1995 MERCURY VILLAGER Complaints

EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS BROKEN. I FOUND IT WHEN I WANTED TO REPLACE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKET. IN CANADA, THEY HAVE WORKED AOUT A FIX FOR THE STUDS BROKING WITH FORD WHY CAN'T WE THIS FIXED FOR FREE. *NM

STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. PROBLEM COMES AND GOES. MECHANICS DO NOT KNOW WHY. I CALLED THE DEALER BUT THEY (3037611560) STATED THAT MY VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER WASN'T AMONG THOSE RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED ON 9-8-05 HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL ON AT APPROXIMATELY 62 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED COASTING. IT SLOWED DOWN. HE PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE CAR. HE OPENED THE HOOD, AND THERE WAS A BIG FIRE ON THE DISTRIBUTOR AND IGNITION AREAS. ALL OF THE SIX WIRES MELTED. THE CONTACT HAD IT TOWED TO A WORKSHOP, AND THEY SAID HE SHOULD CALL THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE CONTACT CALLED FORD, AND FORD SAID SOMEONE WOULD GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM. THE MECHANIC AT THE WORKSHOP TOLD FORD THAT IT SEEMED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING MALFUNCTIONING. *AK THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS UNDER THE VEHICLE'S VIN/. *NM

IN VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES, MY VAN STALLS AND EVENTUALLY SPLATTERS AND QUITS. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THREE OCASSIONS WITH MY WIFE AND ONCE WITH ME AND BECAUSE IT STALLS, THE STEERING GETS REALLY HARD AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO RUN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A STOP LIGHT.

WHILE PULLING IN TO OUR GARAGE, MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, AND THE VAN ACCELERATED. I PUSHED THE BRAKE BUT THE VAN DID NOT STOP. THE VAN CRASHED IN TO THE BACK OF OUR GARAGE, MOVING THE HOUSE OFF OF THE CEMENT BLOCK. VAN IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THAT "IT WILL GO TO SERVICE ON MONDAY FOR DIAGNOSTICS". I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ANYWHERE ELSE, THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SEVERE/FATAL. I AM COMPLETING THIS REPORT IN HOPES THAT SOMEONE CAN LOOK IN TO THIS PROBLEM (I'VE READ OTHER CASES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM) BECAUSE I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY LONGER. I'M HOPING THAT SOMEONE CAN HELP BEFORE SOMETHING WORSE HAPPENS. *NM

DT: CALLER SAID THERE IS A RECALL ON HER YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL BUT NOT ON HER VEHICLE. THE RECALL #00V419002, FUEL TANK VENT HOSE LEAKAGE. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. MANUFACTURER SAID HER VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. CALLER HAS BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A YEAR. SHE SAID IT IS GETTING WORSE. CALLER WAS NEVER CONTACTED ABOUT RECALL.*AK *JB

VEHICLE GEAR SHIFT APPEARS TO GO INTO PARK, HOWEVER THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT REALLY IN PARK, THUS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL, POSSIBLY WHEN NO ONE IS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE DRIVER TO BE STRANDED BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT RESTART DUE TO IT NOT BEING ENGAGED IN THE PARK POSITION.*AK

DRIVER'S AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILED TO FUNCTION AS IT WAS DESIGNED. SEAT BELT HAD TO BE MANUALLY PLACED IN THE RELEASE AND RETRACT POSITION. THE SEAT BELT MOTOR MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *AK

THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO HEAR EXHAUST NOISES AND SMELLED EXHAUST GASES IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONSUMER THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUD(S) WERE BROKEN. THE TOTAL BILL WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROXIMATELY $1,000. THROUGH THE INTERNET, THE CONSUMER DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. FORD INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM AS THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND WAS NOT A PART OF RECALL. *NM THE EXHAUST GASES LEAKED AT THE ENGINE. *SC *JB

1995 MERCURY VILLAGER BOUGHT USED IN JULY 2004, WITH 70,000 MILES. EXHAUST NOISE STARTED 2 MONTHS LATER. MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT IT'S A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THESE VEHICLES -- THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BREAK. SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM AND SO WELL KNOWN, YET THERE'S NO RECALL???!?!??! WHO IS LOOKING OUT FOR THE CONSUMER? *JB