1996 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

MY CAR WAS NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY ONE DAY, SO I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE FOUND ANTI-FREEZE IN THE CYLINDERS. HE SAID THAT THE ANTI-FREEZE BLEW THROUGH PASSAGE ON INTAKE MANIFOLD INTO THE PISTONS, AND I HAD TO REPLACED THE ENTIRE MOTOR AND THE INTAKE WHICH COST ME $3400.00 ENABLE TO FIX. I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY USED A PLASTIC PART ON THE MOTOR. *NM

DT: WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE LINES FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE OWNER CAME OUTSIDE AND SAW THE BRAKE FLUID ON THE GROUND AND REALIZED THAT THE BRAKE LINES FAILED. THE OWNER DROVE THE VEHICLE WITH NO BRAKES TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPAIRED IT. THEN THE OWNER REALIZED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED.*AK THE LEFT REAR SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE WIPER MOTOR, WIPER SWITCH, DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR SWITCH AND ROTORS WERE ALL REPLACED. THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH, DRIVER WINDOW SWITCH , TAIL LIGHT , CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE BALL JOINTS AND SHOCKS WERE BAD. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. *JB

DT: THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE CAR WAS SMOKING WHILE DRIVING. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE HAD 90,000 MILES ON IT. THE OWNER WAS AWARE THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE OWNER WAS UPSET WITH THE DEALERSHIP.*AK

I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING GEAR BOX IN THE MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS 1996 AND ANY OTHER VEHICLES WHICH USE THIS SAME COMPONENT IN THEIR VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS EXCESSIVE PLAY INSIDE THE STEERING GEAR BOX. I AM SURE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS THE GEAR BOX NOT SOME OTHER COMPONENT OF THE SYSTEM. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PLAY INSIDE WITHIN THE GEAR BOX IS TRANSLATED TO THE ROAD IN THE FORM OF POOR HANDLING,SWAYING ETC. I CHANGED MY UPPER, LOWER BALL JOINTS,TIE RODS, PITMAN ARM ,TIRES,SWAY BARS,IDLE ARM,AND ALIGNED AND ALSO REPLACED THE GEARBOX WITH A REBUILT GEARBOX THIS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GEARBOX REBUILT MIND YOU HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE PREVIOUS GEAR BOX. THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE IS DRIVEN BY A LOT OF SENIORS, CAB COMPANIES ,ETC. THE NEWER MODEL VEHICLES OF THIS TYPE USE A DIFFERENT GEAR BOX WHICH I AM PRETTY SURE IT DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE OLDER MODELS HAVE. AS FAR AS HAVING THE OLD PART I GAVE IT TO THE COMPANY THAT I PURCHASED THE NEWLY REBUILT ONE FROM AS A CORE. *NM

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD SPLIT DURING TRAVEL THROUGH MOUNTAINS CAUSING ALL OF THE COOLANT TO SPEW OUT. OVERHEATING OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY AND CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. FORD HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 02-2-2 DATED 1/17/2002 AND SUBSEQUENTLY REDESIGNED PART. THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY COMMUNICATED TO THE CONSUMER RESULTING IN EXTENSIVE COST TO THE CONSUMER WITH AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT.

1996 MERCURY MARQUIS ,,CRACKED COMPOSITE INTAKE HEAD...$ 1100.00 REPAIRED. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A FLEET RECALL FOR THIS, BUT NOT FOR PERSONALLY OWNED VEHICLES.I FEEL CHEATED...THE COMPOSITE HEADS ARE DEFECTIVE. *AK

I WAS DRIVING HOME AND MY CAR BEGAN OVERHEATING. THE NEXT DAY I BROUGHT IT TO A REPAIR SHOP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN RECALLS ON THE ENGINE IN MY CAR FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES OF THIS REPAIR BEING DONE UNDER RECALL. THEY USED THEIR RESOURCES TO OBTAIN DOCUMENTATION OF RECALLS BEING ISSUED FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CORP. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE WHO TOLD ME THAT MY PARTICULAR CAR HAD NO OUTSTANDING RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THE REPEATED OCCURENCE OF THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED BY ME THROUGH SEVERAL INSTANCES OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS POSTED ON THE INTERNET. THE EXACT PROBLEM IS WITH A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH DEVELOPS A CRACK NEAR THE THEMOSTAT AND LEAKS COOLANT.*AK

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. WE JUST HAD OUR PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED, COSTING $852.28. AFTER SO MANY MILES, THE PRESSURE MAKES THE FRONT END OF THE MANIFOLD CRACK AND LEAK. OUR MECHANIC HAS REPLACED MANY OF THESE FAULTY PLASTIC MANIFOLDS ,AND HE SAID EVENTUALLY ALL EARLY MODELS OF THE MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS WILL HAVE TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED. HE SAID THE FORD COMPANY HAS REPLACED THIS MANIFOLD ON LATER MODELS, STARTING WITH 2002 WITH AN ALUMINUM PART WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS. *AK *TC

THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A NOISE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT FRAME BROKE, AND LEANED AGAINST THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. VEHICLE PREVIOUSLYBROKE AT DIFFERENT POSITION. DEALER WILL NOT LET THE CONSUMER REMOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE SHOP UNTIL IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED.*AK.....THE WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT FRAME BROKE FOR NO REASON.*AK

THE AFFECED ENGINE IS THE 4.6L ENGINE WITH THE DEFECTIVE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD PART NUMBER F8AZ-9424-BC* INSTALLED IN 1996 AND UP ALL CROWN VICS,GRAND MARQUIS AND TOWN CARS. *AK THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. CONSIDER A FAMILY OF 6 TRAVELING AN INTERSTATE, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WHEN THE DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GIVES OUT AND A RAPID LOSS OF COOLANT OCCURS. THE DRIVER PANICS AND TRIES TO GET TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, ONLY TO BE HIT BY AN 18-WHEELER. OR THE DRIVER GETS TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AND A HIGHWAY PATROLMAN STOPS TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AND EVENTUALLY, A TOW TRUCK SHOWS UP TO TOW THE VEHICLE. ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE IN HARMS WAY, BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS NOT PUT ON THE RECALL LIST. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO DIE OR ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED, BEFORE THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL FINALLY EXTEND THEIR RECALL NOTICE, FROM CERTAIN FORD CROWN VICTORIAS TO ALL VEHICLES HAVING THIS DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD? THE DRIVING PUBLIC NEEDS YOUR HELP IN GETTING THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO EXTEND THEIR RECALL NOTICE TO INCLUDE ALL FORD PRODUCTS HAVING THIS DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD. VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITES, FOR COMPLETE DETAILS OF THE PROBLEM, I WANT TO AVOID. HTTP://WWW.COMPLAINTS.COM/JUNE2002/COMPLAINTOFTHEDAY.JUNE6.13.HTM HTTP://WWW.COMPLAINTS.COM/NOVEMBER2002/COMPLAINTOFTHEDAY.NOVEMBER4.26.HTM HTTP://PUBLIC.FOTKI.COM/TRSI/FORD_INTAKE_RECALL ( MUST VISIT WEB SITE) HOPEFULLY, AFTER YOU VISITED THESE WEB SITES, YOU WILL GET THE PICTURE. IN MY OPINION, THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY MUST BE MADE TO INCLUDE ALL