1997 MERCURY MARQUIS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 30-40 MPH VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND LEAKED COOLANT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A CRACKED MANIFOLD. *AK

COMPLAINT ABOUT ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM. *MR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE "PLASTIC" INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD A STRESS CRACK AND CAUSED LEAKAGE OF ANTIFREEZE INTO THE PLUGS WHICH CAUSED THE DAMAGE. *SC *JB

FAILURE OF INTAKE MANIFOLD ON 1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. *MR THE INTAKE MAINIFOLD SPLIT OPEN. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE, DUE TO THE UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS. THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC *JB

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT ANY WARNING, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED ON IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE HEAT GAUGE MAXING OUT AND A BUZZING NOISE BEGAN SOUNDING. WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMOKE WAS POURING OUT BETWEEN MY HOOD AND COWLING. I MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR AND LIFTED THE HOOD. ANTIFREEZE SMELL WAS STRONG, WATER WAS SHOOTING INTO MY ALTERNATOR AND THE ENGINE WAS EXCESSIVELY HOT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A RELIABLE GARAGE AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD SPLIT OPEN, BUT THE "SMOKE" WAS ACTUALLY STEAM AND NO FIRE HAD ENSUED. LATER THAT DAY, THE MECHANIC CALLED AND SAID A NEW MANIFOLD WOULD COST ABOUT $400, AND ABOUT ANOTHER $400 IN LABOR. THE FINAL BILL WAS ACTUALLY $820 AND $60 FOR TOWING. UPON NOTIFICATION THAT A NEWLY DESIGNED MANIFOLD WAS NOW BEING SOLD, I BECAME SUSPICIOUS ABOUT WHY FORD WOULD DO THAT. I CHECKED FORD AND WAS TOLD "MY VIN# WAS NOT PART OF ANY RECALL, PERIOD! AFTER CHECKING THIS NHTSA SITE HOWEVER, I FOUND SEVERAL INTERESTING FACTS. THERE WERE ABOUT 300 COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME RUPTURE - I BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NOT REPORTING THIS PROBLEM WERE SEVERAL TIMES HIGHER. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT ALL 4.6 LITER ENGINES AT LEAST IN 1997 AND 1998 HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT FORD HAD "QUIETLY" AND I SUSPECT "ILLEGALLY" DID A SELECTED RECALL ON FLEET VEHICLES AND POLICE VEHICLES WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE ELSE. WHY WOULD FORD BE ALLOWED TO SELECTIVELY CORRECT AN ENGINEERING DEFECT. IS MY LIFE WORTH ANY LESS THAN A FLEET CAR DRIVER? I CALLED FORDS CONSUMER HOTLINE AT 1-800-392-3673 AND SPOKE WITH A REP NAMED VICKY. SHE HAD THE AUDACITY TO SAY MY VIN# HAD NO RECALL AND SHE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, FURTHERMORE THAT SHE HAD NO ACCESS TO THIS SITE NOR WAS AWARE OF IT. IF EVER A COMPANY NEEDED REPRIMANDED, FORD DOES. *NLM

INTAKE MANIFOLD BLEW OUT CAUSING ALL OF THE WATER TO LEAVE THE ENGINE. THIS RESULTED IN ENGINE RUNNING HOT. *MR PH

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED 2 TIRE BLOWS OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HIT THE MEDIAN. *JB

VEHICLE WAS AT AN IDLE. CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BOOM NOISE, THEN SMOKE OR STEAM STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE CAUSE WAS AS A RESULT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BLOWING UP. THE MECHANIC REPLACE THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD WITH A METAL ONE. TS *TT

WHILE DRIVING PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD BROKE. STEAM ,AND ANTI-FREEZE FELL ALL OVER WINDSHIELD, BLOCKING DRIVER'S VISION. *AK

WHILE IN MOTION, THE BRAKES WENT OUT COMPLETELY. CONSUMER HAD TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE FLEXIBLE STAINLESS STEEL CONNECTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO EXPLAINED THAT IT MADE SENSE TO REPLACE BOTH LINES. ONE WEEK LATER, THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN, SAME PROBLEM AS PREVIOUS. *JG *SCC

WHILE PULLING INTO THE GARAGE RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FRONT BALL JOINT FAILURE CAUSED THE DOOR FRAME, ARM BUSHING AND JOINT, SPINDLE FRONT WHEEL,FRONT SENSOR ASSEMBLY, FRONT BRAKE SHIELD AND TIRE TO FALL. *YH