Problems · by component
2003 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicle speed control problems
32 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis cite vehicle speed control, 8% of all 395 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
32
8% of all complaints
Crashes
14
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
What owners say about the vehicle speed control
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I started Mercury with foot on break like normal. Shifted into reverse. Car accelerated backwards at full speed. Brakes did not stop car. Attempted to shift into neutral but went into drive instead. Car accelerated forward at full speed with my foot still on break. Car hit metal post and tree knocking them down and dragging the tree 50 to 60 feet before stopping with my foot still on the break. Car had stopped accelerating. I turned off the ignition. This unintended acceleration had happened before. Two different dealers attempted to fix the problem. Both of them thought they had been successful but it happened again. Previously, applying the brakes stopped the car, but not this time. Someone could have been injured severely or killed.”
“IN FIRESTONE STORE PARKING AREA PERPENDICULAR TO SERVICE FOR ATTENDANT TO FILL THE RT FRT TIRE. PULLED UP TO ATTENDANT , APPLIED BRAKES AND VEH SURGED AHEAD, STRUGGLED TO CONTROL TO NO AVAIL. MADE DIFFUCULT U TURN TO AVOID DRV INTO STREET TRAFFIC, CRASHED OTHER VEH, CONT'D ON JUMPING 2 INSIDE PK CURBS STOPPING AS FRAME STOPPED RES ON CURB”
“UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION WHEN CAR IS STOPPED AT A LIGHT, CAR LUNGES FORWARD. ON ONE OCCASION THE CAR WAS BURNING RUBBER . VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY. HAVE TO SHUT OFF IGNITION WHEN THIS HAPPENS. HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. MY WIFE REFUSES TO RIDE IN THE VEHICLE.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED APPROXIMATELY TO 4000. THE CONTACT STATED EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS AGGRESSIVELY DEPRESSED UNTIL THE BRAKES RESPONDED AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASED TO 4,000 RPM'S/ WITH THE BRAKE FULLY DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED WITH A SERIES OF LUNGES AT A HIGH SPEED. ONLY BY RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SLAMMING ON THE BRAKE, DID THE VEHICLE STOP ABOUT THREE QUARTERS ACROSS THE INTERSECTION WITH THE ENGINE AT A NORMAL IDLE SPEED. NO WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE HAD A HISTORY OF ALMOST STALLING WHILE COMING TO A STOP. THE DEALER DID NOT FIND ANY CODES. UPDATED 12/04/14”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED EXCESSIVELY AS THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 147,696.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE UNINTENDEDLY ACCELERATED WHEN THE GEAR LEVER WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AND CRASHED INTO THE NEARBY GARAGE AND ALSO CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURY TO THE LEFT KNEE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION MALFUNCTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
Showing 6 of 32 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.