1999 FORD CROWN VICTORIA Complaints

REFERENCE ODI ID 752976 - I HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AND FAILURE OF THE SAME EQUIPMENT AND PARTS DESCRIBED IN THE REFERENECED COMPLAINT. THESE ARE LATENT DESIGN/MATERIAL/MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. I WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD, UNDER WARRANTY, THAT THE SHUDDER WAS DUE TO THE TRACTION CONTROL SENSORS. THIS APPARENTLY WAS INCORRECT. NOW THAT THE VEHICLE IS JUST OVER 100,000 MI, FORD WILL DO NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT. THE DEALER TO THEIR CREDIT IS TRYING TO CORRECT THE SHUDDER PROBLEM BY SERVICING THE TRANSMISSION WITH ADDITIVES. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKING IS A DESIGN/MATERIAL DEFECT WHICH WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD ALTHOUGH I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT COOLANT ODOR SEVERAL TIMES WHILE IN WARRANTY. FORD SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE WITH ME ON THE COST OF REPAIR, THEY SHOULD HAVE SHOLDERED THE ENTIRE COST. NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM WHICH FORD, ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE SUPERVISOR IS UNWILLING TO CORRECT. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER, IT HAS A TENDENCY TO CRACK INTERNALLY AND CAUSE A HARD PEDAL. THIS DEFECT WAS DISCOVERED ON MY WIFE'S MERCURY SABLE AT ABOUT 38,000-MI AND NOW IS BE EXHIBITED ON MY CROWN VICTORIA. CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT AT HIGH SPEED COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, LOSS OF CONTROL IN A PANIC STOP BECAUSE THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO EXERT AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF OF PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND ACTIVATE THE ABS. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD AS A GENERAL POLICY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT PROBLEMS ON VEHICLES OVER 100,000 MI. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD NOT HAVE INDEMNITY RELIEF ON SAFETY ISSUES AND LATENT DEFECTS.*AK

INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF COOLANT. THIS FAILURE WAS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. DEALERSHIP INSTALLED AN UPGRADED DESIGN MANIFOLD.*AK

MY CAR HAS 98501 MILES ON IT AND THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD IS CRACKED WITH COOLANT SEEPING INTO THE SPARK PLUG CHAMBER, PER TED BRITT FORD IN VA. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAUSE OF THE CRACK IS A LATENT DEFECT IN THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FORD REPLACE IT FREE OF CHARGE SINCE IT WAS A LATENT DEFECT OF THE MANUFACTURER. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS CONDITION WAS THERE SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR (ORIGINAL OWNER), BECAUSE DURING THE EARLY PART OF MY OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS ALWAYS A FAINT ODOR OF COOLANT IN THE PASSENGER CAB. THIS WAS ALSO REPORTED AND DOCUMENTED WITH THE SERVICE ADVISER EARLY IN MY OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE. *JB

THE MANUFACTURER IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE STEEL WHEEL RECALL 03V279000 BECAUSE THE WHEELS ARE ON A 1999 MODEL AND THE RECALL IS ON THE 2003 MODEL. *AK THE WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE FELL UNDER THE DATE RANGE. THE RECALL SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THE WHEEL MANUFACTURER'S DATE. (FORD ANNOUNCED A RECALL ON THE 2003 VEHICLE'S AND ALSO ON THE WHEELS DATED AUGUST 18, 2001 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22, 2003) *SCC *JB

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC NOTICED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED, ALLOWING FLUID TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE. *AK

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL TANK FIRES STARTED BY REAR END COLLISIONS. ALL RESEARCH I HAVE DONE STATES THAT FORD IS RECALLING POLICE CARS ONLY. AS A CONSUMER I THINK FORD OWES IT TO THE PUBLIC TO RECALL ALL FORD CROWN VICTORIA'S. MY FAMILY IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN THEIR BOTTOM LINE. MY WIFE AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING OUR CHILDREN AROUND IN THIS CAR. FORD NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEY ARE PUTTING OUT AN UNSAFE PRODUCT. *LA

I OWN A 1999 FORD CROWN VICTORIA SEDAN. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED, THAT ONE OF THE BOLTS CONNECTING THE UPPER CONTROL ARM TO THE FRAME, WAS MISSING THE NUT TO SECURE IT AND IT HAD BACKED ITSELF OUT OF THE MOUNTING BUSHING. THE BOLT HAD BACKED OUT ABOUT 2.5 INCHES WHEN I DISCOVERED IT. THIS LEFT ONLY ONE BOLT HOLDING THE UPPER CONTROL ARM TO THE CAR'S FRAME. THE CAR HAS ONLY 24,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS RECENTLY PURCHASED USED,AT A LOCAL DEALER. THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, EXCEPT FOR THE BOLT PROBLEM. I SUSPECT THAT THE BOLT CAME LOOSE ON ITS OWN BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT THE FACTORY APPLIED BLUE THREAD LOCK TO THE OTHER UPPER ARM BOLTS, BUT I FOUND NO TRACE OF THE COMPOUND ON THE BOLT THAT BACKED OUT OF THE BUSHING. THE BOLT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE MOUNTING HOLE OF THE FRAME MOUNT AS WELL AS DAMAGING ITSELF. THE BOLT IS SLIGHTLY BENT AND SEVERAL THREADS ARE WORN OFF.THE RUBBING ACTION OF THE BOLT ELONGATED THE MOUNTING HOLE TOO. THIS MOUNT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME AT THE FACTORY AND I FEAR THAT I WILL BE STUCK WITH A MOUNT THAT IS WORN, EVEN THOUGH I AM GOING TO REPLACE THE WORN BOLT AND MISSING NUT WITH A FORD FACTORY REPLACEMENT PART.I AM COMPLAINING BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD OCCUR TO OTHER VEHICLES.I DID NOT NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS PRIOR TO DISCOVERING THE BOLT FALLING OUT. IF THIS BOLT LET LOOSE WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD BE WRITING THIS TO YOU. I WAS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND I WORKED ON FORD VEHICLES AT TWO OF THEIR DEALERS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO A MOUNTING BOLT ON THE UPPER ARM ASSEMBLY,DURING THAT TIME OR SINCE THEN. IF I DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN TO OPEN THE HOOD AND TAKE NOTICE OF THE PROBLEM, I'M SURE I WOULDN'T KNOW ANYTHING WAS WRONG UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. THE BUSHING IS NOT WORN OUT AND THE REST OF THE SUSPENSION IS TIGHT,SO I CAN'T BLAME WORN SUSPENSION PARTS.

CONSUMER HAS BEEN THE UNLUCKY OWNER OF A FORD CROWN VICTORIA. SHE DOES NOT FEEL SECURE IN THE VEHICLE UNTIL FORD MAKES A RECALL TO GET THEM FIXED.*AK. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE GAS TANK EXPLOSION IN AN EVENT OF A REAR END COLLISION. *TS *JB

WHILE DRIVING ALONG ON THE FREEWAY CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT HEAD ON AT THE REAR WHEEL. UPON IMPACT, BOTH PASSENGER'S SIDE AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER READ IN MANUAL THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. CONSUMER HAS SUSTAINED BODY INJURIES WHICH CAUSED HIM TO BE ALL BLACK AND BLUE ALL OVER. *AK

FUEL LINE CONNECTION TO FUEL FILTER UNDER CAR FAILED CAUSING A HIGH SPEED FUEL LEAK CREATING A POSSIBLE CATASTROPHIC FIRE CONDITION. *NLM