1993 Mercury Grand Marquis: common problems

Owners of the 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis filed 144 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 144
involving a crash: 9

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
5 Steering 13% of all complaints
6 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
7 Seats 7% of all complaints
8 Visibility 6% of all complaints

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

Powertrain: 29 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 22 complaints (15% of all).
Electrical system: 20 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 19 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 18 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

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

4.6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 144 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire19 · 13%
headlights and tail lights9 · 6%
transmission slipping6 · 4%
vibration6 · 4%
rust, corrosion5 · 3%
windows, sunroof5 · 3%
brake failure4 · 3%
airbags did not deploy3 · 2%
jerking, harsh shifts3 · 2%
stalls while driving3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	29	1
Service brakes	22	0
Electrical system	20	1
Vehicle speed control	19	1
Steering	18	1
Exterior lighting	11	0
Seats	10	1
Visibility	8	0
Engine and cooling	7	0
Air bags	6	5
Fuel system	6	0
Tires	4	0
Structure	2	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0

What owners report

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

Vehicle was involved in a direct frontal collision at 30mph. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy. Vehicle has been repaired.
Air bags · crash · 2001-06-20 · NHTSA complaint #890744
While in park , when motor was turned off vehicle jumped out of gear and rolled backware into a pickup. This is the second time this vehicle has jumped out of park , but this time there was a collision.
Powertrain · crash · 2000-01-02 · NHTSA complaint #716741
Driving at approximately 45-50 mph smelled smoke/burning, lights went completely out. Steering coupling bolts were loose, vehicle lost control, resulting in a collision.
Electrical system · crash · 1999-01-13 · NHTSA complaint #819757
The passenger's side air bag deployed, but the driver's side air bag did not deploy . When vehicle rear ended the other vehicle, it was traveling 35mph upon the impact.
Air bags · crash · 1997-09-11 · NHTSA complaint #816277
Driving vehicle 30 mph; weather rainy; road slick; rearended by another vehicle going undetermined speed; both front seats collapsed bacwards upon impact, restricting driver's view.
Seats · crash · 1997-06-17 · NHTSA complaint #813219
Consumer was in an accident and the front driver side air bag didn't deploy. Tt
Air bags · crash · 1995-04-03 · NHTSA complaint #962912
Extremely dangerous situation exists whereas the headlights can randomly flicker off during driving, only stopped by kicking the light control module above the accelerator pedal repeatedly with limited and temporary results. First occurrence was on the interstate during the night with moderate traffic.
Exterior lighting · 2020-03-09 · NHTSA complaint #11316976
While driving at approximately 55 mph, the headlights failed. The contact shut off the engine and when restarting, the headlights were operating as normal. The contact discovered that the wiring harness was burned and replaced the harness. The failure continued to recur intermittently.
Exterior lighting · 2010-06-17 · NHTSA complaint #10336838

When owners complained

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

199513
199627
199711
199821
199925
20007
20016
20028
20031
20044
20053
20062
20077
20084
20093
20101
20201
20221

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,726 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Marquis has 117 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 144, above average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 144. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), headlights and tail lights (6%), transmission slipping (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1993 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 1993 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 1993 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.