1990 Mercury Grand Marquis problems & reliability
56 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis. Last verified Aug 7, 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 13 | 23% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 16% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 16% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 14% |
| Power Train | 6 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 5% |
| Structure | 3 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 4% |
| Visibility | 2 | 4% |
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
“Engine occasionally surges when placed into reverse. The engine immediately races and the car even convulses. The only thing that stops it is to turn off the engine. This is my mom's car and she rarely drives it.”
Engine · filed Aug 1, 2015
“I embarked on a routine trip to dinner in my mother's 1990 mercury marquis. I started the engine which idled normally, as usual. With my foot on the brake, I engaged the shift lever into the r position which resulted in immediate accelleration in a reverse direction. I swerved the car to the left to avoid children…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed May 24, 2005
“Goodyear integrity p215/75r15. Sidewall blowout at highway speed (45-55 mph.) tires were installed on 08/27/2001, and had 36,000 miles at time of failure. Tires were well maintained, had no prior damage, and tire showed no signs of problems prior to failure. Failure was spontaneous and catastrophic. T is ironic that a…”
Tires · filed Oct 28, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- BRAKE LINE PUNCTURES
Preliminary Evaluation PE91125 · opened Sep 11, 1991 · closed Jan 15, 1992
Technical service bulletins
36 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis. The 10 most recent:
Transfer service tips for the front wiper motor mount bracket and depressed park output arm. *tt
02107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2002
This aritlce is to provide information on replacement of old style hood lamp switch to the rvised mechanical hood lamp switch. *tt
01194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
This information is a supplement to the wiper system service information provided in the workshop manuals. This service information is intended as an aid to assist in diagnosis and repair of erratic wiper system…
011201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system. *tt
002310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2000
Subject regarding climate control - eatc - blower motor control service tips. *jb
00213 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2000
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
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 1990 Mercury 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 1990 Mercury 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.