2002 Mercury Grand Marquis

No clear pattern

22.3% of complaints about the 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2002 vehicle, but with only 94 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is speed control (16 complaints), typically at 6.9 yr or about 50,000 miles.

Complaints: 94
Median age at failure: 6.8 yr
Median mileage: 58,000 n=60
Crash / fire / tow: 12.8% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

15E082000 2015-10-06

Steering

Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain model Dorman Steering Shafts, part number 425-359, Solutions Steering Shafts, part number 7-0359, and OE Solutions Steering Shafts, part number 425-359, manufactured April 17, 2014, to September 28, 2015. These aftermarket replacement steering shafts are sold for use in 1995-2002 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. These steering shafts may separate during operation if the integral fastener is loose or missing and if the interfacing vehicle shaft is compressed in length.

If the shafts separate during vehicle operation, a loss of steering control would result, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

06E056000 2006-06-13

Fuel system

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS MAY NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE INTERFACE, EVEN THOUGH THE PERSON MAKING THE CONNECTION MAY BELIEVE THAT THE QUICK CONNECTOR IS FULLY ATTACHED.

FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.

In owners’ own words

Speed control mileage not reported 5 mo in service

VEHICLE ACELLERATED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. HE APPLIED BRAKES TO GAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE, BUT BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

Speed control mileage not reported 11 mo in service

CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 65MPH ON THE VEHICLE. CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE MANUALLY OR WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. SPEED INCREASED TO 75MPH BEFORE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED TO STOP VEHICLE. MERCURY DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *SCC

Speed control mileage not reported 10 mo in service

WHEN PRESSING ACCELERATOR PEDAL IT STICKS.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ACCELERATOR STUCK ON 2 OCCASIONS DUE TO DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY SYSTEM, THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. *SLC

Other Grand Marquis model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 Mercury Grand Marquis

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Grand Marquis model years

How to read this