AI Damage1997 Mercury Marquis: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mercury Marquis filed 53 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 53
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 40% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 15% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 21 complaints (40% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 8 complaints (15% of all).
- Service brakes: 6 complaints (11% of all).
- Fuel system: 5 complaints (9% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 53 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 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.
Tl contact owns a 1997 mercury marquis. While driving approximately 15 mph on normal road conditions. The driver loss steering control. The vehicle crashed into an utility pole, boulder and fence. The driver sustained minor injury. The police was not called to the scene.
1997 mountaineer, engine race, could not stop the car. Used the brakes but engine raced and banged into our house in order to stop. This was the fourth incident, in a month time. Other incidents were hitting a car in order for the car to stop. No one was hurt, thank goodness. But this was scary.
The air bags smoked up everything like the vehicle was on fire. Also, consumer's grand daughter was riding in the back seat on the passenger's side, and her teeth print was in the back of the seat. Both of the children were in their seat belts. Consumer felt the seat belts should have held up better.
The vehicle experienced 2 tire blows out simultaneously, which caused the consumer to hit the median.
Would run off the road, and the vehicle hit a guard rail, and the airbag didn't deploy.
Tl contact owns a 1997 mercury marquis. The vehicle speed control switch was disconnected on september 10, 2007. The dealer stated on three occasions that the part for the repair would be available. More recently, the dealer stated that they do not know when the parts will be available.
1997 mercury marquis with cruise control recall. Consumer stated that the dealer and manufacturer stated that the vehicle would be fixed in 2007. Consumer stated it still was not fixed by january 2008. The consumer was informed the part may not be available until june or july 2008.
The contact stated that the pipe that extends from the fender where fuel is applied has rusted out. The failure is causing a fuel leak. The contact has found large puddles of gasoline underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who stated that it needed a gas filler pipe.
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 5,181 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Marquis has 16 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 53, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
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 199224 sources
- Marquis 199323 sources
- Marquis 199430 sources
- Marquis 199520 sources
- Marquis 199631 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 1997 Mercury Marquis?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, suspension, service brakes. Total complaints: 53. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (15%), rust, corrosion (6%), tires: bulges, blowouts (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.