1998 Mercury Grand Marquis problems & reliability
143 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles were involved in 19 fatal crashes with 15 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 26 | 18% |
| Steering | 17 | 12% |
| Exterior Lighting | 16 | 11% |
| Suspension | 16 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 15 | 10% |
| Structure | 10 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% |
| Power Train | 8 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 5% |
| Tires | 7 | 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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 84,700 miles (middle 50% between 60,000 and 110,000 miles), based on 40 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury grand marquis. The contact stated that while examining his vehicle at his residence, he noticed the front ball joints were defective. The vehicle taken to expressway ford of mount vernon (3800 highway 62 e, mount vernon, in 47620) on may 30 2020, where the vehicle was inspected and…”
Suspension · filed Sep 22, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury grand marquis. While driving various speeds, the headlights and instrument panel lighting failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the failure occurred periodically. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 23, 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury grand marquis equipped with firestone fr380 tires, size: p225/60r16. The contact stated that the tires had premature blisters and tread deterioration. The tire repair facility (firestone complete auto care, 4401 n first ave, evansville, in 47710, (812) 618-3542) diagnosed that the…”
Tires · filed Mar 5, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- FUEL-FED FIRES
Defect Petition DP02007 · opened Aug 22, 2002 · closed Dec 4, 2002
- POST REAR END COLLISION FIRES
Investigation SQ01014 · opened Nov 27, 2001 · closed Oct 3, 2002 · led to recall 02I003000
Technical service bulletins
164 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis. The 10 most recent:
Ford/lincoln mercury: certain 1992-2001 model year crown victoria, grand marquis, and town car vehicles registered in the states of wisconsin and connecticut upgrade modifications for high speed rear impacts. *pe
CSP 08B04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 15, 2008
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Extended coverage program 05n04 - extended coverage for composite intake manifold. This program is being provided as a settlement to a class action lawsuit. The terms of the settlement extend the coverage of the…
05N04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2005
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt
04217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2004
Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
031404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2004
Multiple driveability concerns under acceleration caused by ignition coil. *tt
17871 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2004
Transmission failure where there is a large amount of metal or debris in the pan. *tt
17810 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
Intermittent rapid flashing of the turn signals. *tt
17757 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2004
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
The 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1998 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 84,700 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.