2004 Mercury Marauder problems & reliability
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Mercury Marauder. 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting → | 10 | 37% |
| Tires | 5 | 19% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 15% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Power Train | 2 | 7% |
| Structure | 2 | 7% |
| Wheels | 2 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 22 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 66,795 miles (middle 50% between 40,000 and 111,500 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The steering had become stiff and "notchy" while turning, and the steering wheel would not return to straight ahead on its own. It was found that the lower steering shaft had 1 of the 3 bearing frozen and required replacement. This is the same exact parts and symptoms as listed listed in ford recall 13s08”
Steering · filed Oct 14, 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury marauder. While operating the vehicle, the low beam headlights would suddenly shut off. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent, but worsened and recurred more frequently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the light control module was faulty and…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Mar 10, 2015
“I was driving my 2004 mercury marauder on a two lane road in delaware county ny when my headlights went out. Driving the back roads takes total concentration due to the large number of nocturnal animals which can cross roads. I am the original owner of this car and I take great pride in maintaining it to the utmost…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Nov 28, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Steering Column Shaft Obstruction
Preliminary Evaluation PE14021 · opened Jul 7, 2014 · closed Nov 21, 2014
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Mercury Marauder.
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Engine misfire with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) pewee, p0302, p0303, p0304, p0305, p0306, p0307, p0308, and p0316. *tt
06513 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Cosmetic cracking of lower control arm bushing sleeve. *mj
17545 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2004
Anti-lock brake system (abs) light on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) c1222 (speed wheel mismatch). *tt
17492 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2004 Mercury Marauder 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 2004 Mercury Marauder?
- · 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 66,795 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.