Four problems related to engine and engine cooling have been reported for the 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The car all of a sudden felt different while driving one day, kind of sluggish and then the engine light went on. The temp rose and smoke started coming out from under the hood. When I pulled over to let cool down I couldn't start it up again. Had it towed to a mechanic who said that the engine was shot. Not worth repairing. Had it towed back home and its been parked in my driveway ever since.
Car caught fire had no problems with the car in the past drove about 2 miles parked and turned car off and the engine caught fire.
The contact owns a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. While parked in the residence carport, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the flames. The massive fire completely destroyed the vehicle and caused damages to the home. There were no personal injuries. At this time the cause of failure has not been determined. The manufacturer and insurance company were notified. The failure and current mileages were 96,000.
Regarding my 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. Engine fire on August 15,2007 in my driveway. Key off, vehicle driven and parked 1/2 hour before incident. I received fords recall notice on sept. 4, 2007.