While driving my vehicle headlights turn off and back on, sometimes off for minutes sometimes flickering.
2003 Mercury Grand Marquis lights problems
207 complaints (57% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 96,000. 5 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 207
- of this car's complaints
- 57%
- typical mileage
- 96,000
- crashes
- 5
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Headlights19
- Headlights: switch1
- Brake lights1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Mercury Grand Marquis lights problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis lights
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured October 3, 2001, to August 2, 2005. The affected vehicles have a lighting control module (LCM) that may fail, resulting in a loss of headlights.
- Risk
- A loss of headlights can reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the LCM, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S39.
Recall number 15V861000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Loss of headlights
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation concerning the loss of headlights in model year (MY) 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles. The subject vehicles share the same architecture and major components.ODI has received 636 unique reports (for all submission dates) related to the alleged defect, with owners describing a loss of both low and/or high beam headlights occurring while driving.ODI identified 4 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire ( VOQ) reports alleging minor crash or loss of control incidents due to headlight failures.Drivers alleged running off of the road due to a lack of headlights and one driver reportedly struck a deer.No injuries were indicated in the VOQ crashes.In response to ODI's Information Request (IR) letter, Ford Motor Company (Ford) responded with 4173 unique reports related to the alleged problem.There were a total of 11 crashes reported within that group as well as one injury that occurred when the vehicle struck an unseen object on the side of the road when the headlights failed. Ford also submitted 49,843 warranty claims related to headlight failures.Most reports indicate that the headlights failed without warning leaving the driver with no forward lighting, however some noted the headlights flickered or dimmed prior to turning off.Consumers also noted they were able to hold the flash to pass lever on the steering column mounted stalk to activate the high beams however this is only effective as long as the lever is physically actuated.On December 21st, 2015 Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (15V‑861) to remedy headlight failures on (MY) 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles.According to Ford, the headlights of the vehicle are controlled by the Lighting Control Module (LCM) located in the engine compartment of the vehicle.The LCM uses an internal relay, mounted to a circuit board, to control power to the headlights. The headlight relay is soldered to the circuit board at six different terminals. The original equipment LCMs were manufactured in a manner that resulted in the solder joints fatiguing and/or cracking as a result of repeated thermal cycling and/or vibration, a defect condition. The condition could be exacerbated by manufacturing quality issues such as an insufficient amount of solder, effecting the continuity between the circuit board and the relay terminal, and resulting in loss of headlights while driving.Other lighting functions are unaffected by this condition.The LCM manufacturing processes were revised to address the defect condition and Ford has been conducting a warranty extension program to cover defective LCMs since late 2013.Under the recall Ford will replace any remaining defective LCMs in recalled vehicles with remedy LCMs once they become available.See the federal safety agency recall 15V‑861 for further details on the safety recall.The recall action initiated by Ford addresses the safety risks of concern to ODI.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.
PE15028
Loss of headlamp/exterior lighting
In a letter dated October 2, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) was initially petitioned by the North Carolina Consumers Council, Inc. requesting a defect investigation of an alleged defect condition resulting in headlight and/or exterior lighting failure on 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles.ODI analyzed Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaints received from consumers and identified a total of 605 reports (for all submission dates) alleging headlight failure.The complaints indicate failures of both low beam headlights typically while driving, a defect condition that was evaluated under a prior ODI investigation (PE08066).Most consumer VOQs indicate that the headlights failed suddenly and without warning leaving the driver with no forward lighting, however some report the headlights flickered or dimmed prior to turning off.In some cases drivers were able to turn the headlights back on after a period of time while others reported the headlights would not come back on at all.Consumers noted they were able to hold the flash to pass lever on the steering column mounted stalk to activate the high beams however this is only effective as long as the lever is actuated.ODI identified 4 VOQ reports alleging minor crash or loss of control incidents due to headlight failures.Drivers indicated running off of the road due to a lack of headlights and one driver reportedly struck a deer.No injuries were indicated in the VOQ crashes.In response to ODI's April 7, 2015 Information Request letter, Ford provided data indicating it has received 3,092 complaints of failed headlights related to the Lighting Control Module (LCM), a device that controls the headlights and other lighting functions.This number includes the complaints Ford reviewed and classified as headlight failure due specifically to the LCM.Within Ford's complaints, there are 11 reports alleging a crash occurred.These drivers reported hitting objects, including other vehicles after the headlights failed causing damage to the affected vehicles.One driver was injured when their car struck an unseen object in the road, jerking the steering wheel from their hands and injuring their shoulder.In total 15 crash allegations were identified, all of which have occurred since ODI's prior evaluation of this issue.This petition has been granted.Preliminary Evaluation PE15-028 has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Sarchreference under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.
DP15002
Loss of headlight function
The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, field and technical data provided by ford and complainant interviews. Ford found that some lighting control modules (lcm) in the subject vehicles contained defective solder joints on the printed circuit board.this condition can lead to poor headlight performance ranging from intermittent outage and dimming to eventual headlights failure.the failure does not affect other lighting functions (park, emergency flasher, brake and flash to pass lights).the agency is aware of a total of 306 consumers complaints and no report of crash, injury or fatality.ford reports 2,074 warranty claims related to headlight failure linked to the lcm during the first three years of operation.about 12% (247) of these claims are specific to headlight failure while driving.the average warranty rate for headlight failing while driving is low (0.05%).ford reports a slightly higher warranty rate experienced for the crown victoria police interceptor vehicles and this is attributed to the higher duty cycle of these vehicles (headlights on for longer periods).a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
PE08066
What 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact that the headlights were intermittently inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that the instrument panel lights, the brake lights, and the turn signal lights were inoperable. The contact who is a mechanic, had inspected the fuses, the fuse box, and other unknown parts, but found no failures. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The Lighting Control Module has failed and my brake lights and dash board lights turn off after couple minutes while driving with the lights on. I took my vehicle in to dealer already once for problem to be fixed a year ago. They did repair but now same problem is occurring again. I went back to dealer Sunrise Ford in Fontana and they said recall work is only warranty for 1 year or 12k miles. The work was done in December 2023. They want to charge me $230.00 for diagnostic. But issue is same problem as before. Recall number is 15S39. Driving without brake lights is dangerous and has limited my driving. I cannot go out at night. I do not have another vehicle. This affects my life. I've called other dealers and they refuse to do the work.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis The contact stated that both the headlamps and the taillights intermittently failed to operate as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed. The dealer placed a processor on the vehicle and rewired the lights however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.
The headlights shut off without warning
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front headlights shutoff independently while turned on. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact who is an independent mechanic determined that the lighting control module (LCM) needed to be replaced. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 285,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while attempting to pull out of the parking lot, the headlights and the taillights became inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Head lights suddenly went out while driving at night causing near accident, happening frequently. Also, the gas tank leaks when I put gas in car, making it smell badly and making it dangerous if someone drops a cigarette near it.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the headlights were inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lighting control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the lighting control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 181,000.
Questions about the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis lights
Does the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis have lights problems?
Owners have filed 207 complaints about the lights of the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis, 57% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis lights problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 96,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis lights?
Yes, 1 recall: 15V861000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Mercury Grand Marquis have the most lights problems?
The Mercury Grand Marquis model years with the most lights complaints are 2005 (293 complaints), 2004 (209 complaints) and 2003 (207 complaints).
Other 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis problems
Electrical 51Steering 28Suspension 28Acceleration 27Engine 18Transmission 12Airbags 11Fuel system 10Visibility 10Wheels 10Body 9Brakes 7Seat belts 5Seats 2Locks 1Tires 1
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