FaultScore

2003 Mercury Grand Marquis transmission problems

13 of the 449 complaints about the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis are about the transmission — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 39,500 miles.

B

13

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Power Train 6 46.2%
Automatic Transmission 3 23.1%
Axle Assembly 1 7.7%
Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) 1 7.7%
Seal 1 7.7%
Differential Unit 1 7.7%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Mercury Grand Marquis year

1992 29 17.9%
1993 34 21.0%
1994 19 11.7%
1995 11 6.8%
1996 16 9.9%
1997 12 7.4%
1999 14 8.6%
2001 14 8.6%
2003 13 8.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Cleveland, OH

POWER TRAIN

PAINT PEELING WHINE FROM REAL DIFFERENTIAL

NHTSA complaint #10886248 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,000 miles Charleston, SC

POWER TRAIN

REAR AXLE AND BEARING NOISES. MARQUIS BOUGHT NEW. OWNER'S SON-IN-LAW NOTED MINOR BEARING NOISE IN REAR WHEN VISITING IN 2004. SON-IN-LAW RECEIVED CAR AFTER DEATH OF MOTHER-IN-LAW IN 2012, CAR HAD 24K MILES AT THAT TIME. NOTICED PRONOUNCED REAR END NOISE AT THAT TIME (A WHAA-WHAA-WHAA MATCHING SPEED CHANGES). LEFT REAR AXLE AND OUTBOARD BEARING FOUND TO BE PITTED AND WERE REPLACED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. RESEARCH BY OWNER INDICATES THAT AXLES FOR THIS, AND OTHER SIMILAR MERCURY AND FORDS HAD FACTORY AXLES INSTALLED THAT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY HEAT TREATED. NOW, NOV. 2014, AT 43.4K MILES THE RIGHT AXLE IS STARTING TO EXHIBIT NOISE SIMILAR, SO REPAIR IS UP-COMING. WILL EXAMINE NHTSA RECALL 04V328000 AS NOTED HERE IN OTHER COMMENTS POSTED. ALSO REFERENCE FORD/MERCURY SERVICE BULLETIN 0355.

NHTSA complaint #10660206 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 68,426 miles Harrison,, OH

POWER TRAIN

2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS, THE BUILT DATE IS 10/2002.GRINDING NOISE AT RIGHT REAR AXLE AND FLUID LEAKING AT RIGHT REAR AXLE SEAL COATING THE REAR BRAKES. RIGHT REAR AXLE BEARING AND SHAFT ASSY FAILURE PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V328000. THE VEHICLE BELONGED TO MY 75 YEAR OLD FATHER WHOM PASSED AWAY LAST YEAR. I NOW OWN THE CAR. I'LL ASSUME THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR QUITE SOME TIME. ACCORDING TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY THERE IS NO SUCH PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, FORD DOES SELL A HALF SHAFT REAR AXLE BEARING REPAIR KIT PART NUMBER 4A109 $618.91 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. CAN'T SEEM TO GET FORD LINCOLN MERCURY TO COVER COST OF REPAIR.

NHTSA complaint #10561812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 50,026 miles Kankakee, IL

POWER TRAIN

PREMATURE FAILURE OF REAR AXLE SHAFT BEARING. ORIGINAL NHTSA RECALL # 04V328000 IN JULY OF 2004. MY CAR WAS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL RECALL, BUT I HAVE JUST HAD THIS VERY PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. IF I HADN'T TAKEN THE CAR IN, I COULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM IF THE BEARING HAD GONE OUT TOTALLY. PLEASE FORCE FORD MOTOR CO. TO EXPAND THIS RECALL TO PAY FOR SIMILAR REPAIRS EVEN IF NOT INCLUDED IN ORIGINAL RECALL. A CAR WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM!

NHTSA complaint #10519724 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 52,000 miles Found Rock, TX

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE REAR AXLE SHAFT, BEARINGS AND, SEALS PREMATURELY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 52,000.

NHTSA complaint #10503171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 52,000 miles Palm Harbor, FL

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS GS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

NHTSA complaint #10441636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 8,000 miles Hampton, VA

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR AXLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. AT 15,000 MILES, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WITH CONCERNS OF THE NOISE. AGAIN, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. AT 23,000 MILES THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE REAR AXLE, BEARINGS, SEALS AND THE WHEEL SHAFT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE FAILURE DID NOT PERSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

NHTSA complaint #10347508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 63,000 miles Saint Johnsbury, VT

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ERRATICALLY WHEN IN CRUISE MODE, LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON VEHICLE, HAS ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENT SEVERAL TIMES. HAVE TO DIS-ENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL AND SHUT OFF OVERDRIVE TO CURE IT, AND KEEPS OCCURRING ALTHOUGH LESS FREQUENTLY.

NHTSA complaint #10273907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 39,500 miles Lunenburg, MA

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

REAR AXLE BEARING FAILURE ON 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. PE4010. THE AXLES ARE IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND FAIL DUE TO NORMAL LOADS. THIS CAR IS NOT A POLICE VEHICLE. THERE IS A CLEAR DEFECT IN THE AXLES OF ALL SIMILAR BODY STYLES.

NHTSA complaint #10186827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 39,500 miles Lunenburg, MA

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

REAR AXLE BEARING FAILURE ON 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. PE4010. THE AXLES ARE IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND FAIL DUE TO NORMAL LOADS. THIS CAR IS NOT A POLICE VEHICLE. THERE IS A CLEAR DEFECT IN THE AXLES OF ALL SIMILAR BODY STYLES.

NHTSA complaint #10186827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Milwaukee, WI

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS CUSTOMER HAS HAD THE HEAD AND INTERIOR LIGHTS REPAIRED THREE TIMES AND WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS CUSTOMER HAS EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN **CC THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE POWER CONTROL MODULE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS MIS-DIAGNOSED THREE TIMES AS THE PROBLEM BEING THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE.

NHTSA complaint #10185829 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 21,000 miles Issue, MD 1 injured

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THE VEHICLE'S SHIFTER JUMPED OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE. AS A RESULTED THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AND WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR COLLISION.

NHTSA complaint #10083212 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,000 miles Lynchburg, VA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

WHEN THE CONSUMER PUT THE GEAR INTO REVERSE ON AN INCLINE, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. *NLM PH

NHTSA complaint #10019974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis problems

← Full 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis report