1996 FORD CROWN VICTORIA Complaints

CONSUMER STATES INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS CRACKED, CAUSING COOLANT TO GO INSIDE THE ENGINE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

THE FOLLOWING IS A COPY OF THE "INQUIRY/CONCERN" SENT TO THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY RELATIONSHIP CENTER: THE RIGHT FRONT ELECTRIC WINDOW MALFUNCTIONED ON 2/18/00 AT 42,134 MILES. IT COST ME A $50 DEDUCTIBLE TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE REGULATOR BECAUSE I HAD PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE LEFT REAR WINDOW MALFUNCTIONED ON 11/28/00 AT 51,983 MILES. IT COST A $50 WARRANTY DEDUCTIBLE TO REPLACE A FAULTY REGULATOR. THE DRIVER'S LEFT FRONT WINDOW MALFUNCTIONED ON 12/26/00 AT 52,465 MILES. IT COST A $50 DEDUCTIBLE TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE REGULATOR. THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW MALFUNCTIONED ON 7/3/03 AT 90,201 MILES. IT COST $209 TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE REGULATOR. CYCLE COMPLETE. ANY PATTERN HERE? FORD'S RESPONSE WAS SURPRISE AT THE CONSISTENT DEFECTS IN THEIR REGULATORS. THEY COULDN'T ASSIST FINANCIALLY BECAUSE I HAD USED AN INDEPENDENT TO FIX THE LAST WINDOW WHILE TRYING TO KEEP COSTS LOW. WAS THIS EXPERIENCE UNIQUE? *JB

COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. DETERIATED FLUID LINE UNDER DRIVER'S DOOR. ALL FLUID WAS DISCHARGED AND WAS LEFT WITHOUT ANY BRAKES AT ALL. SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *AK REFERENCED IN RQ03-004

THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE MANIFOLD INTAKE. *AK SMOKE COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS NO WATER(WAS ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND THE INSULATION), AND NO OIL. PLASTIC WAS USED FOR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH FORD CHANGED TO METAL. THE CONSUMER'S NEW ENGINE HAD COME WITH THE NEW CHANGE. FORD INSTRUCTED THE CONSUMER TO KEEP RECEIPTS BECAUSE THE WERE GOING TO ISSUE A RECALL. *SCC *JB

A ARM BRACKET WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE FRONT SUSPENSION IS BROKEN. CONSUMER DISCOVERED IT WHEN SHE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, AND HAD A MECHANIC CHECK THE NOISE OUT. AFTER CHECKING THE VEHICLE MECHANIC ADVISED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR BECAUSE IT LOOKED AS A MANUFACTURE R'S PROBLEM.*AK

BRAKES FAILED. DRIVER NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAK AND ADDED BRAKE FLUID TO GET THE CAR BACK TO OUR RESIDENCE. A REVIEW OF THE BRAKE LINES SHOWED CORROSION AND LEAKAGE IN THE BRAKE LINE ONLY. ALL OF THE OTHER LINES AND THE UNDER CARRIAGE SHOW NO CORROSION AT ALL. THIS IS INDICATIVE OF A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL USED FOR THE BRAKE LINE. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SERIOUS, POSSIBLY CAUSING INJURIES OR DEATHS IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE ACTIONS OF THE DRIVER. *NLM

I PURCHASED A USED 1996 FORD CROWN VICTORIA FROM CAL WORTHINGTON FORD IN ALASKA A LITTLE LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, I ALSO PURCHASED A PREMIUM WARRANTY POLICY AND THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE HAS HEATED REAR-VIEW MIRRORS. A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS AGO AFTER A SNOW STORM, THE PASSENGER-SIDE REAR-VIEW MIRROR CRACKED STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. SNOW HAD COVERED THE MIRROR AND I ASSUME WHEN THE MIRROR HEATED, IT CRACKED. FOUR MONTHS AGO AFTER ANOTHER SNOW STORM, THE DRIVER??S SIDE MIRROR CRACKED STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. ONCE AGAIN, IT WAS COLD AND WHEN THE MIRROR STARTED HEATING UP IT CRACKED. PLEASE NOTE - I ALWAYS BRUSH THE SNOW OFF MY CAR BEFORE I WARM IT UP. REQUEST ?? FORD MOTOR CO. REPLACES THE MIRRORS AT NO COST TO ME I CONTACTED CAL WORTHINGTON FORD AND ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE MIRRORS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY REFUSED. I HAVE TWO REASONS FOR THIS REQUEST: 1) THE MIRRORS ARE DEFECTIVE AND POSE A SAFETY HAZARD. THE MIRRORS CRACKED BECAUSE OF A POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN. THE MIRRORS DIDN'T CRACK BECAUSE OF NEGLIGENCE CAUSED ON MY PART. 2) THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *NLM

THE FUEL TANK HAD NO SHIELD BEHIND IT, IF THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND IT COULD CATCH FIRE. THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE ISSUE, HOWEVER THE RECALL ONLY RELATED TO POLICE INTERCEPTOR VEHICLE'S. *JB

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED ALLOWING COOLANT TO LEAK WHICH COULD GET ONTO WIRING AND CAUSE A FIRE, OR ENGINE OVER HEATING WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. FORD HAS A RECALL ON POLICE CARS AND TAXI'S BUT NOT REGULAR CROWN VICTORIA'S.*JB

THE VEHICLE IS A POLICE INTERCEPTOR MODEL. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER REGARDING RECALL 02I003000 AND THE DEALER ADVISED HIM THAT THEY COULD NOT PERFORM THE RECALL BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE FLEET OF LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES. TS SCC