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FaultScore report

1996 Ford Grand Marquis problems

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 1996 Ford Grand Marquis with NHTSA between 1999 and 2004. The largest single group is the engine & cooling.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Ford Grand Marquis All 1996 cars
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Not graded

Too few complaints, or too short a model run, to compare fairly.

How this is worked out

The numbers

13

Complaints

1

Crashes reported

2

Fires reported

1

Injuries reported

How 1996 compares with every other Ford Grand Marquis

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 1996 Ford Grand Marquis

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Engine & Cooling 5 38.5%

Median failure at 77,625 miles

Fuel & Propulsion 3 23.1%

0 crashes, 1 fires

Airbags 3 23.1%

1 crashes, 0 fires

Suspension 1 7.7%
Electrical System 1 7.7%

0 crashes, 1 fires

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

25,000 – 49,999 miles 1 25.0%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 1 25.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 2 50.0%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Nov 1999 peak 3 Oct 2004

NHTSA investigations into the 1996 Ford Grand Marquis

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

EA03012 Opened 25 Jul 2003 Closed 11 Apr 2005 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID

REAR BRAKE LINE FAILURE

IN A LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 25, 2005, FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD) NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT WOULD BE CONDUCTING A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM (FORD NO. 04B26) TO CORRECT A REAR BRAKE LINE CHAFING CONCERN IN APPROXIMATELY 44,000 MODEL YEAR (MY) 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA AND GRAND MARQUIS NON-FLEET VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC TRACTION CONTROL THAT WEREBUILT AFTER MARCH 19, 1997.THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN ADDITIONAL REAR BRAKE LINE AND A MASTIC PATCH CAUSING REDUCED CLEARANCE FROM A STIFFENING RIB IN THE FLOOR PAN.ODI?S ANALYSIS SHOWED HIGHER COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY RATES RELATED TO REAR BRAKE LINE FAI...

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Benito, TX Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD CONSUMER PULLED VELICLE OVER AND NOTICED COOLENT AND WATER SPRYING OVER ENGINE . VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8001608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Benito, TX Fire

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD CONSUMER PULLED VELICLE OVER AND NOTICED COOLENT AND WATER SPRYING OVER ENGINE . VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8001608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Union, MO Crash 4 injured

AIR BAGS

AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, GAS FROM AIR BAGS BURNED CONSUMERS FACE. NLM

NHTSA complaint #560315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Washington, DC

SUSPENSION:REAR

FW; 1996 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS FUEL TANK PROBLEM. *BF THE CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE POSSIBLILITY OF THE FUEL TANK RUPTURING FOLLOWING A HIGH ENERGY REAR END COLLISION RESULTING IN SEVERE FIRES. THE CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW IF POLICE AND CIVILIAN VERSIONS OF THE CROWN VICTORIA SHARE THE SAME FUEL SYSTEM AND REAR SUSPENSION GEOMETRY. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE SOME HELP TRYING TO DECIDE HOW SAFE HER 1996 GRAND MARQUIS.

NHTSA complaint #10095208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Washington, DC

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

FW; 1996 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS FUEL TANK PROBLEM. *BF THE CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE POSSIBLILITY OF THE FUEL TANK RUPTURING FOLLOWING A HIGH ENERGY REAR END COLLISION RESULTING IN SEVERE FIRES. THE CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW IF POLICE AND CIVILIAN VERSIONS OF THE CROWN VICTORIA SHARE THE SAME FUEL SYSTEM AND REAR SUSPENSION GEOMETRY. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE SOME HELP TRYING TO DECIDE HOW SAFE HER 1996 GRAND MARQUIS.

NHTSA complaint #10095208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Elizabethton, TN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND SPILLED COOLANT INSIDE THE ENGINE. DEALER NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #10079495 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 90,000 miles West Elkhart, IN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DRIVER BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE CONSUMER FOUND A SERVICE PROGRAM WHICH WAS ISSUED FOR THE DEFECT AND BELIEVES THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED FREE UNDER THE PROGRAM. *AK *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10038404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 65,250 miles BAY Shore, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAS AN EXTREME LEAKAGE OF WATER FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, AND MAY CAUSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA complaint #10002309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 94,000 miles Mustang, OK

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD BECAUSE OF PLASTIC MANIFOLD INTAKE CRACKED. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA complaint #10002215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 36,000 miles West Palm Beach, FL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD COVER THAT WAS MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE ENGINE HAD DEVELOPED A CRACK, AND CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK OUT. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. MR JG *JB JG

NHTSA complaint #8022124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bakersville, LA

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM

CONSUMER STATED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, WATER BEGAN LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD CRACKED.*AK *SLC

NHTSA complaint #8002986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Benito, TX Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD CONSUMER PULLED VELICLE OVER AND NOTICED COOLENT AND WATER SPRYING OVER ENGINE . VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8001608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Benito, TX Fire

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD CONSUMER PULLED VELICLE OVER AND NOTICED COOLENT AND WATER SPRYING OVER ENGINE . VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8001608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Union, MO Crash 4 injured

AIR BAGS

AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, GAS FROM AIR BAGS BURNED CONSUMERS FACE. NLM

NHTSA complaint #560315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Harlingen, TX

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DURING COLLISION VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS RESULTED IN FIRE TO CONSUMER'S SHIRT, HOWEVER NO INJURY. MJS

NHTSA complaint #548826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Harlingen, TX

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DURING COLLISION VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS RESULTED IN FIRE TO CONSUMER'S SHIRT, HOWEVER NO INJURY. MJS

NHTSA complaint #548826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.