1990 Mercury Grand Marquis

Defect. THREADED INFLATOR COMPONENTS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY WHICH MAY ALLOW COMPONENTS TO SEPARATE WHEN INFLATOR RECEIVES A SIGNAL TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAG.

Risk. INFLATOR COMPONENT SEPARATION ALLOWS HOT COMBUSTION GASES TO ESCAPE INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURIES TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.

Remedy. REPLACE AIR BAG MODULES CONTAINING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE INFLATORS.

ENGINE OCCASIONALLY SURGES WHEN PLACED INTO REVERSE. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY RACES AND THE CAR EVEN CONVULSES. THE ONLY THING THAT STOPS IT IS TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE. THIS IS MY MOM'S CAR AND SHE RARELY DRIVES IT.

I EMBARKED ON A ROUTINE TRIP TO DINNER IN MY MOTHER'S 1990 MERCURY MARQUIS. I STARTED THE ENGINE WHICH IDLED NORMALLY, AS USUAL. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I ENGAGED THE SHIFT LEVER INTO THE R POSITION WHICH RESULTED IN IMMEDIATE ACCELLERATION IN A REVERSE DIRECTION. I SWERVED THE CAR TO THE LEFT TO AVOID CHILDREN ACROSS THE STREET AND RAMMED A VEHICLE PARKED ON THE STREET. THE VEHICLE STOPPED ON IMPACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE AND RETURNED TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED. I PLACE THE CAR IN D AND RETURNED IT TO THE DRIVEWAY WHERE IT REMAINED UNTIL WE COULD DELIVER IT TO OUR FAMILY MECHANIC. HE PLACED THE ENGINE ON HIS ANALYZER - DID OTHER INSPECTIONS OF BRAKES, CRUISE CONTROL AND OTHER THROTTLE RELATED SYSTEMS AND FOUND NOTHING.

GOODYEAR INTEGRITY P215/75R15. SIDEWALL BLOWOUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED (45-55 MPH.) TIRES WERE INSTALLED ON 08/27/2001, AND HAD 36,000 MILES AT TIME OF FAILURE. TIRES WERE WELL MAINTAINED, HAD NO PRIOR DAMAGE, AND TIRE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF PROBLEMS PRIOR TO FAILURE. FAILURE WAS SPONTANEOUS AND CATASTROPHIC. T IS IRONIC THAT A TIRE WITH THE BRAND NAME OF "INTEGRITY" SHOULD SPONTANEOUSLY DISINTEGRATE.*AK

THE 'AIR BAG' LIGHT ON MY DASH IS LIGHTING UP. IT DOESN'T STAY ON CONSTANTLY, BUT IT DOES FLASH, WHICH CONCERNS ME. IT DOESN'T GO ON EVERY TIME MY CAR IS ON, BUT IT DOES FLASH ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME. I SAW THE RECALL AND WANT TO KNOW IF MY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED AND IF IT WAS FIXED.*AK

I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE AIR BAG IN MY CAR, WHICH IS A 1990 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE "AIR BAG" LIGHT COMES ON. IT DOESN'T STAY ON CONSTANTLY, BUT IT DOES 'FLICKER' OR IT WILL STAY ON FOR A FEW SECONDS. THERE ARE TIMES WHERE IT DOESN'T COME ON AT ALL, BUT I AM STILL CONCERNED. I WAS WONDERING, SINCE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE PART OF THE AIRBAG, IF I SHOULD HAVE IT LOOKED AT. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONING.*MR WHEN THE VEHICLES ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED IT BECAME STUCK TO THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE INSULATOR CAP FELL OFF. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLE. *NLM

BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH, LOSS OF REAR BRAKES. ALSO EMERGENCY BRAKE FROZEN AND INOPERABLE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER TO GO FORWARD. DEALER NOTIFIED. CONSUMER STATED THIS VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. TRANSMISSION COST OVER $1000.00. *AK *CB

WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY FROM THE FIRST GEAR, WONT SHIFT. DEALER NOTIFIED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT SHOP AND OVERHAULED. TRANSMISSION AT COST OVER $1000.00 *AK *CB

THE VEHICLE LEAKED BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHO STATED THE BRAKE LINE RUSTED. *JB

I WAS GIVEN THIS CAR, INSTEAD OF PURCHASING IT. WHEN I RECEIVED THIS CAR WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHING. IT CONTINUES TO BLINK 10 TIMES, THEN REPEATS ITSELF. LIKE A CODE. THE R. FRONT BUMBER WAS DENTED IN BUT, THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DT

THE CONSUMER WAS SEEKING RECALL ON THE TFI MODULE WHICH WAS DEFECTIVE. THE TFI MODULE FAILURE COULD RESULT IN ACCIDENT AND DEATH. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT DOES NOT FORCE A RECALL BUT ONLY COVERS REPLACEMENT COST AFTER FAILURE. *YH

CONSUMER STATES DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THICK FILM IGNITION MOUDLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT

I WAS PROCEEDING HOME IN EVENING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR ENGINE QUIT INSTANTANEOUSLY. I WAS FORCED TO STOP IN THE RIGHT LANE OF TRAFFIC. ALTHOUGH IN THE RIGHT LANE I COULD NOT PULL OFF OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THERE WAS A BARRIER WITH NO SHOULDER FOR ME TO PULL ONTO. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT HIT BY ANOTHER CAR ALTHOUGH I WAS SITTING WHERE TRAFFIC HAD TO STOP ABRUPTLY AND SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ME. THE CAR WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR LATER. THE VEHICLE TRAFFIC WHERE I WAS STALLED ROUTINELY MOVES AT OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR WHICH LUCKILY FOR ME DID NOT RESULT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *AK

CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW BY FATHER-IN-LAW ROBERT SPEEG IN 1989 OR 1990 WITH THE 5 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY. OWNERSHIP TRANSFERRED TO US IN 1995 AND WE TRANSFERRED EXTENDED WARRANTY. CAR HAS BEEN A LEMON WITH 3 MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IN LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. LAST TRANSMISSION SERVICE COST US $1,434. PREVIOUS TWO WERE COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT WERE OF SIMILIAR MAGNITUDE. CAR IS LOW MILEAGE AND IN GREAT PHSICAL CONDITION BUT IS A MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL LEMON. CURRENT PROBLEM WHICH PROMPTED REPORTING IS THE ENGINE STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ABOUT 6 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. THERE IS NO WARNING AND NO MISSING AND YOU ARE FORCED TO MANEUVAR THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC WIHOUT POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. CAR WILL NOT RESTART BY CRANKING ENGINE AND DOESN'T EVEN TRY. ACTS LIKE IGNITION OR FUEL SUPPLY HAS BEEN DISABLED. HOWEVER, IF YOU OPEN THE AIR CLEANER AND LIFT THE AIR FILTER, CAR STARTS RIGHT AWAY. HAVE REPLACED AIR FILTER EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT DIRTY - DID NOT HELP. AFTER AN INTERNET INQUIRY, WAS REFERRED TO "THICK FILM INJECTION (TFI) CLASS ACTION SUIT" AT WWW.AUTOSAFETY.ORG/ACTIONALERTS/TFI-INTO.HTM. THIS REFERENCE ENGINE STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT OUR VEHICLE HAS THE DISTRIBUTOR MOUNTED TFI MODULE AS INDICATED BY "1984-94 LTD/MARQUIS (5.0L)". CONTACTED SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT NORTHPOINT FORD IN ALPHARETTA ON 2/16/01. SCOTT SAID PROBLEM WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE UNLESS IT HAPPENED WHILE THE DIAGNOST

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE AND PARKED. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE OPERATOR NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD, THE OPERATOR IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AS THE ALTERNATOR. OPERATOR CONTINUED TO OBSERVE THE VEHICLE AND NOTED THAT THE VOLUME OF SMOKE WAS INCREASING. AFTER APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES, THE ALTERNATOR BURST INTO FLAMES. ARCING WAS SEEN AND HEARD WITHIN THE ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED BY FETTE FORD IN WAYNE, NJ IN SEPT 1999 AND, UPON SUBSEQUENT FAILURE, AGAIN IN APPROXIMATELY JAN 2000. FETTE FORD STATED THAT REBUILT FORD ALTERNATORS WERE USED IN BOTH CASES. *AK

HAD 2 EMERGANCY STOPS AND CAR DID NOT STOP , FRONT BRAKES LOCKED AND CAR SKIDED AND WOULD NOT STOP DEALER SAID HE HAD SAME CAR AND SAID "THATS HOW THE BRAKES ARE IN THIS CAR , THEY JUST DON'T STOP. THIS CAR IS A HAZARD AND CORRECTION SHOULD BE MADE BY THE MANUFACTURER

WHILE TRAVELING ABS INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ABS INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND REPAIR PROBLEM RETURNED. PROBLEM CAN BE REPAIRED AT OWNER'S COST, BUT OWNER CAN'T AFFORD.*AK *ML

AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES CONTINUALLY, THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE CENTER CRASH SENSOR AND THAT THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. *SLC