2003 Marauder Reliability

[tingsgrove]

I have noticed many posts over the past few months outlining various problems with Marauders, most of which seem to be low-mileage, well-maintained vehicles compared to most vehicles on the street.

I formerly had a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, plus 2006 and 2008 Lincoln TownCars, which never gave me a minute's trouble (I am preparing to drive the 2008 to Seattle next month).
So, I was wondering, all things being equal, if the Marauder simply requires more maintenance/repair than the Marquis.
Could it be that having had only a two-year run meant that all the bugs were not quite worked out?
Or is it just that they are high-performance units and therefore receive more vigorous workouts than the standard grocery-getter. Or are they just tempermental?

I would be very interested to hear what you guys have to say on this issue.

cromer

[69marquis conv]

The Marauders were built from components already in Ford's stock and there really isn't a "weak link" in any system on the Marauder that is unique to the Marauder. The same DOHC engine was used in the Mach I and the Lincoln Aviator, and has proved to be a robust and reliable power plant. The early 2003s had an issue with soft axle shafts, as did other panthers. Failing o-rings in the HVAC system will eventually cause the air output to default to defrost only- in every Ford that uses the EATC system. The blower resistor module can also fail, and it's the same unit used in the other panthers of the same vintage with EATC. I can't think of a specific issue that some Marauder owners have had that is unique to the Marauder only, with the exception of those that are constantly beat on by their owners/drivers, or those that have been boosted beyond their reliable limits.

[gdsqdcr]

I have an 03. I have put ~40k on her out of the current 73k. I have had zero issues.
Not sure if I qualify in your low mileage category.

[Bluerauder]

I have noticed many posts over the past few months outlining various problems with Marauders, most of which seem to be low-mileage, well-maintained vehicles compared to most vehicles on the street.

I would be very interested to hear what you guys have to say on this issue.

cromer

I would characterize the Marauder reliability as excellent. Mine is 10 years old with 94K miles and gets regularly serviced with no major issues at all. Many MMs on this site are over 100K and several are at the 200-250K mark. In general, the overall Panther platform is very reliable if well maintained.

That said, there are a few common problems that afflict the entire line of MM, GM, CV, and Town Cars that include:

1. Wacky Wipers caused by a blocked drain allowing water to build up under the wiper motor and electronic module that caused "Uncommanded Operation" of the wipers.
2. Lighting Control Module (LCM) causing lighting issues.
3. Bad O-Rings on the Environmental and Temperature Control (EATC) Module that affect the air conditioning to cut out under load/acceleration.
4. Lights flickering on the door buttons.
5. Hood squeak fixed by using rubber bumpers and adjusting the hood stops.
6. Sluggish window operation or binding. Lube channel or realign the window guides.

There may be some other "minor" issues that are readily corrected but I would not characterize the above as Reliability problems.

If you have some specific issues that you have seen that concern you, it might be best to spell them out here to get proper feedback.

[Paul]

I think mine has been very good. We modify our cars pretty heavily and then drive them aggressively, so I think that leads to more wear and tear than a DD grocery getter. Plus, we tend to fret about things more! which leads to replacing parts sooner than may be needed (pro actively).

[Vortech347]

I can say without a doubt both Marauders I owned were extremely reliable.

[Green96]

The LCM is an 03-04 issue for all Panther platform cars. MM less reliable - no, 03-04 Panthers have unique issues from other years - yes.

I my opinion (as a Ford guy) Ford has some serious electronics design issues. On our cars alone you have:
LCM issue
BCM issue

My dad's 05 Mustang GT had major stereo issues
My brand new 13 F150 has stereo issues
My wife's old 06 Milan had HVAC blower speed issues.

[tingsgrove]

Guys, thank you for your observations here. They put my mind at rest.

I also peruse the Triumph Forum and the Mustang Forum, but have come to the conclusion that the Marauder brain trust embodied herein makes them look like shade-tree mechanics.

I guess part of the equation is that the new Marauders were limited production vehicles receiving only a two-year run. And maybe another part is that many of you owners are older guys with a wealth of mechanical experience and technical know-how.

cromer

[Baaad GN]

I think if you were reading a club thread from say a Panther group you would hear the same problems,from you younger guy's you would not remember the cars of the 60's, 70's etc when door handles feel off !!!!!!! The electronic's cause more problems but in the old days there were few cars with all the new items, like cruise control, electric window's etc! With more items the more problems.

[JimmyXR7]

I would characterize the Marauder reliability as excellent. Mine is 10 years old with 94K miles and gets regularly serviced with no major issues at all. Many MMs on this site are over 100K and several are at the 200-250K mark. In general, the overall Panther platform is very reliable if well maintained.

That said, there are a few common problems that afflict the entire line of MM, GM, CV, and Town Cars that include:

1. Wacky Wipers caused by a blocked drain allowing water to build up under the wiper motor and electronic module that caused "Uncommanded Operation" of the wipers.
2. Lighting Control Module (LCM) causing lighting issues.
3. Bad O-Rings on the Environmental and Temperature Control (EATC) Module that affect the air conditioning to cut out under load/acceleration.
4. Lights flickering on the door buttons.
5. Hood squeak fixed by using rubber bumpers and adjusting the hood stops.
6. Sluggish window operation or binding. Lube channel or realign the window guides.

There may be some other "minor" issues that are readily corrected but I would not characterize the above as Reliability problems.

If you have some specific issues that you have seen that concern you, it might be best to spell them out here to get proper feedback.

My Marauder problems have all been with the electronic controlled features.
The suspension, engine and drive train are all good. (build date after Jan 2003 for solution to the rear problem)
Jim

[jerrym3]

Back in the 50/60's, we wouldn't go near a car with power windows. Nothing but problems.

A used 1950's car with 60,000 miles was considered ready for the heap. (Of course, there are exceptions.)

There's a reason why I don't see other early/mid 60's Galaxies at auto shows in New Jersey. Most rusted out. (I repaired my Galaxie's trunk decades ago.Two large rust holes developed where the rear tires flung ice/salt against the trunk pan. My right front fender came from Seattle, rear bumper from San Diego, front bumper from Virginia, and there are a few other body replacement parts patched in.)

My buddy had a beautiful 57 Ford convert. One day, we decided to leap into the back seat without opening the doors.

One guy put a hole in the rusted out floor pan.

[sam]

Enjoy the car my friend. When an issue arises then fix it. There
is no car out there that doesn't have an issue

[GreekGod]

One more Panther chassis issue not mentioned are window switches.

====

[88LTDCV351]

My Marauder is at about 145,000 miles. I drive it mostly on weekends these days. I still feel its very reliable.

However, having said that, I did do the LCM, BCM, EATC o-rings, and Blend Door Actuator. But those things can be easy fixes if you are a do it yourselfer and do your research on this site.

The only major problem I've had was the valve seat thing. But the car has been good again after the repair, cross your fingers.

[Mr. Man]

The LCM is an 03-04 issue for all Panther platform cars. MM less reliable - no, 03-04 Panthers have unique issues from other years - yes.

I my opinion (as a Ford guy) Ford has some serious electronics design issues. On our cars alone you have:
LCM issue
BCM issue

My dad's 05 Mustang GT had major stereo issues
My brand new 13 F150 has stereo issues
My wife's old 06 Milan had HVAC blower speed issues.

Well Ford did buy up British car companies