RoadVitals

1996 Mercury Marquis

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
31
Latest Oct 2, 2007
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
4
4 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 31 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Mercury Marquis, most frequently naming the engine, brakes and visibility categories. 7 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine1129.7%
  • Brakes410.8%
  • Visibility410.8%
  • Suspension38.1%
  • Steering38.1%
  • Airbags25.4%
  • Driver assistance25.4%
  • Electrical25.4%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 31
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 2, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCURY MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND SHUT OFF SEVERAL TIMES. THE INTAKE GASKET WAS REPLACED, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER (05S28) IN AUGUST OF 2007 REGARDING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY DISCONNECTED THE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH AND STATED THAT THE OTHER FAILURES WERE UNRELATED. THE COST FOR A DIAGNOSTIC WOULD BE $900. THE CURRENT AND FAILURES MILEAGES WERE UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10204731
Incident
Sep 26, 2007
Engine
Filed Apr 12, 2006

MY INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING TODAY 4/12/2006 RESULTING IN COOLANT SPRAYING AND REDUCING MY VISIBILITY ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD RESULTING IN A NEAR HEAD ON MISS TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THE MANIFOLD HAS A KNOW DEFECT BY FORD WHICH WITHOUT MY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OR NOTIFICATION AGREED TO THE SETTLEMENT OF A CLASS ACTION SUIT. DUE THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT I HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED - WHICH IS ONE REASON FOR WRITING THIS MESSAGE. HOWEVER, THE MORE IMPORTANT REASON IS THE KNOWN POTENTIAL DANGER OF THIS DEFECT ON THE LIVES OF OTHERS WITHOUT HAVING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. TODAY COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL INJURY AND THE FORD COMPANY IS JUST LOOKING AT THE DOLLAR SIZE INSTEAD OF DOING THE RESPONSIBLE THING. IT'S A REAL SHAME AND I HOPE ODI CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I WAS LUCKILY TODAY, BUT OTHERS MAY NOT BE IN THE FUTURE. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL - THAT WOULD HAVE BE THE RESPONSIBLE THING FOR FORD TO DO. SOMEONE HAS TO FORCE THEM TO TAKE A MORE COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO THESE TYPES OF MATTERS - IT DOESN'T MAKE GOOD BUSINESS SENSE OR GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS NOT TO. I AM COUNTING ON YOU TO HELP DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AND HELP SAVE FUTURE LIVES AND INJURIES. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED 100 MILES AND THE COST OF REPAIRS IS GOING TO BE CLOSE TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TOTAL. DUE TO THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT (WWW.FORDMANIFOLDSETTLEMENT.COM), NOT ONLY DOES FORD GET AWAY WITH NOT REIMBURSING ME FOR MY COST, PUT MY LIFE IN JEOPARDY, BUT ALSO HAVING OTHERS OUT THERE WITH TICKING TIME BOMBS IN THERE CARS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10155226
Incident
Apr 12, 2006
Seat belts
Filed Oct 6, 2004
Crash reported1 injury reported

DURING A 15 MPH VEHICLE COLLISION DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER. CONSUMER'S HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
10095190
Incident
Sep 2, 2004
Mileage
119,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 15, 2004
1 injury reported

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD DEFECTIVE.CAUSED STEAM AND VAPORIZED ANTI-FREEZE TO ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.

NHTSA ID
10066227
Incident
Apr 14, 2004
Mileage
94,293 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 24, 2004

THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD CRACKED, CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK. DEALER REPLACED THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD WITH AN ALUMINUM MANIFOLD. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
10055638
Incident
Jan 21, 2004
Mileage
64,119 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 19, 2003

HEADLIGHTS PRODUCED A THICK FILM COVERING THE LENS. AS A RESULT VISIBILITY HAD BEEN IMPAIRED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10048340
Incident
Oct 15, 2003
Mileage
70,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 15, 2003
Fire reported

VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO POSSIBLE DEFECT. *MR *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID
10044150
Mileage
67,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 2, 2003

1996 MERCURY MARQUIS. *PH THE VEHICLES ENGINE/COOLING SYSTEM FAILED. *NLM *JB

NHTSA ID
10038174
Incident
Jun 18, 2003
Mileage
101,789 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

9735

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

AIR CONDITIONING- R-134A TRACER DYE INSTALLED IN A/C SYSTEM AND THREE O-RING SPRING LOCK COUPLERS- SERVICE TIP. *JD

BC0263970201

TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

LOCKING WIRE WHEEL COVER CENTER ORNAMENT WHERE THE EMBLEM HAS SEPARATED FROM THE BACKING PLATE. NEW REPLACEMENT PART. *JD

BC0311961101

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES

OWNER NOTIFICATION 96B97 OIL COOLER LINE REPLACEMENT CLARIFICATION. *TW

BC0313961101

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, CODE P030X, WITH NO DRIVEABILITY COMPLAINT. *TW

BC5195961001

TIRES

FIRESTONE P235 TIRES MAY EXHIBIT A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION AT 65-75 MPH. *TT

BC9688961001

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

INFORMATION FOR WHEN DIAGNOSING CONCERNS W/ FACTORY INSTALLED CELLULAR PHONES. *TT

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercury Marquis by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2004120026.3
2003330038.5
2002110045.0
2001260141.4
2000230039.4
1999240037.5
1998290137.9
1997531046.1
1996Viewing310039.3
1995200026.9
1994300149.7
1993230146.7
1992240149.5
1991900—
1990600—
1989100047.4
1988900—
1987400—
1986412—
1985522—
1984102362.7
1983132—
1982111—
1981030—
1979050—
1977110—
1974020—
1973020—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.