1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

CONSUMER STATES THAT DUE TO FORD MANUFACTUERS USING A MANIFOLD MADE OF PLASTIC AND NOT METAL, HE HAD TO PAY A LARGE SUM OF MONEY TO REPLACE IT. PH

IN NOVEMBER OF 2001 I LEFT FOR A TRIP IN MY MERCURY, ABOUT HALFWAY TO MY DESTINATION, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OF MY CAR FAILED, THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF MY COOLANT SYSTEM EVACUATED IN LESS THAN ONE MINUTE. I THOUGHT I HAD RUPTURED A HOSE, UPON CLOSER INSPECTION; IT APPEARED TO ME THAT A HOSE HAD BLOWN CLOSE TO THE ENGINE BLOCK IN A PLACE THAT I COULD NOT SEE WELL. A MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THE NEXT DAY THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS PLASTIC AND THAT IT HAD CRACKED. BUT LUCKILY FOR ME HE WOULD HELP ME OUT, HE HAPPENED TO HAVE A SPARE MANIFOLD THAT HE HAD TAKEN OFF OF ANOTHER CAR LIKE MINE. APPARENTLY, SOMEONE HAD BLOWN A HEAD GASKET IN THEIR 97 GRAND MARQUIS AND THE OWNERS WERE CONVINCED THAT IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. SO THE MECHANIC REPLACED THEIR MANIFOLD AND KEPT THEIR OLD ONE THAT WAS STILL GOOD. THE MECHANIC WAS WILLING TO SELL ME THE MANIFOLD AND REPLACE THE BROKEN ONE ON MY CAR FOR ABOUT HALF THE PRICE IT WAS GOING TO COST ME TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE IT. THE DEALER WOULD HAVE BILLED ME NEARLY $600.00, SO I TOLD HIM TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE PLASTIC INTAKES AND HAD REDESIGNED THEM. THE ONE HE PLACED ON MY CAR WAS SUPPOSEDLY OF THE NEW DESIGN. LATER IN A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF JUDGMENT I TOLD HIM TO DISPOSE OF THE ORIGINAL, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS CRACKED IN THE SAME PLACE AS THE ONE IN THE PICTURES FOUND AT THIS WEBSITE HTTP://PUBLIC.FOTKI.COM/TRSI/FORD_INTAKE_RECALL/ LAST NIGHT AS I WAS RUNNING SOME ERRANDS AROUND TOWN, MY CAR STARTED TO OVERHEAT. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT I FIGURED I MIGHT HAVE A HOLE IN A HEATER HOSE. SINCE I RECENTLY STARTED USING THE HEATER IN THE CAR. THE CAR RAN HOT ALL THE WAY HOME NO MATTER WHAT I DID OR HOW MUCH AIR I TRIED TO PASS THROUGH THE RADIATOR. IN THE PATH TO OR FROM THE RADIATOR FROM THE HEATER CORE. THE HEATER HOSES GO THROUGH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE PLASTIC FITTING THAT ACCEPTS THE HEATER HOSE HAS A HAIRLINE CRACK RUNNING ITS ENTIRE LENGTH. DT

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS MADE OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL. IT DEVELOPED A CRACK AND A MAJOR COOLANT LEAK AT THE FRONT OF THE MANIFOLD. THE CAR WAS RUNNING AT NORMAL TEMP BEFORE THE FAILURE, IT JUST CRACKED WITH NO WARNING. THIS IS A MAJOR FIX BECAUSE THE ENTIRE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THE PART ALONE IS $283. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART, IN MY OPINION. DT

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS WHEN THE BRAKES FADEDON A COLD/RAINY NIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALER WHO REPLACED THE BRAKE LINE. THE HOLE RUBBED IN THE LINE AT THE CROSS MEMBER. THE NEW BRAKE LINE WAS REROUTED AWAY FROM THE BODY AND WAS INSULATED.*SCC REFERENCED IN RQ03-004

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS CRACKED CAUSING LEAKS. MR

CONSUMER NOTICE COOLANT SMELL INSIDE VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING SOON AFTER NOTICE TEMPERATURE GAUGE RISING WITH INDICATION LIGHT FLASHING. CONSUMER PULL VEHICLE OVER LOOK UNDER HOOD AND NOTICE COOLANT UNDER HOOD AND GROUND VEHICLE WAS SERVICE INTAKE MANIFOLD NEED TO BE REPLACE. MR THE CONSUMER STATES THAT FORD ACKNOWLEDGES THIS PROBLEM TO FLEET OWNERS AND HAS A RECALL, BUT AREN'T ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT HE HAS MADE THE REPAIRS WITH PARTS PURCHASED FROM THE FORD DEALER. (CRACKED ALONG THE SEAM, DUMPED COOLANT ALL OVER THE UPPER ENGINE AND ONTO THE GROUND) *SCC

THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VALCRO UNDER THE SEAT HAD COME LOOSE AND STUCK HOLES THROUGH THE SEAT COVER. *MR THE CONSUMER ADDED; THE OWNER KEPT SEATS COVERED MOST OF THE TIME WITH SOFT RUGS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN IN GOOD CONDITION. REMOVE AND REPAIRED THE PASSENGER/DRIVER SEAT-DMAGE CAUSED THE VELCRO UNDER THE SEAT COVER TO LOOSEN. THE CONSUMER SUGGESTS THAT THE DEALER REIMBURSE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT OTHER MERCURY'S FROM 96-97 WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND FORD SENT A REPAIR KIT TO DEALERS, WHICH ARE NOW NOT AVAILABLE. *SCC

VEHICLE HANDLES WITH DIFFICULTY, NOT MAINTAINING STEERING CONTROL, AND CHANGING DIRECTIONS UPON WIND GUST. OWNER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS NOT ABLE TO DETECT CAUSE OF ERRATICAL STEERING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD RUPTURED CAUSING COOLANT TO ENTER THE CYLINDERS AND MAY HAVE CAUSED CRACK IN ENGINE BLOCK. *JG

PLASTIC MANIFOLD FAILED. HAS BEEN REPLACED ON COP CARS WITH A REDESIGNED PART. FORD SHOULD REPLACE THE PART AT NO CHARGE. NLM