IllustrationVEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILING TO OPERATE UNLESS EXTREME PRESSURE IS APPLIED ON THE PEDAL. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK
1988 Mercury Marquis
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Marquis years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 9 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 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports2 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
9 reportsTHEORIGINAL IGNITION SWITCH WAS RECALLED ALTHOUGH WE HAD NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT AT ALL. I DID TAKE INTO A FORD DEALER [PAT MASSUCCI GENEVA FORD GENEVA OHIO] THEY REPLACED THE SWITCH, AND THE NEXT DAY WHEN WE WENT TO START THE CAR IT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AFTER STARTING AND THE KEY WOULD NOT RETURN BACK TO THE RUN POSITION.…
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THEORIGINAL IGNITION SWITCH WAS RECALLED ALTHOUGH WE HAD NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT AT ALL. I DID TAKE INTO A FORD DEALER [PAT MASSUCCI GENEVA FORD GENEVA OHIO] THEY REPLACED THE SWITCH, AND THE NEXT DAY WHEN WE WENT TO START THE CAR IT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AFTER STARTING AND THE KEY WOULD NOT RETURN BACK TO THE RUN POSITION. THIS WAS ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT LEAVE IT, AND WHEN THEY GOT A CHANCE THEY WOULD REPAIR IT THE NEXT WEEK !THERE IS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO DRIVE MY CAR 10 MILES WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS /BRAKE LIGHTS/OR TURN SIGNALS, AND THEN LEAVE IT RUNNING WITHA FULL TANK OF GAS OVER THE WEEKEND. I THEN CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE LINE AND WAS TOLD TO DO THE SAME THING AS WELL OR HAVE IT TOWED AT MY EXPENSE TO THE DEALER THAT MESSED THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH UP TO BEGIN WITH. I COULD FIND NO OTHER DEALER OPEN ANY WHERE SO I RETURNED TO THE CAR, TOOK A PAIR OF PLIARS AND FORCIBLY TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO RUN. THEN TO THE OFF POSITION. IT NOW DOES SEEM TO WORK BETTER . BUT NOT AS IT SHOULD OR AS THE ORIGINAL DID BEFORE THE REPLACEMENT WAS INSTALLED WHEN THE SWITCH NOW FAILS TO RETURN OR DOES NOT LET THE TAILIGHTS WORK WE HAVE TO SHUT IT OFF THEN RESTART THE CAR FOR THE ACCESSORIES TO WORK AT ALL. *AK
ENGINE WOULD CRANK, REFUSED TO START, TOWED TO DEALER, THICK-FILM IGNITION MODULE WHICH CARRIES ELECTRICAL PULSES TO THE SPARK PLUGS. *AK
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE IT WOULD STALL OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. WOULD LOSE ALL POWER. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD & WAITED & THEN RESTARTED. TOOK TO THE DEALER & HAD TFI MODULE REPLACED ALONG WITH OTHER PARTS. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
PUT CAR INTO REVERSE AND CAR ACCELERATED AND HIT A WALL . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO CATCH ON FIRE AFTER TURNING ON THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
IGNITION FIRE STARTED AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE DUE TO A SHORT. *AK
ABS: WHEN APPLIED, BRAKES HAS GRAB LIKE FEEL; FRONT END SWAYS; DRAGS. ALSO, HARD TO UNLOCK SHOULDER BELT. TT
GOODYEAR INVICTA TIRES WEAR/CUP PREMATURELY. *SKD
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.