Selling a dead or junk Mercury

Below: a short history of the brand, the complaint counts for each of its 16 models, what that means for a car that is at least 15 model years old, and a link to every Mercury model page.

A Ford brand from 1938 to 2011

Mercury was founded on November 4, 1938, by Edsel Ford, and Ford Motor Company kept it for its whole life from Dearborn, Michigan. Wikipedia says Edsel Ford started work on it in 1937 as a completely new brand and picked the name of the Roman god himself, from more than 100 options.

The brand sat between Ford and Lincoln. For 1957, Wikipedia notes, Mercury's cars rode on a 122-inch wheelbase "sized between Ford and Lincoln." A year later it was folded into a combined Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln division, and by the mid-1960s it was competing against Buick and Oldsmobile.

A few moves from Wikipedia's history touch the cars on this site:

• 1966: the Comet became the counterpart of the Ford Fairlane.
• 1988: the Tracer replaced the Lynx and became the first Mercury assembled outside North America.
• Later: the long-running Monterey name was dropped, which left the Marquis as the only full-size Mercury.

Ford discontinued Mercury on January 4, 2011. The 2011 model year was its last in the EPA list.

Complaint counts, model by model

Each number below counts the complaints owners sent NHTSA about that model, tallied on October 10, 2026. These Mercury numbers count reports. They don't measure failure rates or grade reliability. Two things push a count up that have nothing to do with how good the car was: how many were sold, and how long the name stayed on sale. The Sable ran from 1986 to 2009; the Marauder lasted two years. And the later model years of any nameplate have had fewer years in which to gather reports.

Across all 16 models, owners have filed 22,382 complaints. The Milan stands out: six model years, yet third on the list.

What every Mercury now has in common

The newest Mercury is a 2011 model, so every one of them is at least 15 model years old. For a Mercury that old, one major repair bill can nearly match the car's whole value. Once a Mercury loses its engine, transmission or frame, the real decision is who will take it, not "fix it?" Our guide to repairs that cost more than the car is worth helps you weigh that.

Many Mercurys being sold now have also been parked for a while: a parent's Grand Marquis in the garage, a Sable out behind the shop. If yours hasn't moved in years, our guide to cars parked for years covers it.

Selling one whole

Leave the car in one piece. The battery, catalytic converter and wheels can stay where they are. We take the whole car.

1. Have the model, year and rough mileage ready. The VIN plate sits at the base of the windshield, readable from outside.
2. Say whether your Mercury turns over, whether its wheels spin free, and what parts are broken or missing.
3. Find out if you hold the Mercury's title. If it's lost or in a late relative's name, read selling a junk car with no title or selling an inherited car.
4. Give the address where it is parked: a garage, a backyard, a storage lot.

When it is gone, cancel the plates, the insurance and the registration.

Have questions about your Mercury? Call (877) 421-6008.

Every Mercury model on this site

All 16 Mercury nameplates the EPA rated from 1984 to 2011. Spans shown are EPA model years.