1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA Complaints

INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MY 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA CRACKED ALLOWING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO MANIFOLD. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT IN 2005 WHICH I NEVER WAS TOLD ABOUT. *TR

I OWN A !997 CROWN VICTORIA, WHICH OVERHEATED DUE TO A CRACK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE 4-06-2002, AND DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL UNTIL I LOOKED IT UP ON THE INTERNET! I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF, I THINK I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY FORD! *JB

TL*THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD WHILE PARKED. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE NOTICED SMOKE FILLING UP INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, THEN LIFTED THE HOOD AND FLAMES BEGAN TO RISE. THE WIRES TO THE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKES WERE DAMAGED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED FORD AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE AND THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THERE WERE RECALLS FOR TRUCKS OF THAT LINE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE FORD DEALER. THE POWER TRAIN AND MILEAGE INFORMATION WERE UNKNOWN.

1997 FORD CROWN VIC TRAVELING EAST OF AUSTIN TX AT POSTED HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WITH RESULTED IN LOSS OF COOLANT , AND SUBSEQUENTLY MOTOR FUNCTION. TOWED TO AUTHORIZED LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER IN AUSTIN, AND WAS INFORMED BY TOW TRUCK DRIVER THAT THIS WAS VERY COMMON DEFECT FOR THIS MODEL CAR , AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT FORD PEOPLE FOR A RECALL NOTICE. WAS ADVISED BY THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE AT THE 800 TELEPHONE NUMBER PROVIDED IN THE OWNERS MANUEL THAT NO RECALL WAS IN EFFECT HOWEVER, NO COST REPAIR WAS AVAILABLE TO THOSE VEHICLE SEVEN YEARS OR UNDER. A FURTHER PROGRAM THROUGH THE DEALERS MAY ALSO BE AVAILABLE NAMED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAMMABILITY THIS HAD RESTRICTION OF EIGHT YEARS AND 80000 MILES. MY CAR DIDN'T QUALIFIED FOR EITHER PROGRAM DUE TO AGE AND MILEAGE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAS METICULOUS BEING TAKEN CARE OF AND WAS UNDER 82000 MILES. UPON COMPLETION OF A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD INSTALLATION AT A COST OF $1029.98 DOLLARS IT WAS DETERMINED THE ENGINE WAS A TOTAL LOSS AS THE ENGINE MUST HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DUE TO LOSS OF COOLANT AND RESULTANT OVERHEATING. A REPLACEMENT MOTOR WAS QUOTED AT $6000 DOLLARS ON TOP OF THE ALREADY INCURRED $1029.98 DOLLAR EXPENCE. THE CAR WAS JUNK!!! I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHY NO RECALL WAS IN EFFECT SINCE FORD KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THEY HAD MANY SIMILAR REPAIRS IN THEIR SHOP. ALSO INFORMED ALL SIMILAR POLICE MODELS WERE REPAIRED WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS. IF THIS IS SO I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I AM DISCRIMINATED. I WOULD LIKE THE FORD CORPORATION REIMBURSE MY EXPENSES AND/OR GIVE ME A VOUCHER FOR A SUBSTANIAL DISCOUNT ON A NEW FORD VEHICLE. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA AT 45 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP LIGHT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ALMOST TO THE FLOOR SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN. , THEN THE FRONT BRAKES ENGAGED AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LOOKED INTO THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED FLUID ON THE GROUND BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND LATER TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO BE REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT BRAKE LINE ROTTED. *AK

AT 1:15 A.M. ON DECEMBER 27, 2006, I DROVE MY 1997 CROWN VICTORIA FOR APROXIMATLY 20 MILES AND PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. ABOUT AN HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES LATER, I WAS AWAKEN BY A POPPING SOUND AND THE DOG BARKING. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO FIND THE CAR'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I THEN CALLED 911 AND RAN OUT TO TRY TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A GARDEN HOSE. THE HEAT FROM THE FIRE BURNED THROUGH THE HOOD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IN THE AREA OF THE BRAKING SYSTEMS MASTER CILINDER, THEN IGNITED THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND ALL PLASTIC COMPONENTS RENDERING THE HOSE INEFECTIVE. BY THE TIME THE FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED, THE FLAMES HAD SPREAD TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND A MASSIVE PLASTIC / RUBBER FIRE ENSUED.THE FIREMEN DOUSED IT WITH WATER FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES THEN USED A FOAMING AGENT TO EXTINGUISH WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE REMAINS, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BECAUSE THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS MOSTLY INTACT. I HAD OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND HAD IT MAINTAINED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE ONLY MAJOR REPAIR PERFORMED ON THE CAR WAS REPLACING A DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD (THAT TOO SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED, DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING THAT PERTICULAR MANIFOLD DESIGN). AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THE CAUSE OF THIS FIRE, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. IT WOULD SEEM THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN SEVERAL MODELS MADE BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM GO TO WWW.VEHICLE-INJURIES.COM AND LOOK UNDER "FORD EXPEDITION CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH FIRES".

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND LEAKED COOLANT. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55-60 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FAIR. THE CONTACT SAW A PLUME OF WHITE SMOKE FOLLOWING BEHIND HIM. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OR SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. THE DEALER REMOVED AND REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND ADDED ENGINE COOLANT. *AK UPDATED 01/26/07. *JB

97 FORD CROWN VICTORIA AND 97 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS WITH 4.6 V8 ENGINES HAVE BOTH HAD THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED DUE TO CRACKING AND LEAKING COOLANT AND RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. THIS OWNER JOINED A CLASS-ACTION SUIT HELD IN FEDERAL COURT IN OAKLAND CALIF. AND ON 12-16-05 ISSUED A JUDGMENT RULING THAT FORD WOULD REIMBURSE FOR THIS PROBLEM. A VERY SHORT THREE MONTH PERIOD WAS PROVIDED FOR OWNERS TO CLAIM THIS REIMBURSEMENT. IT IS NOT KNOWN IF THE COURT REQUIRED NOTIFICATION OF THE OWNERS OF THIS RULING. IF IT DID THIS OWNER DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION. THE EXPENSE FOR BOTH CARS WAS $1500. FORD NOTIFIED FLEET OWNERS AND OFFERED REPLACEMENT OF THE MANIFOLD. HOWEVER, PRIVATE OWNERS WERE EXCLUDED. IN VIEW OF THIS NOTIFICATION AND THE COURT RULING, REIMBURSEMENT OF THIS EXPENSE SHOULD APPLY TO PRIVATE OWNERS. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATES THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HIS 1997 CROWN VICTORIA. THE CONTACT SAID THAT 8:20 AM ON 12/19/06 WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN HE NOTICE A LARGE TRAIL OF STEAM AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF HIS VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND STEAM AND SMOKE STOPPED, AT WHICH TIME HE OPENED HOOD OF VEHICLE AND NOTICED COOLANT RUNNING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. CONTACT CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP OF KANSAS. THE FORD DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONTACT THAT THE INTAKE RADIATOR HAD CRACKED. THE REPRESENTATIVE THEN ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PROBLEM AND TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE INTAKE FUEL MANIFOLD BUT, THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED IN 2004. THE REPRESENTATIVE ALSO TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THE INTAKE HAD TO HAVE A CRACK IN IT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO HAVE REPAIRS DONE.

NOTICEABLE DETERIORATION RUST THROUGH OF RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL ASSEMBLY FORWARD OF THE SHOCK TOWER AND SPRING ASSEMBLY. *2 PART FRAME RAIL, OUTSIDE ASSEMBLY NO APPARENT DETERIORATION BUT PASSENGER SIDE INNER ASSEMBLY HIDDEN BY PLASTIC COVER HAS SEVERE RUST AND SOME AREAS COMPLETE THROUGH. *JB