1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA Complaints

97 FORD CROWN VICTORIA PLASTIC HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES FOGGED OVER AND BECAME USELESS AND DANGEROUS..TRIED VARIOUS CLEANING AGENTS TO NO AVAIL..HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES.. *JB

THE MANIFOLD CRACKED, ENGINE OVERHEATED,BLEW HEATER CORE HAD TO TOW CAR MILES FOR REPLACEMENT. PARTS INCLUDED MANIFOLD,GASKETS, HEATER CORE AND HOSES. THIS AT 84000 MILES AND NO WARRANTY. *JB

METAL HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINES CORRODED AND LEAKING TO LOSS OF BRAKE LINES TO BE REPLACED. *JB

THE PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM ON FRONT WHEEL OF 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA HAS RUSTED TO THE POINT OF THE VEHICLE BEING UN-DRIVABLE AND A DANGER. FORD HAS SAID THIS ISSUE IS DUE TO THE AIR CONDITIONER MOISTURE TUBE THAT DUMPS ON THE IRON FRAME. THEY HAD AT ONE TIME OFFERED TO REPAIR SOME DEFECTS BUT WILL NOT ANY MORE. *JB

I EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE OF BOTH FRONT HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM AND REAR HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM DUE TO CORRODED(RUSTED) BRAKE LINE (PIPING) WITHIN ONE YEAR. I ALSO EXPERIENCED FUEL TANK FAILURE DUE TO RUST AT TANK SEAM AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME. TANK FAILED 11/30/03, FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE 03/16/04, REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE 12/04, BOTH DUE TO PIPING RUST OUT. *JB

1997 CROWN VICTORIA TECHNICAL BULLETIN 05N04 NHTSA 10018959 DATE OF BULLETIN: DEC, 14, 2005 /INCIDENT JUNE 12, 2006 THIS SETTLEMENT EXTENDED THE COVERAGE OF ALL COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLD 7 YEARS FROM THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY....WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE 1997 OWNERS? THE BULLETIN WAS RELEASED A YEAR AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE ENDED!? ONE YEAR LATE FOR 1997 OWNERS. WHAT SHOULD WE DO BECAUSE IT IS PAST THE EXTENDED WARRANTY? A DEFECT IS A DEFECT WITH OR WITHOUT A TIME LIMIT. WE DID NOT CHOOSE TO HAVE IT BREAK WHEN IT DID....THE DEFECTIVE PART DID THAT FOR US! WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THIS PART/SERVICE COVERED? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! *JB

THE CLASS ACTION SUIT THAT WAS WON REGARDING 1997 FORD CROWN VIC (AND OTHER MAKES) DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD PART WAS HANDLED INCORRECTLY. MINE JUST WENT AND IS WELL PAST THE MARCH 16TH, 2006 DEADLINE AND OVER 7 YEARS OLD WHICH MAKES RECOURSE EXEMPT. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP GETTING A $1300 + ENGINE REPAIR. AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. DEFINITELY NOT FAIR!!! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A TREE WITHOUT WARNING. ALTHOUGH BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING THEIR SEAT BELTS, MINOR INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THERE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. UPDATED 5/10/2006 - *NM

I WAS REFERRED BY MR. MICHAEL J. SACKS AT [email protected] HIS RESPONSE: IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE GETTING THE RUN AROUND AND I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU CONTACT NHTSA IN WASHINGTON DC IF THE COMPANY IS NOT WILLING TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH RECALLS. WEBSITE IS WWW.NHTSA.GOV PROBLEM DETAILS: RECENTLY I RECEIVED AN ESTIMATE FOR WORK FOR $899.14 TO FIX A CRACKED MANIFOLD ALONG WITH GASKETS, AND SEALS ON MY 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA, THAT I PURCHASED FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP IN BALTIMORE, MD IN 2003. THIS PIECE WAS ORIGINALLY RECALLED BY FORD COMPANY, BUT NEVER REPLACED BY IT'S ORIGINAL OWNER, NOR THE DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM. WHEN THIS BREAKDOWN OCCURRED I CONTACTED THE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED MY EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM IN SEPTEMBER OF 2005. THE CLAIM WAS DENIED BECAUSE THEY DO NOT COVER ITEMS THAT WERE RECALLED. I WAS THEN DIRECTED BY THE WARRANTY COMPANY TO CALL FORD COMPANY DIRECTLY, I FOLLOWED UP AND MADE THE CALL TO FIND THAT THE MANIFOLD THAT WAS RECALLED HAD A SEVEN YEAR WARRANTY FROM FORD COMPANY THAT HAD EXPIRED. I AM NOW STUCK WITH AN $899.14 BILL OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE FOR SOMETHING I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT UNTIL IT OCCURRED. I FEEL THAT BEFORE SELLING ME THE VEHICLE THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED AND TAKEN CARE OF BY THE DEALERSHIP BRUNS MOTORS. I AM YET TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM, BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS. PLEASE ADVISE ME IN ANYWAY THAT YOU CAN, YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. IF I AM NOT ABLE TO ANSWER THE PHONE PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO LEAVE A MESSAGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE HEAT HAND STARTED TO RISE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. UPON INSPECTION THERE WAS WATER LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS BROKEN. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 03/22/06. *JB