1996 MERCURY VILLAGER Complaints

CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE SLIDING DOOR BECOME UNLOCK. DOOR INDICATION LIGHT COME ON. PLEASE PROVDE FURTHER INFORMATIN.

THE DOORS WILL LOCK AUTOMATICALLY WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION OR NOT. WE HAD A BABY IN THE CAR AND THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE 35,000 MILES RECENTLY FORD TOLD US THEIR WAS A RECOMMEND FIX - SERVICE MESSAGE 11243 BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BUT IT IS NOT A RECALL. AS A SAFETY PROFESSIONAL I THINK THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS - POTENTIAL ENTRAPMENT OF SMALL CHILDREN WITHOUT ADEQUATE ESCAPE MECHANISM ( NOT BREAKING THE WINDOW) IS A CONCERN.

THE SLIDING DOOR ON THE VEHICLE POPS OPEN WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, RAILROAD TRACKS, ETC. *AK

EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS SHEARING OFF, REQUIRING DRILLING OUT, REPLACEMENT. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS THAT QUEST, PATHFINDER, AND VILLAGER ALL HAVE SIMILAR AFFLICTION. MANUFACTURER HAS AGREED TO PAY FOR 80% OF REPAIR COST TO FIX IT, EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. $1000.00 TO $3,000 TO FIX. EXHAUST FUMES ARE SEEPING INTO CAB, REQUIRING OPENING OF WINDOWS. BY OFFERING TO PAY ARE THEY NOT ADMITTING THERE IS A PROBLEM? RECALL ISSUE?*AK

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND AIRBAG MONITOR WAS REPLACED. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING THEY BOUGHT IT IN WHEN THEY DID BECAUSE THERE WAS A POTENTIAL DANGER. *AK *ML

THE SHOULDER BELTS CUT ACROSS MY THROAT. I CANNOT LOCATE AN EXTENSION BECAUSE THE SEATBELT CONNECTOR IS PROPRIETARY AND THE CAR MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION. I THINK I NEED AN EXTENSION, TO ENABLE THE SHOULDER BELT TO CROSS THE CENTER OF MY CHEST AND ACROSS MY SHOULDER. HOWEVER DUE TO THE PROPRIETARY SEAT BELT LATCH, I CANNOT LOCATE A 3RD PARTY TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION. I'M CONCERNED THAT IN A MINOR ACCIDENT WHERE A PROPERLY-FITTING SEAT BELT WOULD PROTECT ME FROM INJURY, I MAY RECEIVE A SEVERE OR FATAL NECK INJURY INSTEAD. IS THE CAR MANUFACTURE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING FIND A SOLUTION? I'M WILLING TO PAY FOR PARTS OR SPECIAL DESIGN CHANGES. *AK

SINCE JULY 16, 1998 DOORS LOCKS DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. DOORS WOULD LOCK WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN CONSUMER STEPPED OUT OF VEHICLE DOORS WOULD LOCK ON THEIR OWN, EVEN WITH THE KEY STILL IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER FIVE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

REMOTE CONTROL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY LOCK UP BY ITSELF BEFORE LETTING CONSUMER OUT OF VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED, SERVICE BULLETIN ALLOWED DEALER TO REPAIR VEHICLE. *AK *ML

SLIDING DOOR COMES UNLATCHED (AT BACK)WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN HITTING A SLIGHT BUMP WITH IT LOCKED OR NOT LOCKED. *AK

ENGINE OIL LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FLASHING WHEN ENGINE IS COLD (AFTER STARTING). OIL LIGHT GOES OFF AFTER ENGINE IS WARMED UP. INTERMITTENT EXCESSIVE "ENGINE NOISE" WHEN ENGINE IS COLD (AFTER STARTING). MERCURY DEALERSHIP INDICATES "SLUDGE" IN ENGINE, RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE. LAST OIL CHANGE AT 29000 MILES AND PREVIOUSLY AT 24600 MILES. DEALERSHIP IS INDICATING ENGINE DAMAGE IS DUE TO INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE (I.E. OIL CHANGE FREQUENCY). FORD ISSUED A LETTER JANUARY 1997 (RECALL 96M89) WHICH DESCRIBES "PISTON SLAP" NOISE PROBLEM AND OFFERED TO EXTEND ENGINE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. DEALERSHIP IS CONTENDING THAT THE ENGINE DAMAGE IS NOT DUE TO THIS RECALL BUT OWNER MAINTENANCE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAIL ON THE 96M89 RECALL NOTICE AND WHETHER OR NOT THE ENGINE DEFECT COVERED BY THE RECALL COULD PRECIPITATE THE ENGINE DAMAGE I AM EXPERIENCING AT 40,700 MILES. WHILE I UNDERSTAND THIS ISSUE IS NOT SAFETY RELATED ANY ASSISTANCE YOU COULD PROVIDE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *AK