AI Damage1992 Mercury Marquis: common problems
Owners of the 1992 Mercury Marquis filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 24
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 21% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 13% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (21% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 5 complaints (21% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (17% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (13% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 24 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
During a frontal collision, the driver's airbag did not deploy, consumer suffered knee injuries, and hit his head on the steering wheel. Consumer states the gas pedal stuck which caused the accident.
Consumer shifted from park to drive, vehicle accelerated and hit a 18 inch cement wall. Damage to vehicle unknown at this time.
The headlights failed while driving. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the headlight switch.
Vehicle been experiencing ongoing problem with instrument panel and tail lights keep going out; vehicle been in / out of dealer shop on several occasions. Dealer refusing to look at the vehicle any longer, unless consumer is willing to pay for time and labor.
Was trying to accelerate to get onto the highway when the vehicle failed to pick up speed. Transmission linkage felt hung up in 1st gear. Would not do anything. Was not enough speed to get out of gear. Took vehicle to dealer & was informed some of the gears in the transmission had broken.
Speed control deactivation switch failed resulting in vehicle fire. Mjs referenced in ea02-025
Later noticed flames in area of vehicle. Had inserted key in ignition to stop vehicle, but it wouldn't start. Fire dept called & put flames out. Everything inside fused together. Was informed fire originated around ignition switch area.
Consumer was sitting in vehicle while engine was running, and suddenly smoke came from hood, and then flames. Soon the flames began to enter vehicle through the dash, consumer then turned off the engine. Flames engulfed the entire car.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Marquis has 16 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 24, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
- Marquis 198410 sources
- Marquis 19855 sources
- Marquis 19864 sources
- Marquis 19874 sources
- Marquis 19889 sources
- Marquis 198910 sources
- Marquis 19906 sources
- Marquis 19919 sources
- Marquis 199323 sources
- Marquis 199430 sources
- Marquis 199520 sources
- Marquis 199631 sources
- Marquis 199753 sources
- Marquis 199829 sources
- Marquis 199924 sources
- Marquis 200023 sources
- Marquis 200126 sources
- Marquis 200211 sources
- Marquis 200333 sources
- Marquis 200412 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1992 Mercury Marquis?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, vehicle speed control, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (21%), smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), oil leak or consumption (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 Mercury 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 1992 Mercury 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 1992 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.