1990 Mercury Grand Marquis: common problems

Owners of the 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis filed 56 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 56
involving a crash: 6

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 23% of all complaints
2 Air bags 16% of all complaints
3 Vehicle speed control 16% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
7 Structure 5% of all complaints
8 Fuel system 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Electrical system: 13 complaints (23% of all).
Air bags: 9 complaints (16% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 9 complaints (16% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 8 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 6 complaints (11% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

5 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 56 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire7 · 13%
airbag warning light6 · 11%
warning lights, check engine4 · 7%
unintended acceleration3 · 5%
overheating, coolant loss2 · 4%
rust, corrosion2 · 4%
stalls while driving2 · 4%
airbags did not deploy1 · 2%
A/C or heater1 · 2%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	13	0
Air bags	9	0
Vehicle speed control	9	5
Service brakes	8	1
Powertrain	6	0
Engine and cooling	3	0
Structure	3	0
Fuel system	2	1
Visibility	2	0
Engine	1	0
Parking brake	1	0
Seats	1	0
Tires	1	0
Other	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I embarked on a routine trip to dinner in my mother's 1990 mercury marquis. I started the engine which idled normally, as usual. With my foot on the brake, I engaged the shift lever into the r position which resulted in immediate accelleration in a reverse direction.
Fuel system · crash · 2005-05-24 · NHTSA complaint #10122006
Owner 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.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1999-11-23 · NHTSA complaint #851438
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.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1999-07-15 · NHTSA complaint #708641
Engine occasionally surges when placed into reverse. The engine immediately races and the car even convulses. The only thing that stops it is to turn off the engine. This is my mom's car and she rarely drives it.
Engine · 2015-08-01 · NHTSA complaint #10745543
Sidewall blowout at highway speed (45-55 mph.) tires were installed on 08/27/2001, and had 36,000 miles at time of failure. Tires were well maintained, had no prior damage, and tire showed no signs of problems prior to failure. Failure was spontaneous and catastrophic.
Tires · 2004-10-28 · NHTSA complaint #10097930
The "air bag" light comes on. It doesn't stay on constantly, but it does 'flicker' or it will stay on for a few seconds. There are times where it doesn't come on at all, but I am still concerned. I was wondering, since there was a recall on the part of the airbag, if I should have it looked at.
Air bags · 2004-09-07 · NHTSA complaint #10090562
Problems with transmission malfunctioning. When the vehicles accelerator pedal was pressed it became stuck to the floor of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who indicated that the insulator cap fell off. The technician said this was a common problem with these vehicle.
Powertrain · 2003-10-07 · NHTSA complaint #10042141
Brake lines rusted through, loss of rear brakes. Also emergency brake frozen and inoperable.
Service brakes · 2003-09-16 · NHTSA complaint #10039019

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19959
199611
19974
19987
19995
20004
20013
20023
20035
20043
20051
20151

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,040 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Marquis has 117 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 56, below average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 56. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), airbag warning light (11%), warning lights, check engine (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1990 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.