1997 Ford Grand Marquis problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Grand Marquis. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 11 | 58% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 16% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 11% |
| Structure | 2 | 11% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Steering | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The brakes pedal went to the floor when they were applied. The vehicle continued to accelerated in speed. The consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle and pulled over. The consumer noticed liquid leaking from underneath the vehicle onto the ground. The mechanic informed the driver that the hydraulic rear…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Sep 7, 2004
“When the brakes were applied, the vehicle pulled to the right. The vehicle was taken to sears and the technician determined that front passenger side frame broke and could not fix it. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who indicated it would cost the consumer $3862 to repair it. *ak there was a clunking noise that…”
Structure · filed Apr 28, 2004
“While driving vehicle overheated due to intake manifold failure. Coolant leaked into the engine. Dealer notified. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Apr 23, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Grand Marquis.
Information regarding tsb 98-5a-12 (transaxle/transmission/transfer case-vehicles towed behind recreational vehicles-recommended guidelines) does not list towing information for certain model vehicles. *mjs
12178 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1998
Some vehicles may exhibit a hard start/long crank, cold start stall, cold rough idle concern. *mjs
12174 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1998
Some vehicles equipped with pats (securilock) except certain models now have availability of fleet keys through rotunda. *mjs
12154 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1998
LOCKS FAILED. YD
98163 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1997 Ford Grand Marquis in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Ford Grand Marquis?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.