IllustrationWHILE DRIVING GEARS SUDDENLY BECAME DIFFICULT TO SHIFT. DEALER HAD TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION.*AK WHILE DRIVING A SMALL PART DROPPED OUT FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSEING THE ENGINE TO SURGE AND THE GEARS TO LOCK. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO FAILED AS THE RESULT. *YH
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.
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: 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
What owners actually said
58 reportsPE00 020; REAR SEAT BELTS WILL NOT HOLD WHEN PUTTING SEATBELTS IN THE RETRACTOR .BUTTON IS DEFACTIVE, IT WILL NOT HOLD. *AK FRONT DRIVERS BUCKLE DOES NOT HOLD JUST POPS OUT. ODOMETER FAILED. *YH
FUEL LINE RUSTED OUT AND LEAKED GASOLINE ONTO PAVEMENT, UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT. THIS EVENT WAS NOT CAUSED BY AN ACCIDENT, AND DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS EVENT DID CREATE A FIRE HAZARD, BUT IT WAS CAUGHT IN TIME. MY CAR IS IN THE DEALER'S REPAIR SHOP 13+ DAYS NOW AND STILL AWAITING REPAIR, BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER (FORD) HAS T…
Read full complaint
FUEL LINE RUSTED OUT AND LEAKED GASOLINE ONTO PAVEMENT, UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT. THIS EVENT WAS NOT CAUSED BY AN ACCIDENT, AND DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS EVENT DID CREATE A FIRE HAZARD, BUT IT WAS CAUGHT IN TIME. MY CAR IS IN THE DEALER'S REPAIR SHOP 13+ DAYS NOW AND STILL AWAITING REPAIR, BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER (FORD) HAS THE NEW FUEL LINE PART ON "NATIONAL BACK ORDER" AND REFUSES TO FULFILL MY DEALER'S ORDER FOR A NEW PART. PLEASE HELP ME GET MY CAR FIXED. PLEASE NOTE ALSO THAT THIS SAME CAR MODEL WAS INVOLVED IN A PRIOR MANDATORY RECALL IN 1996 FOR A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH CAUSING A FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN, AND THIS SAME CAR WAS ONE OF THE CARS REPORTED TO YOU THAT HAD ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. FORD REFUSES TO RECALL THIS CAR. I THINK ANOTHER MANDATORY RECALL FOR THIS NEW PROBLEM IS NEEDED NOW.
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON HIGH-BEAM THE LIGHTS START TO GO ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY. I HAVE TO PUT THE HEAD-LIGHTS ON LOW-BEAM AND THEN THEY STAY ON. IF I PUT THEM BACK ON HIGH-BEAM THEY START TO GO ON AND OFF AGAIN. IT SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
DOOR LATCHES BROKK OFF FROM DOOR PANEL. ALL DOOR LATCHES ARE BROKEN, AND PREVENT DOORS FROM BEING PROPERLY SECURED WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK
OIL LEAK. CANNOT FIND WHERE IT IS COMING FROM. CAR SMOKES AND SMELLS FROM OIL. MECHANIC IS ABSOLUTELY MYSTIFIED. HE CANNOT LOCATE WHERE MOTOR OIL LEAK IS COMING FROM. UNDERCARRIAGE IS WET WITH OIL. *AK
WHILE STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION, THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING WHICH WAS THE RESULTS OF A VEHICLE FIRE. *AK
I HAVE A "STALLING FORD" AND WOULD LIKE TO FORCE A RECALL. FOR SEVERAL WEEKS IN 1997 MY CAR STALLED FOR NO REASON. MECHANIC TRIED MANY THINGS--EVEN KEPT MY CAR TO DRIVE AROUND FOR OVER A WEEK. I WAS WITHOUT A CAR AND SPENT SEVERAL HUNDREDS IN REPAIRS, THOUGH THE REAL PROBLEM WAS NEVER FOUND AS CAR WOULD STALL OUT MANY TIMES, …
Read full complaint
I HAVE A "STALLING FORD" AND WOULD LIKE TO FORCE A RECALL. FOR SEVERAL WEEKS IN 1997 MY CAR STALLED FOR NO REASON. MECHANIC TRIED MANY THINGS--EVEN KEPT MY CAR TO DRIVE AROUND FOR OVER A WEEK. I WAS WITHOUT A CAR AND SPENT SEVERAL HUNDREDS IN REPAIRS, THOUGH THE REAL PROBLEM WAS NEVER FOUND AS CAR WOULD STALL OUT MANY TIMES, THEN WOULD BE OK THE NEXT. PROBLEM IS OCCURING AGAIN AND I DO NOT WISH TO SPEND MORE MONEY WHEN I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT MY CAR IS ON THE LIST THAT HAS DEFECTIVE DISTRIBUTOR MOUNTED TFI MODULES. FORTUNATELY I WAS NEVER DOING HIGH SPEEDS WHEN THE CAR STALLED, ALTHOUGH I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED SEVERAL TIMES AS A RESULT OF THE UNPREDICTABLE STALLING. I WOULD LIKE TO PREVENT MYSELF AND OTHERS FROM BEING KILLED OR CRIPPLED BECAUSE OF AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH BY FORD MANY YEARS AGO.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN COLLISION AND INJURIES. MJS
WHILE ENGAGED IN CRUISE CONTROL VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION.
Official recalls
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 ↗
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