Check a VIN

2005 Mercury Grand Marquis: headlights failing or too dim

254 of the 488 complaints about the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis describe headlights failing or too dim.

owner complaints
254
of this car's complaints
52%
typical repair cost reported
$700
typical mileage
78,000
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for this area of the car. See below

Headlights failing or too dim by model year

What owners say

Filed Sep 16, 2026 · Lights · 144,500 miles · MN

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the front headlights flickered on and off before turning off. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving at night. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware of scorch marks on the LCM, and the relay switch had burn marks. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the front headlights manually, the front headlights remained illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure by phone. The contact was informed that the VIN was not associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 144,500.

Filed Jul 1, 2025 · Lights · 80,082 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The contact stated that the headlights activated without driver input. The contact removed the circuit wires. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 80,082.

Filed May 13, 2025 · Lights · 160,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and at night, the headlights independently turned off. The contact had taken the vehicle 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 mechanic advised the contact of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Filed May 12, 2025 · Lights · 211,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the contact became aware that the front headlamps had intermittently failed to provide proper illumination, greatly reducing nighttime visibility. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting); the VIN was included, but the vehicle was already repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 211,000.

Filed Oct 18, 2024 · Lights · 85,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the headlights flickered after approximately a minute. The headlights continued to turn on and off independently. The headlights eventually became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Oct 23, 2023 · Lights · 35,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH at night, there was a flash, and the headlights became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's brother informed him to use the high beam headlights. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the failure was due to the lighting control module. The contact called the local dealer, who stated that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. The manufacturer was contacted, who informed him that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

Filed Jul 19, 2023 · Lights · SC

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 55 MPH at night, the headlights became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact who is an independent mechanic, stated that he diagnosed that the Light Control Module (LCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and advised the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Apr 14, 2023 · Lights · 156,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the headlights became inoperable, without warning. The contact pulled over on the side of the road, after turning off and turning on the headlight switch, the headlights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the lighting control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included on the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was 156,000.

Filed Jan 26, 2023 · Lights · 81,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the headlights fluctuated off and on without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting) and referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 81,000. The contact stated the failure happened at any speed and that the vehicle was repaired.

Filed Sep 19, 2022 · Lights · 227,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving, the front headlights intermittently failed. The contact stated that he replaced the headlight bulbs, but the failure recurred. No warning light was illuminated. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting). The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to call the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 227,000.

Filed May 16, 2022 · Lights · 93,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that several years ago while driving at night at an undisclosed speed, the headlights became inoperable. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the headlights resumed normal operation. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer and had the headlights serviced under a Customer Satisfaction Program. Recently, the contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the headlights became inoperable without warning. The contact was forced to use the hazard lights after multiple attempts to restart the headlights had failed. The contact coasted the vehicle to the nearest gas station and upon arrival the headlights began to operate. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where he was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

Filed Feb 14, 2022 · Lights · 140,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the headlights would intermittently turn off and back on. The contact stated that while driving over bumps in the roadway or depressing the accelerator pedal, the headlights would become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with an intermittent electrical short in the headlight module. The contact was notified of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V861000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Exterior lighting: headlightsReported December 22, 2015 · 296,004 vehicles affected
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

Questions about the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis headlights

Is headlights failing or too dim a common problem on the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis?

254 of 488 owner complaints about the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis (52%) mention headlights failing or too dim. The model year with the most reports is 2005.

How much does it cost to fix headlights failing or too dim on the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $700 (median of 35 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis?

There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis

Airbag light 56Sudden acceleration 11Seat belt 8Adaptive cruise 7No deployment 7Stalling 6Wipers 6Tire blowout 5

All model years of the Mercury Grand Marquis

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history