2002 Mercury Grand Marquis: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis filed 78 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 78
involving a crash: 8

What fails most often

1 Vehicle speed control 22% of all complaints
2 Suspension 14% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
5 Steering 12% of all complaints
6 Seat belts 9% of all complaints
7 Tires 9% of all complaints
8 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints

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

Vehicle speed control: 17 complaints (22% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 11 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 10 complaints (13% of all).
Engine and cooling: 10 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 9 complaints (12% 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 78 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts7 · 9%
smoke, burning smell, fire7 · 9%
headlights and tail lights5 · 6%
steering or power steering problems4 · 5%
warning lights, check engine4 · 5%
A/C or heater3 · 4%
jerking, harsh shifts3 · 4%
stalls while driving3 · 4%
unintended acceleration3 · 4%
vibration3 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Vehicle speed control	17	3
Suspension	11	2
Electrical system	10	0
Engine and cooling	10	1
Steering	9	1
Seat belts	7	1
Tires	7	0
Exterior lighting	6	0
Service brakes	6	1
Air bags	3	2
Visibility	3	0
Engine	2	0
Fuel/propulsion system	2	0
Fuel system	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.

My air bags never deployed. The front end of the car was crumpled well into the engine compartment. The police, fire dept and emt's were all very surprised the air bags did not deploy. I have sustained some injuries but nothing life threatening. (cracked ribs, soft tissue damage, lower back injury).
Air bags · crash · 2012-05-07 · NHTSA complaint #10457617
The vehicle crashed into a water heater in the contact's garage. The contact did not sustain any injuries but there were major damages to the front end of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 115,100.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2012-05-03 · NHTSA complaint #10457405
The contact stated he was involved a rollover crash and the drivers air bag did not deploy. The rollover was caused by the vehicle being driven off of the roadway. The contact did not know the speed that the vehicle was traveling at. The vehicle was determined to be destroyed.
Air bags · crash · 2011-11-23 · NHTSA complaint #10436844
While driving at 15 mph in the rain, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering. The consumer had to use excessive force to steer. This resulted in injuries to the consumers arm. This failure was due to the tensioner pulley falling off. The parts were replaced.
Suspension · crash · 2004-01-23 · NHTSA complaint #10055734
The dealer stated that they were waiting to hear from ford on the engine vibration problem. Consumer was getting the vehicle washed and the attendant explained that while attempting to move the vehicle off the conveyor, the vehicle raced across the highway and although his foot was on the brake, the vehicle would not…
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2002-06-24 · NHTSA complaint #8012433
Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine and the low oil pressure warning lights had illuminated two days prior to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Vehicle speed control · 2025-07-17 · NHTSA complaint #11674238
The contact stated that after securely latching the seat belt, the driver's side front and passenger's side front seat belt buckles unintendedly unlatched. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 01V227001 (Seat Belts).
Seat belts · 2024-11-20 · NHTSA complaint #11626373
The contact stated that the hazard lights, daytime running lamps, low beam, and high beam headlights failed to illuminate. The failure progressed without warning.
Electrical system · 2018-04-05 · NHTSA complaint #11083428

When owners complained

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

20011
200214
20038
20045
20057
20062
20072
20084
20092
20101
20115
20124
20135
20142
20152
20163
20172
20183
20191
20211
20222
20241
20251

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,151 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Marquis has 117 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 78, below average.

What to check before buying

Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, suspension, electrical system. Total complaints: 78. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (9%), headlights and tail lights (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.