1997 MERCURY MARQUIS Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED FLUID WAS LEAKING AROUND HIS HEATER HOSE. AFTER REPLACING THE HOSE SEVERAL TIMES IT WAS STILL LEAKING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED. THE CONTACT MADE A TEMPORARY PATCH FOR THE CRACK. NO OTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK UPDATED 1/4/2006 - *NM

DT: THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED SO BADLY THAT IT SLAPPED CONSUMER'S GRANDSON''S FACE. HE HAS A PERMANENT SCAR FROM IT. THE AIR BAGS SMOKED UP EVERYTHING LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. ALSO, CONSUMER'S GRAND DAUGHTER WAS RIDING IN THE BACK SEAT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, AND HER TEETH PRINT WAS IN THE BACK OF THE SEAT. BOTH OF THE CHILDREN WERE IN THEIR SEAT BELTS. CONSUMER FELT THE SEAT BELTS SHOULD HAVE HELD UP BETTER. THIS HAPPENED ON JUNE 18, 2005. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. *AK

MY 1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS OVERHEATED AND BLEW STEAM AND ANTIFREEZE THROUGHOUT ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ON TO WINDSHIELD. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE A CRACK IN THE WATER JACKET PORTION OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND MANIFOLD HAS BEEN REDESIGNED BUT IS NOT COVERED BY A RECALL AND THE REPAIR EXPENSE ($989 PLUS TAX) WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. HE ALSO STATED THAT THIS IDENTICAL PROBLEM ON POLICE CARS AND SOME OTHERS IS COVERED. A CALL TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY RENDERED SAME RESULTS. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND IT HAS ONLY 60000 MILES. I HAVE THE OLD MANIFOLD.

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. I STARTED THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO TAKE OUT OF PARK. I THEN REFERED TO THE VEHICLE MANUAL AND FOUND OUT THAT IF THIS HAPPENS THEN I SHOULD CHECK THE BRAKE LIGHTS. THEY WERE OUT SO I CHECKED THE FUSE AND IT WAS BLOWN. I REPLACED IT AND THE BRAKES, LIGHTS AND TRANSMISSION WORKED. I DROVE HOME (16 MILES) AND PARKED THE CAR. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND WE PUT OUT THE FIRE BUT NOT UNTIL THE 1/2 THE HOOD WAS MELTED. I CALLED FORD/MERCURY AND THEY TOOK THE INFORMATION. A WEEK LATER I GOT A LETTER STATING THAT MY CAR DID NOT QUALIFY FOR A PROGRAM AND THEREFORE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I JUST WANTED TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH OTHER CARS. ALL I GOT FROM FORD WAS THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME.

(THIS COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL) MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TODAY AROUND 70 MPH OR UNDER ON THE FREEWAY WHEN SHE TURNED A CORNER AND THE CAR FELL DOWN LOW WITH A CLUNG ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE. SHE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME, WHERE I AND THE TOW DRIVER SAW THE MOST HORRIFYING SIGHT, THE BALL JOINT JUST CAME APART. THE BALL CAME RIGHT OUT OF THE SOCKET. THE SOCKET SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED SO THE BALL, EVEN IF BADLY WORN WOULD NEVER LEAVE THE SOCKET. I WENT TODAY TO GET 4 BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES FOR HER CAR, AND WHILE TALKING TO A CUSTOMER OF THE PROBLEM HE TOLD ME HIS DAUGHTER ALMOST HAD A BAD ACCIDENT WHEN HIS 1995 COUGARS BALL JOINT ASSEMBLE LET GO. I'M SPEAKING OF THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I HAVE THE BALL JOINT AND THE BOLTS ON THE CAR IF YOU NEED THEM. *AK THE LOWER BALL JOINT. THE CONSUMER MADE THE REPAIRS HIMSELF. *SC *JB

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME. THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE WITH THESE MANIFOLDS. THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER WERE PROVIDING ANY ASSISTANCE. THEY CLAIMED THE PART WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK *SC

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. I HAVE A 1997 MERCURY MARQUIS WITH ELECTRONIC LIGHTS. THEY ARE ALL CONTROLLED WITH A PROCESSOR CALLED AN LCM FOR LIGHT CONTROL MODULE. IT IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE CHEAPER AUTOMATIC DIMMER ON THE DASHBOARD. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT LAST SUMMER, AND THE LENSES TURNED YELLOW. I TRIED NEW BULBS, THAT DID NOT WORK. I CHECKED FUSES AND RELAYS AND ALL WERE FINE. I REPLACED THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHT DIMMER SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUMN, AND THAT DID NOT WORK. FINALLY THIS FALL I CALLED FORDS TECHNICAL LINE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A BULLETIN OR RECALL OR A QUICK FIX. ALL I COULD GET OUT OF THEM WAS BRING IT IN. I, THEN DECIDED TO CALL PARTS, AND WAS TOLD THAT TO FIX IT WOULD COST $200.00. NEEDLESS TO SAY I FOUND A WAY TO BYPASS THE COMPUTER, AND WIRED IN A RELAY THAT WAS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE BATTERY. I SPENT 2 HOURS WET SANDING AND RUBBING OUT THE LENSES TO GET THEM BRIGHT ENOUGH. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. WE HAVE MANY OBSTACLES THAT DEPEND ON BRIGHT LIGHT DRIVING, INCLUDING WILD DEER, AND EDGES OF ROADS LEADING TO LAKES.*AK......$200.00 WAS COST FOR LCM, NO LABOR , PART *F7AB-136788-AA. *AK

THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LEAK WATER AND THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE PROBLEM TURNED OUT TO BE A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD. *BF *SC

WHILE DRIVING AT 80 MPH TEMPERATURE GAUGE REACH ED ITS PEAK , FOLLOWED BY SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE, AND THEY REPLACED THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD WITH A METAL ONE BECAUSE IT HAD BLOWN. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER PART WAS REPLACED COOLANT WAS COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. VEHICLE WAS THEN FLAT BEDDED TO ANOTHER GARAGE, AND THEY REINSTALLED THE CYLINDER HEAD, REPAIRED THE TIMING CHAIN, AND REPLACED THE EXHAUST.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, CAR BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING THE ABILITY TO STOP AND THERBY ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. UPON INVESTIGATION, FOUND BRAKE FLUID WAS SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR. *NM