The steering had become stiff and "notchy" while turning, and the steering wheel would not return to straight ahead on its own. It was found that the lower steering shaft had 1 of the 3 bearing frozen and required replacement. This is the same exact parts and symptoms as listed listed in ford recall 13s08
The worst 2004 Mercury Marauder problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Lights10
- Tires5
- Brakes4
- Acceleration3
- Body2
- Electrical2
- Transmission2
- Wheels2
- Airbags1
- Engine1
- Steering1
- Visibility1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Mercury Marauder
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Steering Column Shaft Obstruction
On July 7, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a preliminary evaluation based on five complaints (VOQs) alleging incidents ofinterference between dislodged exhaust manifold heat shields and the lower steering shaft/knuckle, including one alleging the interference resulted in a crash on a highway entrance ramp. Since opening this investigation, ODI has received four additional owner complaints.One indicated that the shield was removed before binding could occur.The other three occurred at low speed and produced some momentary steering binding that was overcome by the driver when additional steering effort was applied.Once the shield was repaired or removed, the steering returned to normal.The single incident ODI identified as a possible crash (VOQ No. 10578715) related to this condition could not be verified and the description of the crash in the complaint was not supported by the police accident report.No additional crash allegations have been identified related to the alleged defect condition.Information provided by Ford in its September 10, 2014 response to ODI's information request letter identified 10 additional incidents resulting in a low rate of 1.6 incidents per 100,000 vehicles sold in vehicles ranging from 7 to 11 years in service.Six of these incidents were reported by a single source, a state police fleet that corrected the problems in March 2011 and has not reported any additional failures since.Ford also reported 5 warranty claims, but these incidents occurred at very low mileages and appeared to be caused by loose or missing heat shield attachment hardware rather than the corrosion condition that was the cause of the more recent incidents and the focus of this investigation.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 continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted.The following VOQs are associated with this investigation:10643753, 10615584, 10611362, 10610451, 10578715, 10479681, 10471833, 10317493.
PE14021
Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Mercury Marauder 4
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust
- Engine misfire with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) pewee, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0305, P0306, P0307, P0308,...
- Cosmetic cracking of lower control arm bushing sleeve
- Anti-lock brake system (ABS) light on with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) C1222 (speed wheel mismatch)
What 2004 Mercury Marauder owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury marauder. While operating the vehicle, the low beam headlights would suddenly shut off. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent, but worsened and recurred more frequently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the light control module was faulty and needed to be replaced. However, the part was not available and no estimated time for receiving the part could be provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.
I was driving my 2004 mercury marauder on a two lane road in delaware county ny when my headlights went out. Driving the back roads takes total concentration due to the large number of nocturnal animals which can cross roads. I am the original owner of this car and I take great pride in maintaining it to the utmost top condition. It is rare to find this model car(a marauder) but it is a grand marquis/ crown vic and while certain parts like tires are hard to come by, a light control module(lcm) is a dime a dozen. Ford has a program 14n01 (recall?) to replace these modules. Repeated calls to ford customer care and my dealer has proved that ford wants to help yet makes no commitment other then offering me a aftermarket part. The ford part is on back order. I feel ford will help me but only after my 18 year son has crashed due to ford reluctance to immediately correct a potentially dangerous condition. If the proper part is on back order when will the part become available? I purchased the part from a ford dealer and replaced it myself. Why? I can buy the lcm from a dealer in texas but my ny dealer can't get the part? Ford recognizes the problem uses a excuse of no parts? More important, ford and ford dealers want to correct the problem immediately with a non oem part? Why? Ford no longer has manufacturing resources? How about a potential head on collision due to a failed relay or relays in the lcm which costs $20 in parts to replace. Shame on you ford! How dare you put public safety job # who knows!
Oem tires for rear p245/55-18 not available from manufacturer for extended period of time. Part # shows tire is not discontinued yet no tires are available by b.f. Goodrich. No solution is offered and bf goodrich does not return phone calls related to this issue. Repeated phone calls to bf goodrich over extended period of time shows problem is recognized-no production date of this tire known.
The headlights started to flicker on and off while driving on the highway at night, then the car stalled. I instinctively put it in neutral to try and restart which I did but it stalled again and this time it was completely dead while unfortunately on the curve of a 2 lane bridge with no shoulder or breakdown lane. Luckily the hazard lights were enough for on coming traffic and tractor trailers to see me in time or I could have easily been killed on that bridge. Great appreciation to dispatch and the state troopers for their assistance.
Wipers continuing for two years to occasionally turn on and off without switch activation. Although the issue is well documented in many of the forums for marauders, the fact that ford has made no recall is shameful. Only known fix is to remove the fuse when the wipers are not needed, though it is something that should have been recalled and repaired.
2004 mercury marauder headlights occasionally stop functioning without warning. Running lights and fog lights continue working, no low/high beam headlights at all. Switch seems to be the issue, fuses are fine and no bulbs out. Recently had dealership replace driver side headlight, only change to vehicle before issue started. Possible issue continues in daytime, but headlights are not as needed in daylight. Due to necessary driving at night on high speed and unlit country roads, this is a serious issue.
The headlights became inoperative and turned off while traveling down the road. The light control module was found faulty and replaced. Searching the internet revealed this is a common problem for this base model car (ford crown victoria, mercury grand marquis, and mercury marauder) and needs to be addressed as a safety issue as the loss of lights can cause an accident.
The headlight relay portion of the lighting control module intermittently fails causing the headlights to turn off. This results in loss of visibility, and could result in a collision. The lights remain off for an unknown period of time and then turn back on. I have experienced 1-2 minute periods without light. This is a well know issue with 2003-2004 ford crown victoria, mercury grand marquis, and mercury marauder (lincoln town car may also be involved).
Back in 2007 noticed small bumps in paint only on the roof,went to ford dealer,they said no problem with the paint. Time went on, paint got worse,more bubbles and cracks,.in 2008 wrote to ford about problem they said they had no complaints about roof paint. Now the entire roof is bumpy,cracked, with bare rusted metal showing. Cost to fix is 1000.00.
Compare the 2004 Mercury Marauder
Other model years
20032004
Questions about the 2004 Mercury Marauder
Is the 2004 Mercury Marauder reliable?
Owners have filed 27 complaints about the 2004 Mercury Marauder, fewer than a typical Marauder model year.
What is the 2004 Mercury Marauder year score?
The 2004 Mercury Marauder scores 87 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Mercury Marauder: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Mercury Marauder?
Lights, with 10 complaints, typically around 112,000 miles. Next is tires (5).
How many recalls does the 2004 Mercury Marauder have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Mercury Marauder have the most lights problems?
The Mercury Marauder model years with the most lights complaints are 2003 (16 complaints) and 2004 (10 complaints).
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