IllustrationTHE CONSUMER WAS SEEKING RECALL ON THE TFI MODULE WHICH WAS DEFECTIVE. THE TFI MODULE FAILURE COULD RESULT IN ACCIDENT AND DEATH. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT DOES NOT FORCE A RECALL BUT ONLY COVERS REPLACEMENT COST AFTER FAILURE. *YH
1990 Mercury Grand Marquis
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 78.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Marquis years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 56 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports5 fire reports2 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
13 reportsCONSUMER STATES DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THICK FILM IGNITION MOUDLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT
I WAS PROCEEDING HOME IN EVENING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR ENGINE QUIT INSTANTANEOUSLY. I WAS FORCED TO STOP IN THE RIGHT LANE OF TRAFFIC. ALTHOUGH IN THE RIGHT LANE I COULD NOT PULL OFF OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THERE WAS A BARRIER WITH NO SHOULDER FOR ME TO PULL ONTO. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT HIT BY ANOTHER CAR ALTHOUGH I WAS SI…
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I WAS PROCEEDING HOME IN EVENING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR ENGINE QUIT INSTANTANEOUSLY. I WAS FORCED TO STOP IN THE RIGHT LANE OF TRAFFIC. ALTHOUGH IN THE RIGHT LANE I COULD NOT PULL OFF OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THERE WAS A BARRIER WITH NO SHOULDER FOR ME TO PULL ONTO. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT HIT BY ANOTHER CAR ALTHOUGH I WAS SITTING WHERE TRAFFIC HAD TO STOP ABRUPTLY AND SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ME. THE CAR WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR LATER. THE VEHICLE TRAFFIC WHERE I WAS STALLED ROUTINELY MOVES AT OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR WHICH LUCKILY FOR ME DID NOT RESULT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *AK
VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE AND PARKED. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE OPERATOR NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD, THE OPERATOR IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AS THE ALTERNATOR. OPERATOR CONTINUED TO OBSERVE THE VEHICLE AND NOTED THAT THE VOLUME OF SMOKE WAS INCREASING. AFTER A…
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VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE AND PARKED. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE OPERATOR NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD, THE OPERATOR IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AS THE ALTERNATOR. OPERATOR CONTINUED TO OBSERVE THE VEHICLE AND NOTED THAT THE VOLUME OF SMOKE WAS INCREASING. AFTER APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES, THE ALTERNATOR BURST INTO FLAMES. ARCING WAS SEEN AND HEARD WITHIN THE ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED BY FETTE FORD IN WAYNE, NJ IN SEPT 1999 AND, UPON SUBSEQUENT FAILURE, AGAIN IN APPROXIMATELY JAN 2000. FETTE FORD STATED THAT REBUILT FORD ALTERNATORS WERE USED IN BOTH CASES. *AK
WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT, CAUSING ALL LIGHTS INSIDE VEHICLE, AS WELL AS TAIL LIGHTS AND PARK LIGHTS TO STAY ON. IN ADDITION, FUSE BURNED AND MELTED. REPAIRS MADE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK
WHEN TRAVELING THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE ALTERNATOR. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *AK
WIRING HARNESS FAILURE CAUSED FIRE.
OWNER UNABLE TO DETECT HORN BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL. *AK
THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING ELECTRCAL PROBLEMS DUE TO THE IGNITION SWITCH. COULD START A FIRE. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH OVERHEATS. *SD
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE91125 · Brake Line Punctures
Opened Sep 11, 1991 · Closed Jan 15, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available