U.S. public vehicle records

2000 Mercury GRAND MARQUIS problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

162 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

73,825 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2000 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 89 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 14 of 162 complaints (8.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	24	14.8%
Steering behavior	20	12.3%
Electrical and battery issues	7	4.3%
Engine operation	4	2.5%
Fuel system concerns	4	2.5%
Transmission and shifting	2	1.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Exterior Lighting

Electrical System

Vehicle Speed Control

Steering

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Exterior Lighting	14
Electrical System	10
Vehicle Speed Control	10
Steering	9
Engine	8
Engine And Engine Cooling	7
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	7
Exterior Lighting:Headlights	6

Exterior Lighting: 14; Electrical System: 10; Vehicle Speed Control: 10; Steering: 9; Engine: 8; Engine And Engine Cooling: 7; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 7; Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 11; 25,000 to 49,999: 16; 50,000 to 74,999: 18; 75,000 to 99,999: 16; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 12

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (18). 73 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2022

2023

2000: 17; 2001: 18; 2002: 15; 2003: 14; 2004: 10; 2005: 19; 2006: 6; 2007: 2; 2008: 6; 2009: 2; 2010: 3; 2011: 7; 2012: 5; 2013: 3; 2014: 4; 2015: 5; 2016: 4; 2017: 6; 2018: 5; 2019: 3; 2020: 4; 2022: 2; 2023: 2

Pattern summary

Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 24 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 20 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 7 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10041900 · 2003-09-29 (September 29, 2003)

REAR BRAKE PADS ARE WEARING OUT EXCESSIVELY, AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAUSE OF EXCESSIVE WEAR IS UNDETERMINED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 22,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041900 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10050365 · 2003-12-10 (December 10, 2003)

DESIGN OF VEHICLE ROTORS ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE PADS.*MR ROUTINE INSPECTION OF THE ROTORS SHOWED DEEP GROOVING OF THE ROTORS BY THE BRAKE PADS. THE WEAR ON THE PADS WAS WITHIN TOLERANCE BUT THE ROTORS HAD TO BE MACHINED TO RESTORE SURFACE INTEGRITY. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO INDICATED THAT THE ROTORS ARE EXPENDABLE ITEMS BUT THE CONSUMER DISAGREES AND BELIEVES THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS DESIGNED POORLY. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10050365 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10018049 · 2003-06-26 (June 26, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THE STEERING BELT CAME OFF THE VEHICLE. *NLM PH *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 21,010 miles reported. Look up ODI 10018049 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10026857 · 2003-08-22 (August 22, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMERS WIFE LOSS CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND HIT THE RAILS ON BOTH SIDES. THE VEHICLE HEADED INTO A DITCH ON THE LEFT SIDE, THE CONSUMER YANKED THE WHEEL TO SEND THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT BUT INSTEAD THE WENT ACROSS TWO LANES AND SLAMMED INTO THE MEDIAN. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE CONSUMER WAS WORKING THE ELECTRONIC PASSENGER SEAT CONTROLS AND THE CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY CONNECTION. *AK *SCC THE MECHANIC CLAIMED THE BALL JOINT FAILURE CAU…

Owner-reported narrative. 47,764 miles reported. Look up ODI 10026857 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10026483 · 2003-08-01 (August 1, 2003)

AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED CAUSED THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER WHILE DRIVING. THE AIR CONDITIONER MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED NOISE IN THE GEAR BOX. THE TECHNICIAN PACKED GREASE ON THE RIMS AND UNDER THE WHEEL COVERS. THE BATTERY FAILED AND AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. *AK *CB *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 15,311 miles reported. Look up ODI 10026483 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10115554 · 2005-03-22 (March 22, 2005)

HEADLIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE BATTERY SYSTEM WILL WEAR DOWN. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 29,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10115554 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000544 · 2003-01-06 (January 6, 2003)

2000 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS LS VIN [XXX]. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THE CAR STALLED AND COULDN'T BE STARTED UNTIL PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN TOWED AND REPAIRED AT THE MERCURY GARAGE, THE ONLY CAUSE WAS A DEFECTIVE #8 CYLINDER COIL/PLUG ASSEMBLY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT FORD HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT FOR COIL/PLUG FAILURES. A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THIS THE #7 COIL/PLUG ASSEMBLY SHORTED OUT BUT IT DID NOT CAUSE THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD RECALL 2000 MERCURYS AN…

Owner-reported narrative. 24,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000544 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10109241 · 2005-01-31 (January 31, 2005)

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. AFTER WAITING FOR A LITTLE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN FOR A WHILE BEFORE IT STALLED AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND NOTHING COULD BE FOUND.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10109241 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008737 · 2003-06-09 (June 9, 2003)

THE FUEL TANK WAS KNOWN TO EXPLODE DURING IMPACT CRASHES.*JB *TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10008737 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10220252 · 2008-03-06 (March 6, 2008)

I FILLED THE FUEL TANK. SHORTLY I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE LEVEL WAS RAPIDLY DROPPING. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. FUEL WAS POURING FROM BENEATH THE VEHICLE. A LARGE PUDDLE OF FUEL COLLECTED UNDER THE VEHICLE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE FUEL PUMP HAD STUCK AT 65 PSI AND RUPTURED THE FUEL LINE. I HAD THE FUEL LINE AND PUMP, ALONG WITH THE FILTER REPLACED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 94,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10220252 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10240968 · 2008-09-04 (September 4, 2008)

ON 08/18/2008 MY MOTHER TOOK HER VEHICLE TO SUNNYVALE LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERSHIP [408] 732-7000[SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THERE] BECAUSE SHE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING THE TRANSMISSION TO GO IN GEAR USING THE GEAR SHIFT HANDLE ON THE STEERING COLOMN. THE DEALERSHIP [INVOICE 24804, GABRIEL MEDINA] SAID THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE DROVE O.K. IT WAS JUST HARD TO GO FROM PARK TO DRIVE. MY MOTHER IS 86 YEARS OLD AND LIVES BY HER SELF. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT SHE WAS TAKEN FOR A RIDE AND CHEATED OUT OF $2,611.93. SHE WAS NEVER T…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,352 miles reported. Look up ODI 10240968 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10937065 · 2016-12-22 (December 22, 2016)

A BOLT IN THE SHIFTING LINKAGE LOOSENS OVER TIME ON MANY FORD MODELS. OUR BOLT APPARENTLY LOOSENED & CAUSES SHIFTER TO BE IN A GREAT OTHER THAN WHAT IS INDICATED ON THE DASH. OUR VEHICLE INDICATED IT WAS IN THE ' PARK' POSITION, BUT WAS NOT. THE VEHICLE LATER ROLLED DOWN THE HILL & CAUSED NEARLY $1200 OF DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. FORD KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM.

Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10937065 at NHTSA ↗