1996 FORD CROWN VICTORIA Complaints

I HAD MY 1996 CROWN VICTORIA IN FOR ITS' REGULAR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE. MY MECHANIC (WHOM I HAVE BEEN GOING TO FOR 15 YEARS) DISCOVERED THE COOLANT WAS LOW. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION; THE MANIFOLD WAS FOUND TO HAVE A CRACK IN IT AND WAS SLOWLY LEAKING OUT COOLANT. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL FORD PART AND IS NOT UNDER A RECALL AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER, UPON CONTACTING MY FORD DEALER - I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR THE POLICE VEHICLES (SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR). I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH FORD. THEY SAID IF THERE WOULD BE A RECALL, I WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A REFUND FOR THIS REPAIR. FORD GAVE ME THE NHTSA'S WEB SITE SO I CAN MOVE FORWARD ON A RECALL FOR THIS FORD PART. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE PART - GIVEN THE LOW MILEAGE (LESS THAN 65,000) OF MY CAR. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT ELSE I NEED TO DO TO PURSUE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. THANK YOU.

THE ARIZONA DEPT PUBLIC SAFETY & PHOENIX POLICE DEPT ARE REPORTING HIGH OCCURENCES OF FIRES ASSOCIATED WITH REAR-END COLLISION OF THE CROWN VICTORIA VEHICLES, AN OFFICER WAS KILLED WHEN HIS VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND AND BURST INTO FLAMES, THE OFFICER WAS STOPPED AT A COLLISION SCENE AND THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING INEXCESS OF 66 MILES MPH AT IMPACT, AUTHORITIES SUSPECT FUEL SYSTEM RELATED(NO VIN GIVEN)*JB

INTAKE MANIFOLD BLEWOUT. FORD HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM FOR THIS, BUT WILL NOT COVER THIS VEHICLE.*AK

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED, LEAKING COOLANT. FORD REFUSES TO REPAIR IT BECAUSE IT IS NOT A FLEET VEHICLE (REFER TO FORD PROGRAM #01M02).*AK

WHILE DRIVING TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP, CAR OVER HEATED. CONSUMER LATER NOTICED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED.*AK

DEFECTIVE TIRES CAUSED THE FLOORBOARD TO VIBRATE AND THE VEHICLE TO SHIMMY WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN OVER 40 MPH, THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRES NOW THE VIBRATION AND SHIMMY HAS CEASED (MICHELIN P215-60RX15). NLM

THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ALL OF OUR 1995-1997 CROWN CROWN VICTORIAS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

ON 10/26/2000, THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING UP AND DIFFICULTY IN STARTING THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT, THESE PROBLEMS WERE SOLVED. HOWEVER, A NEW PROBLEM APPEARED. THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IT HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN A 24-HOUR PERIOD. IN BOTH INCIDENTS, IT HAPPENED ON A SLOW LEFT TURN AFTER EXITING AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE POWER STEERING WAS DISABLED. THIS CREATED A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD SINCE I HAD MINIMAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IN FACT, I ALMOST HIT A LAMPPOST. I CONTACTED THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE YET. IN FACT, THEY COULD NOT EVEN REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, BUT THE DEALER DOES NOT AGREE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO INSTALL A FLIGHT RECORDER ON THE VEHICLE TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND COOLANTS WAS ALL OVER THE ENGINE. IT WAS ALMOST INPOSSIBLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF VEHICLE. LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE CRACKED. TECHNICIAN STATED THAT FORD WAS FIXING THIS PROBLEM ON THE POLICE VEHICLES. *AK

WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS IN LOW IDLE ENGINE WOULD STALL. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT & WOULD HAVE NO WARNING. BEEN TO DEALERSHIP 3 DIFFERENT TIMES & MECHANIC CAN NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. HAD AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED DUE TO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. *AK