IllustrationWHILE DRIVING BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ALSO SAME BRAKING PROBLEM WITH CONSUMER'S 1987 GRAND MARQUIS. *AK *ML
1989 Mercury Grand Marquis
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Mercury Grand Marquis do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 78.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →58Owner complaints
Model-year median: 78
1Recall campaignsView recall details →
1InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1989 Mercury Grand Marquis
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 58 owner complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Electrical System: 16 reports
- Vehicle Speed Control: 14 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 6 reports
- Power Train: 6 reports
- Fuel System, Gasoline: 5 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Marquis years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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: 4 of 58 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 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports17 fire reports2 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
5 reportsHYDRAULIC BRAKES; WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE BRAKES FAILED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE BRAKE LINE WENT OUT AND THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IT HAS BEEN REPLACED, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT IT WILL GO OUT AGAIN AS THE AIR CONDITION DRIPS ON THE BRAKE LINE CAUSING IT TO DISENAGRATE.*JB
WHILE DRIVING, SMELLED BURNING ODOR, PULLED INTO SERVICE STATION, RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CAUGHT ON FIRE; FRONT CALIPER PISTON HUNG UP, CAUSING BRAKES TO FREEZE. *AK
ABS BRAKE SYSTEM CAUSED MASTER CYLINDER AND PADS TO BURN. *TW
BRAKE LINE CRACKED, CAUSING LOSS OF FLUID. TT
Recall campaigns
196V071000 · Electrical System:ignition
Apr 25, 1996
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect 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
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.