The 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis has 4 recalls, the most serious being steering column defects that can cause loss of steering control, raising the risk of a crash.
Two steering recalls affect this vehicle. In one, a lower bearing in the steering column can separate and cause the driver to lose steering entirely. The other primarily affects vehicles registered or driven in regions with heavy road salt use, where the steering column's lower intermediate shaft can corrode severely enough that a joint becomes stiff or seizes, making the steering hard to turn or unresponsive. On the electrical side, the positive battery cable can rub against a crossmember bolt and wear through its insulation, causing a short circuit that can produce heat or fire under the hood or at other points along the vehicle's wiring. There is also a lighting concern: a failing lighting control module can cut out the headlights entirely, reducing visibility at night or in low-light conditions.