1996 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HEADLIGHT PLASTIC LENS ARE DISCOLORING AND CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *MR CONSUMER STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT PLASTIC LENSES HAD PROGRESSIVELY LOST THEIR TRANSLUCENT QUALITY. THIS CONDITION CAUSED A CONTINUAL DETERIORATION AND DECREASE IN LENS PERFORMANCE AND THEIR ABILITY TO TRANSMIT LIGHT AS REQUIRED. *YH

WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND TURN SIGNAL ARE ON ONE SWITCH, AND IF WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ON AND CONSUMER PUTS TURN SIGNAL ON, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL STOP UNTIL TURN SIGNAL LIGHT GOES OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A FATIGUE CRACK AT THE COOLANT CROSSOVER DUCT. THIS CAUSED COOLANT LOSS AND AN OVERHEATING CONDITION. THE FACTORY REPLACEMENT PART IS MADE OF METAL.

WHILE DRIVING ALONG A BUSY CITY STREET ON A COLD EVENING IN JANUARY I NOTICED A CLOUD OF STEAM BEHIND ME. IT OBSCURED MY VIEW OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AND THEIR VIEW OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER PULLING OF THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, AND EXAMINING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I RECOGNIZED COOLING SYSTEM FAILURE BUT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE "PLASTIC" INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD RUPTURED AND SPRAYED COOLANT ALL OVER THE ENGINE CMPARTMENT,AND HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, ETCLOCAL FORD DEALERS WERE CLOSED AND UNAVAILABLE. REPUTABLE AUTO REPAIR GARAGE PERFORMED THE NECESSARY REPAIRS (6 HRS) THIS CRITICAL ENGINE COMPONENT SHOULD "NEVER" FAIL. FORD QUIETLY RECALLED POLICE, FLEET AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES. CONSUMERS WERE LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. THEY HAVE IGNORED MY REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISSTANCE.*AK

THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE STRANDED ME IN THE WILDERNESS SUBJECTED TO THE ELEMENTS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY INTAKE MANINFOLD BROKE,CAUSING FUEL AND COOLANT TO LEAK. ENGINE WAS DESTROYED.DEALER CONTACTED. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM.*AK

BLOWOUT AT 60MPH. TREAD SEPARATED FROM BODY OF TIRE FOR 1/4 CIRCUMFERENCE OF TIRE. HOLE SIZE OF TENNIS BALL BLOWN IN SIDEWALL OF TIRE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THERE IS A COOLANT LEAK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. CONSUMER IS AWARE THERE IS POSSIBLY A RECALL RELATING TO THE CONDITION, HOWEVER, DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE POSSIBLE RECALL. DEALER FOUND A CRACKED PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD, INTAKE GASKETS AND PLUG WIRES WERE REPLACED. *TT *CB

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED BEHIND THE ALTERNATOR, CAUSING COOLANT LEAKAGE. *AK

THE HEADLIGHT LENS COVERS ARE PLASTIC.THE HEAT FROM THE HALOGEN BULBS HAS DISCOLORED THE LENS TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT ILLUMINATION OF THE HIGHWAY IS NEGLIGIBLE. SUBSEQUENT UEAR MODELS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH GLASS HEADLIGHT LENSES, AN OBVIOUS RECOGNITION OF THE PROBLEM WITH PLASTIC..I AM SURPRISED THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ITEM AS EVERY 1996 GRAND MARQUIS I HAVE SEEN HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS CONFIRMED BY THEIR OWNER'S.. THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ITEM THAT AN OWNER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACING.*AK