep 11, 1991 · Closed Jan 15, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available