1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

COOLANT IS LEAKING FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

INTAKE MANIFOLD REQUIRED REPLACING. IT HAD SPLIT ACROSS THE FRONT SEAM CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO SPILL ALL OVER THE ENGINE. OUR VIN NUMBER IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST EVEN THOUGH OTHERS OF THE SAME MAKE ARE. THE SPLIT WAS ACROSS THE FRONT SEAM OF THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD. NEW ONES HAVE ALUMINUM LINERS IN THEM, WHICH MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT THE COMPANY KNOWS THAT IT`S A CURRENT PROBLEM.*AK

FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECOGNIZES SEVERAL VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION, INCLUDING THE CROWN VICTORIA, MUSTANG, LINCOLN TOWN CAR, AND MERCURY COUGAR, ALL WITH THE 4.6L ENGINE BUILT WITH A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD, YET FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GRAND MARQUIS. FORTUNATELY, OUR EXPERIENCED FAILURE OCCURRED AT A LOW SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MILES PER HOUR) AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING INTO OUR SUBDIVISION. HOWEVER, THE AMOUNT OF STEAM (WHICH SHE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT WAS "SMOKE") CAUSED HER TO PANIC AND NEARLY FLEE THE VEHICLE. HAD THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN TRAFFIC, THIS FAILURE SURELY COULD HAVE CAUSED A POTENTIALLY HARFUL, EVEN FATAL INCIDENT. FORD HAS ADMITTED THE FAILURE, BUT EVIDENTLY DOES NOT CONSIDER IT OF NOTEWORTHY CONCERN FOR MOST VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THIS POPULAR AND WIDELY USED ENGINE PACKAGE. (SEE FORD DOCUMENT #97M91) IT IS FRUSTRATING THAT THEY ARE UNWILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS A KNOWN AND ACKNOWLEDGED DEFECT WITH THE ENGINE IN QUESTION. THIS IS A COSTLY AND POTENTIALLY HARMFUL, IF NOT POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING DEFECT. THE SUPER-HEATED STEAM PRODUCED BY THE RUPTURE AT THE TOP OF THE ENGINE (RIGHT BEHIND THE FAN, NO LESS) BILLOWED OUT IN A PLUME OF STEAM THAT MADE ROAD-VISION NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE, NOT TO MENTION CAUSING A DEFINITELY DISTRACTING PANIC SITUATION! I HAVE CONTACTED FORD, INCLUDING MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP (MOYER FORD, FOLEY ALABAMA), THEIR CUSTUOMER SERVICE "HOTLINE" AND JONATHAN GRIMM AT FORD WHQ. ALL HAVE REPEATED THE MANTRA, "WE'RE SORRY, BUT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR YOU IN THIS SITUATION." ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, AND A LOCAL MECHANIC HAS STATED THAT HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE A NUMBER OF THE PLASTIC MANIFOLDS AS WELL. I FEEL THIS IS A POTENTIALL SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT FORD IS WILLING TO IGNORE! I WANT TO CALL ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER FOR THE POTENTIAL SAFETY OF OTHERS, AS WELL AS TO RECLAIM THE COSTS OF REPAIRING AN ADMITTED DEFECT IN FORD'S DESIGN AND MANUFACTURIN

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER NOTICED STEAM COMING FROM THE ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MECHANIC, PLASTIC ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKING AT THE SEAM.*AK *TT

INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING. THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE FORD WITH THE SAME ENGINE. NO INJURIES. *AK

I PUCHASED MY VEHICLE NEW IN 1997. THE HARMONIC BALANCER HAD TWO MAJOR CRACKS WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE CRANK SHAFT WHICH RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE REQUIRING A NEW ENGINE. THIS VEHICLE HAD ONLY 68000 MILES AND WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO EXAMINED MY VEHICLE EXPLAINED HE HAD NEVER SEEN SOMETHING OF THIS NATURE IN ALL HIS YEARS OF REPAIRING VEHICLES. SINCE THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN A ACCIDENT, ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS IS A SEVERE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IF THIS ENGINE HAD EXPLODED, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED SEVERE INJURY TO THE DRIVER.*AK

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

DURING A HEAD-ON COLLISION PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, RELEASING A LIQUID THAT BURNED PASSENGER.*AK PASSENGER WAS SUFFERED FACIAL BURNS AND BRUISES TO UPPER BODY ALSO SORE FROM IMPACT. *YH

FRAME SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE GOING 55-60MPH. THE VEHICLE LIKE IT WAS SHIFTING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN IT WAS BEING STEERED IN. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL DUE THE VEHICLE BEING INOPERATIVE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND INSURANCE COMPANY AND IT WAS STATED THAT AN ACCIDENT HAD TO CAUSE THE SEPARATION.. CONSUMER WILL ADD MORE INFORMATION. *AK

INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS A CRACK, CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK AND ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. DEALER STATED THAT SOME 1997 AND 1998 WERE MODELS WERE RECALLED; HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE DID NOT FALL UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK