1998 Mercury Grand Marquis: common problems

Owners of the 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis filed 143 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and steering. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 143
involving a crash: 8

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 18% of all complaints
2 Steering 12% of all complaints
3 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
4 Suspension 11% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
6 Structure 7% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
8 Powertrain 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.

Engine and cooling: 26 complaints (18% of all).
Steering: 17 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Exterior lighting: 16 complaints (11% of all).
Suspension: 16 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 15 complaints (10% of all).

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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 143 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights10 · 7%
stalls while driving10 · 7%
steering or power steering problems9 · 6%
smoke, burning smell, fire8 · 6%
overheating, coolant loss6 · 4%
warning lights, check engine6 · 4%
knocking, grinding or other noise5 · 3%
vibration5 · 3%
seat belts4 · 3%
A/C or heater3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	26	0
Steering	17	2
Exterior lighting	16	0
Suspension	16	2
Electrical system	15	0
Structure	10	0
Vehicle speed control	9	2
Powertrain	8	0
Fuel system	7	1
Tires	7	0
Service brakes	6	1
Air bags	4	1
Visibility	4	0
Engine	3	0

What owners report

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

1998 mercury grand marquis. Consumer states faulty rear brake pad replacement the consumer stated when his wife applied the brakes firmly, but not hard, the vehicle lunged forward striking a sign and damaging the right front of the vehicle.
Service brakes · crash · 2010-08-19 · NHTSA complaint #10350908
Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic but was unable to identify the problem. The problem was with the vehicle speed controls as acceleration was sluggish and the accelerator pedal needed to be pumped to increase speed.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2006-10-20 · NHTSA complaint #10171443
Power steering reservoir hose separated, causing loss of vehicle control which resulted in a collision. Driver sustained minor injuries. Dealer has been notified.
Steering · crash · 2001-08-09 · NHTSA complaint #893945
While driving at 55 mph steering wheel suddenly started moving frm side to side, causing loss of vehicle control, resulting in crash.
Suspension · crash · 1999-09-29 · NHTSA complaint #849043
Consumer was involved in a 35 mph frontal collision in which driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy.
Air bags · crash · 1999-07-21 · NHTSA complaint #842802
Vehicle makes a clunking sound due to piece that is broken in the fuel tank. The manufacturer has been contacted.
Fuel system · crash · 1999-02-02 · NHTSA complaint #834369
Vehicle continued to lurch four to five blocks, and landed into someone's front yard. One injury was sustaned. Dealer notified.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1998-05-15 · NHTSA complaint #823361
Cracked air intake manifold allowing it to over heat and messing up mass air flow sensor
Fuel/propulsion system · 2018-09-11 · NHTSA complaint #11128800

When owners complained

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

199815
199937
200015
200114
20029
20036
20046
20056
20064
20075
20081
20092
20103
20114
20122
20132
20141
20152
20164
20183
20201
20211

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,746 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 143, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, steering, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 143. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (7%), stalls while driving (7%), steering or power steering problems (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 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 1998 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 1998 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.