1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I REPORTED A SHUDDER OR VIBRATION IN THE TRANSMISSION AT SPEEDS OVER 25 MPH. I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT EITHER THE TORQUE CONVERTER OR 85% OF THE TIME THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS THE PROBLEM. A NEW MERCON 5 FLUID WAS BEING USED TO ELIMINATE THE SHUDDER OR VIBRATION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TODAY TO FORD, WHO IS NOW REPORTING THE CLUTCH TO BE GOING OUT. I FIND THIS VERY UNUSUAL AT 48,000 MILES WITH THE PREVIOUS DIAGNOSIS GIVEN. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS OR RELATED PARTS FOR THIS VEHICLE. ALSO BOTH ELECTRONIC WINDOWS ON THE DRIVER-SIDE HAVE GONE OUT...REGULATOR PARTS BROKEN. HELP! *JB

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD , I NOTICED A COOLANT SMELL COMING INTO MY 1997 GRAND MARQUI. I THEN PULLED OVER TO FIND COOLANT STEAMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND THEY FOUND A CRACKED PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT IS GOING TO COST AROUND $1000 TO FIX. SINCE THEN I HAVE CHECKED THE INTERNET SITE AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE CARS WITH 4.6 ENGINE. I ALSO FOUND OUT THIS PROBLEM WAS BEING FIXED BY FORD ON FLEET CARS ONLY AT NO CHARGE. WHY IS THIS NOT BEING PAID BY FORD WHEN IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTUER DEFECT AND WHY ARE THE FLEET VEHICLES BEING TAKEN CARE OF FOR NOCHARGE?*AK

BRAKING LIGHTS BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION, THEN THE CRUISE CONTROL DID SO TOO. THERE WERE NO CONSEQUENES DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTIONS, UNTILL THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BEGAIN TO CATCH ON FIRE AND SO DID ONLY THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR.*AK

THIS REGARDS A 1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS, AND A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE THAT CANNOT BE REPAIRED BY THE CAR DEALERSHIP. THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC/PASSIVE DOOR LOCK, WILL NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR TO OPEN AT ALL. IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, THERE WOULD NO WAY TO ESCAPE THE VEHICLE. THE FORD/MERCURY DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIX/REPAIR THE VEHICLE, AND SENT IT BACK UNREPAIRED. THE DRIVER'S DOOR IS LOCKED - AND CANNOT BE OPENED WITH THE KEY, SWITCH OR REMOTE CONTROL. THEY STATE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE, AND THE MERCURY NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE, THAT I CALLED TODAY, STATED THAT THIS HAS NEVER BEEN RECORDED IN THEIR DATABASE. *AK

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS A CRACK IN IT LOCATED IN THE FRONT PART FO MANIFOLD, BEHIND THE ALTERNATOR.*AK

I OWN A 97 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS WE WERE LOSING RADIATOR FLUID. FOUND THAT OUR PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED WHERE THE ALTERNATOR HITS AGAINST IT. FORD MOTORS ANSWER IS A KIT THAT WILL RUN ME $621. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM, PLEASE HELP.*AK

DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY, ON AN INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH, WE SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. THANK GOD, I MANAGED TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED 25 MILES TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER TO NATURAL BRIDGE, VIRGINIA. I WAS DUMBFOUNDED WHEN I LEARNED THAT THE MANIFOLD WAS MADE OF PLASTIC; IT ACTUALLY BLEW APART, RELEASING ALL THE ENGINE COOLANT AT ONCE. ADDITIONALLY, I LEARNED THAT NOT ONLY DID FORD ENGINEER AN INFERIOR MAJOR ENGINE COMPONENT, BUT THEY MADE MY FAMILY THE GUINEA PIG TO FIELD TEST THIS JUNK! TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THEY MADE ME PAY FOR IT. MY COST INCLUDED: TOWING $125, MANIFOLD REPLACEMENT FOR $800, AND AN UNPLANNED HOTEL STAY INCLUDING MEALS FOR APPROXIMATELY $225 WITH A TOTAL COST OF $1150 WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE LOSS OF A DAYS PAY. IF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY THINK THEY DERIVED AN ADVANTAGE BY NOT PAYING FOR THIS FAILURE, I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD THINK AGAIN. UNTIL I HAVE BEEN REIMBURSED IN FULL I WILL NOT OWN ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT NOR ANY PRODUCT IN WHICH FORD HAS A BUSINESS INTEREST. I'M GLAD I FOUND THIS WEB SITE. I HOPE IT ALERTS OTHERS TO THE BAD BUSINESS PRACTICES THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAPPENS TO BE PRACTICING!*AK

1. CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AT NORMAL SPEED, APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, AND BRAKES WERE APPLIED. BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED FURTHER THAN NORMAL AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN I ARRIVED HOME I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY. ON FURTHER INSPECTION I SAW BRAKE FLUID ON THE FRAME RAIL ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE CAR AT A LOCATION UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR (APPROXIMATELY). 2. IT APPEARS THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE WAS RUBBING ON THE CAR BODY/FRAME STRUCTURE AND WORE THROUGH ALLOWING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT. 3. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE YET. I AM STILL INVESTIGATING MY OPTIONS: REPAIR AT MY EXPENSE, FILE A CLAIM WITH FORD, ETC.

I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHEN I STARTED TO SMELL ANITFREEZE. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, STEAM START COMING FROM AROUND THE HOOD, OBSCURING MY VISION. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED WITH AN IMPROVED PART WHERE THE COOLANT WAS ROUTED THROUGH A METAL SECTION OF THE MANIFOLD. TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $1145.62 PLUS $80 FOR THE TOW.

CONSUMER DISMAYED TO NOTICE THE SMELL OF FUEL AS SHE DROVE AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. *PH THE SMELL WOULD BE PRESENT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AS WELL. THE FUEL WAS LEAKING INTO THE BRAKE LINE. *SC THE IDLER AND PITMAN ARMS WERE REPLACED. *JB