IllustrationOWNER HAD STARTED VEHICLE & PUT FOOT ON BRAKES BEFORE SHIFTING INTO DRIVE. VEHICLE SUDDENLY TOOK OFF & HIT A TREE & THEN A BUILDING. A POLICEMAN HAD WITNESSED. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON. NO SKID MARKS. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *AK
1990 Mercury Grand Marquis
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 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: 5 of 56 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 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports5 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
56 reportsAIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES CONSTANTLY ON DASH, TURN ON HEAT , AND THE AIR CONDITIONER COMES ON WHICH IS VERY ANNOYING IN COLD WEATHER
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT KEEPS FLASHING, INDICTATING ITS IS INOPERATIVE, AND CAUSING SAFETY HAZARD. *AK
SPEED CONTROL CAN ON FULL FORCE WHILE BACKING WHICH CAUSED A CRASH, TOTALLING THE AUTO. TWICE BEFORE SPEED CONTROL CAME ON WHEN BRAKING. IS THIS A KNOWN PROBLEM ? UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A TV SHOW TALKING ABOUT SIMILAR FAILURES. CAN YOU FURNISH ANY INFORMATION AS WIFE HAD NO CONTROL OVER VEHICLE. *AK
WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT, CAUSING ALL LIGHTS INSIDE VEHICLE, AS WELL AS TAIL LIGHTS AND PARK LIGHTS TO STAY ON. IN ADDITION, FUSE BURNED AND MELTED. REPAIRS MADE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK
IDLER SPEED CONTROL FAILED CAUSING UNWANTED ACCELERATION.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHY INTO AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE. DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT CRUISING SPEED IN 35-45 MPH RANGE.
OWNER STATES WHEN ELECTRIC DOOR SYSTEM LOCKS FAIL ON FRONT DOORS, THERE IS NO WAY OF LOCKING THE CAR DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW. *AK PLASTIC LOCK INDICATOR BREAKS OFF WHEN TRYING TO LOCK THE DOOR FROM INSIDE. FUEL INJECTOR FAILURE LIMITED THE ABILITY TO ACCELLERATE THE VEHICLE. *YH
WHEN TRAVELING THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE ALTERNATOR. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *AK
AIR BAG FAILURE, NO RECALL NOTICE.
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