1999 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

MY CAR WAS IN DRIVE AT A BUSINESS TRAFFIC INTERSECTION DRIVE WAY ON A SLIGHT HILL WITH THE BRAKES ON WHEN THE ENGINE SURGED AND THE CAR STARTED TO REVERSE WHILE STILL IN DRIVE. I HAD TO PUT CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES TO STOP IT. I CHECKED AND THE SHIFT LEVER WAS STILL IN DRIVE. MY CAR HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND WAS RECENTLY SERVICED WITH ALL REQUIRED SERVICES DONE. THIS REALLY SCARED ME AND I WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO A CAR IF IT WAS BEHIND ME. FORD SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF INDEPENDENTLY. THE HEADLIGHTS RE-ILLUMINATED AFTER ONE MINUTE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

DRIVING ON THE HWY AND THE CAR STARTED TO OVERHEAT WITH HOT STEAM SHOOTING OUT FROM THE ENGINE AND IT ALSO HAD A STRONG COOLANT SMELL. THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL L IT HAD $1,500 IN REPAIRS FOR A KNOWN, LEAKING PLASTIC MANIFOLD ISSUE. THIS FAILED PART CRACKS AND LEAKS INTO THE HOT ENGINE AREA. AND, FORD HAD REDESIGNED THE FAILED PART. ADDITIONALLY, FORD HAD ONCE OFFERED FREE FIXES FOR A FEW MONTHS FOR POLICE CARS AND TAXI CABS WITH THE SAME ENGINES UNDER A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT BUT DIDN'T TELL THE OWNERS ABOUT. THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WERE RIPPED OFF BECAUSE FORD SHOULD HAVE FIXED THIS ISSUE UNDER THE CLASS ACTION RECALL. BUT THEY DIDN'T BOTHER NOTIFY ANYONE ABOUT THE THREE MONTH RECALL WINDOW. IN CHECKING THE NHTSA RECORDS, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF US WITH THE SAME REPORTED PROBLEM. PLEASE TAKE SOME CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR US. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER WAS LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ON 4.6 LITER ENGINE FOUND TO BE CRACKED AND LEAKING COOLANT. THE LOSS OF COOLANT RESULTS IN THE VEHICLE BECOMING DISABLED AND/OR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. LEAKING COOLANT IS ALSO TOXIC TO CHILDREN AND ANIMALS, AS THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN CONTACT WITH COOLANT ON THE GROUND OR GARAGE FLOOR. THIS DEFECTIVE PART (PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD) WAS IDENTIFIED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AS DEFECTIVE AND QUIETLY SETTLED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED. HOWEVER, FORD DID NOT CONTACT CUSTOMERS WITH THIS MODEL CAR TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE DEFECTIVE PART OR TO OFFER RESOLUTION. EARLIER MODELS OF THIS ENGINE (AND ALL OTHER ENGINES) USED A METAL INTAKE MANIFOLD. THESE WERE NOT PROBLEMATIC. INTAKE MANIFOLDS ARE NOT A MOVING PART OF THE VEHICLE ENGINE, AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO WARE. THE PLASTIC MATERIAL USED IN THE PROBLEM MANIFOLDS ARE NOT ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE NORMAL TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS OF A VEHICLE ENGINE AND ARE THEREFORE PRONE TO FAILURE. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, BUT THE COMPANY HAS DECLINED TO OFFER ANY RESOLUTION WHATSOEVER. *JS

1999 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON MAY 29, 2012, HE PURCHASED A RE-BUILT ALTERNATOR FROM A LOCAL PARTS STORE AND INSTALLED IT HIMSELF. THE ALTERNATOR FAILED ON JULY 16, 2012, WHILE IN A PARKING LOT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE STARTED SOLENOID CLICKED, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. AFTER GETTING A JUMP, THE VEHICLE WOULD RUN FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AFTER THE CABLE WAS DISCONNECTED. THE CONSUMER RETURNED THE ALTERNATOR TO THE PARTS STORE TO HAVE IT TESTED, IN WHICH IT DID FAIL. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED ANOTHER ALTERNATOR AND ONCE IT WAS INSTALLED, THE VEHICLE RAN FOR ONLY 30 SECONDS AFTER THE JUMPER CABLES WERE DISCONNECTED, AS THE PREVIOUS ALTERNATOR. THE CONSUMER THEN PURCHASED A VOLTAGE METER AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS PUTTING OUT 11 VOLTS, INSTEAD OF 14 VOLTS, WHICH WAS NORMAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED STALLING WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

I WAS COMING TO A STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL STARTED VIBRATING AND GOING LOWER AND LOWER TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR DID NOT STOP RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. I WAS TOLD BY THE FORD MECHANIC THAT THE COMPUTER TESTS DID NOT SHOW ANY PROBLEM WITH THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM BUT I THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WHEN YOU APPLY YOUR BRAKES AND THE CAR DOES NOT STOP. I HAVE ALSO TALKED TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SOME OF THEM WHO WORK ON CARS ETC..AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. FURTHERMORE, IT HAPPENS A LOT AND ON ALL TYPES OF VEHICLES WITH ANTILOCK SYSTEMS. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN ON AND OFF WHICH IS WHY IT IS HARD TO DETECT. I WAS LUCKY IN THE FACT THAT I WAS GOING SLOW AND NOBODY WAS HURT, BUT WHAT IF THAT HAD BEEN A DIFFERENT ENDING AND IT HAD BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT? I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE AND I RESENT THE FACT THAT I WAS NOT AT FAULT FOR THIS ONE, THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK!!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. A LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY AT ANY SPEED FROM 45-80MPH. TOOK TO A MECHANIC SAID THE FRONT END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. $800.00 LATER IT STILL DID IT, THEN TOOK BACK SAID THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALTHOUGH WE HAD 80,000 MILE TIRES, AND ONLY HAD 35,000 MILES PUT ON THEM. REPLACED THE TIRES FOR $600.00. STILL SHOOK, TOOK TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION FAILING. DURING SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE FOUND CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD, ANTIFREEZE AND OIL IN SPARK PLUGS, CLEANED OUT CHANGED SPARK PLUGS, RAN FINE UNTIL THE MANIFOLD LEAKED MORE COOLANT INTO THE SPARK PLUGS AND NOW WE ARE AT SQUARE ONE. RESEARCHED ONLINE FOUND A BUNCH OF PLACES SAYING IT WAS RECALLED, WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID NO RECALLS. PRICE OF REPLACING THE PART WAS $615.00 IF I HAD ONE ALTERNATOR, OR $650.00 IF I HAD ANOTHER. *TR