1996 Mercury Grand Marquis complaints

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE TECHNICIAN SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. *AK *SCC *JB

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND LEAKED ANTI FREEZE ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *AK

THE FRAME OF MY 1996 GRAND MARQUIS BECAME SEPERATED DUE TO BAD WELDING. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO FIRESTONE WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE FRAME CAME APART DUE TO BAD WELDING. CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO FORD WHERE THEY DECLINED TO REPAIR THE CAR OR PAY FOR THE COST. FORD STATED THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT DUE TO MILEAGE AND MUST BE TOWED TO A BODY SHOP.*AK

WHILE DRIVING MANIFOLD CRACKED, CAUSING A FIRE IN THE FUEL TANK. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK WHILE DRIVING THE MANIFOLD CRACKED WHICH CAUSED ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE MANIFOLD WAS A DEFECTIVE PART AND THAT THEY REPLACED MANY OF THEM WITH THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE. *SCC *NLM

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED 4 INCH CRACK BEHIND DISTRIBUTOR. *NLM

THERE'S A RATTLING NOISE FROM WITHIN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. CONSUMER IS AFRAID THAT THIS CAN CAUSE THE AIR BAG NOT TO DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CAUSE OF NOISE IS YET TO BE DETERMINED.*AK

SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT DUE TO FAILURE OF PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD BEHIND ALTERNATOR.*AK

HEATING COOLING SYSTEM = CAR OVERHEATED AND MECHANIC FOUND A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD. THERE HAVE BEEN QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS ON THIS BY OTHER OWNERS - ONE DEALER EVEN STATES THIS IS A DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD. BELIEVE FORD SHOULD RECALL THESE OR REPAIR THEM WHEN NEEDED AS THEY ARE DEFECTIVE. *JB

THERE WAS A DEFECT IN INTAKE MANIFOLD, WHICH WAS DESCRIBED IN THE TSB 630628. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. *JB

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OVER HEATED AND CRACKED, WHICH CAUSED FLUID TO LEAK. *JB

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEMS. *AK *JB

THE ALUMINUM WHEEL CAUSED THE SEAL TO BREAK BETWEEN THE RIM AND TIRE WHICH RESULTED IN ALL FOUR TIRES LOSING AIR PRESSURE.*JB

MANIFOLD CRACKED ALLOWING ANTIFREEZE TO SPLASH OVER ENGINE. DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD MAKE A MANIFOLD OUT OF PLASTIC GIVEN THE COOLING AND HEATING AREA OF THE ENGINE. UNDERSTAND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS, ONE IN WHICH A DEALER APPARENTLY STATED THAT THE MANIFOLD WAS DEFECTIVE AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE.

WHILE DRIVING, THE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND ANTIFREEZE SPLASHED ALL OVER THE MOTOR, WHICH CAUSED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE MANIFOLD WAS FAULTY AND WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL/YEAR. TS SCC *JB

THE A/C ELECTRONIC ACTUATOR MOTOR CONTROLS THE A/C AND DEFROSTER. THE UNIT FAILED SO THAT DURING DEFROST MODE ONLY COLD AIR WAS AVAILABLE. WHILE TRAVELING THE UNIT FAILED SO THAT I COULD NOT DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD. THIS UNIT SHOULD ONLY FAIL IN THE FAILSAFE STATE (PROVIDE HOT AIR) OR HAVE AN MANUAL OVERRIDE FOR THE DRIVER SO THAT HE CAN MOVE THE DOOR TO GET HOT AIR WHEN IN DEFROST DURING A FAILURE. DT

CONSUMER STATED WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD OR BACKWARD AND DID NOT STOP EVENLY. TS DEALER MACHINED WARPED REAR AND FRONT ROTORS AND REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS. *TT

STEERING WHEEL FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING..TOTAL LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. MANAGED TO GET TO SIDE OF ROAD WITH LAST BIT OF STEERING. I NOTICED THAT CAR WAS NOT RESPONDING TO TURNING WHEEL. THE WHEEL ACTUALLY FEEL OFF OF THE COLUMN AND ROLLED INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT WHEN I TOOK MY HANDS OFF OF THE WHEEL. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSIS: "STEERING WHEEL FELL OFF. DT

NO SUMMARY. DT

CONSUMER STATES, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE NOTICED A SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. PLASTIC MANIFOLD WAS CAUSING THE BURNING AND DAMAGING ENGINE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

MR

THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD CRACKED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT.MR *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT INTAKE IS CRACKED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *MR

INTAKE MANIFOLD OVERHEATS. DEALER NOTIFIED. *MR

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HEADLIGHT PLASTIC LENS ARE DISCOLORING AND CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *MR CONSUMER STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT PLASTIC LENSES HAD PROGRESSIVELY LOST THEIR TRANSLUCENT QUALITY. THIS CONDITION CAUSED A CONTINUAL DETERIORATION AND DECREASE IN LENS PERFORMANCE AND THEIR ABILITY TO TRANSMIT LIGHT AS REQUIRED. *YH

WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND TURN SIGNAL ARE ON ONE SWITCH, AND IF WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ON AND CONSUMER PUTS TURN SIGNAL ON, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL STOP UNTIL TURN SIGNAL LIGHT GOES OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A FATIGUE CRACK AT THE COOLANT CROSSOVER DUCT. THIS CAUSED COOLANT LOSS AND AN OVERHEATING CONDITION. THE FACTORY REPLACEMENT PART IS MADE OF METAL.

WHILE DRIVING ALONG A BUSY CITY STREET ON A COLD EVENING IN JANUARY I NOTICED A CLOUD OF STEAM BEHIND ME. IT OBSCURED MY VIEW OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AND THEIR VIEW OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER PULLING OF THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, AND EXAMINING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I RECOGNIZED COOLING SYSTEM FAILURE BUT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE "PLASTIC" INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD RUPTURED AND SPRAYED COOLANT ALL OVER THE ENGINE CMPARTMENT,AND HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, ETCLOCAL FORD DEALERS WERE CLOSED AND UNAVAILABLE. REPUTABLE AUTO REPAIR GARAGE PERFORMED THE NECESSARY REPAIRS (6 HRS) THIS CRITICAL ENGINE COMPONENT SHOULD "NEVER" FAIL. FORD QUIETLY RECALLED POLICE, FLEET AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES. CONSUMERS WERE LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. THEY HAVE IGNORED MY REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISSTANCE.*AK

THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE STRANDED ME IN THE WILDERNESS SUBJECTED TO THE ELEMENTS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY INTAKE MANINFOLD BROKE,CAUSING FUEL AND COOLANT TO LEAK. ENGINE WAS DESTROYED.DEALER CONTACTED. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM.*AK

BLOWOUT AT 60MPH. TREAD SEPARATED FROM BODY OF TIRE FOR 1/4 CIRCUMFERENCE OF TIRE. HOLE SIZE OF TENNIS BALL BLOWN IN SIDEWALL OF TIRE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THERE IS A COOLANT LEAK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. CONSUMER IS AWARE THERE IS POSSIBLY A RECALL RELATING TO THE CONDITION, HOWEVER, DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE POSSIBLE RECALL. DEALER FOUND A CRACKED PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD, INTAKE GASKETS AND PLUG WIRES WERE REPLACED. *TT *CB

PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED BEHIND THE ALTERNATOR, CAUSING COOLANT LEAKAGE. *AK

THE HEADLIGHT LENS COVERS ARE PLASTIC.THE HEAT FROM THE HALOGEN BULBS HAS DISCOLORED THE LENS TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT ILLUMINATION OF THE HIGHWAY IS NEGLIGIBLE. SUBSEQUENT UEAR MODELS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH GLASS HEADLIGHT LENSES, AN OBVIOUS RECOGNITION OF THE PROBLEM WITH PLASTIC..I AM SURPRISED THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ITEM AS EVERY 1996 GRAND MARQUIS I HAVE SEEN HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS CONFIRMED BY THEIR OWNER'S.. THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ITEM THAT AN OWNER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACING.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WOULD SHUTTER, DEALER REPLACED FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER. *SLC

INTAKE MANIFOLD IS PLASTIC AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MELT. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS TO OCCUR, SUCH AS ENGINE OVER HEATING. *AK THERE ARE STRESS CRACKS WHERE THE ALTERNATOR IS ATTACHED TO PLASTIC MANIFOLD. THE DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE DEFECTIVE PART SHOULD BE UNDER RECALL BUT IT WASN'T. AT FIRST, FORD STATED THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE PART, HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOW DECLINED. THIS IS A SAFTEY HAZARD AS SMOKE EMITS FROM THE ENGINE AREA OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. *JG

WHILE DRIVING, TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FOR A 1996, MERCURY, GRAND MARQUIS. *AK. MICHELIN TIRE XW4 215/70/15 97S DOT#H1C7-094X

WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING, VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF, RESULTING IN NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES.*AK. CONSUMER STATES ENGINE STALLS FREQUENTLY WHILE TURNING, THE ENGINE CODES ARE ALL NORMAL, THE DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE 3 TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS.*JB

PITMAN ARM HAS BROKEN FIVE TIMES. PART LASTED FOR 2000 MILES AFTER LAST REPLACEMENT.*AK

WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY LEFT BALL JOINT FELL OUT OF VEHICLE. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED LEFT TIR ROD END AND BALL JOINT FAILED, AND ALSO THE RIGHT SIDE IS IN POOR CONDITION, DEALER REPLACED THE OUTER AND INNER TIE ROD ENDS.

INTAKE NANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. AND LEAKED COOLANT FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

WHIILE DRIVING INTAKE MANIFOLD BURST AT THE SEAMS. TOOK VEHICLE TO FORD DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MY VEHICAL IS THE SAME THAT IS ON ANY 4.6LTR ENGINE THAT FORD HAS PUT INTO PRODUCTION IN THE YEARS PRIOR TO 1998. WHEN FORD WENT TO A CASTED MANIFOLD. I KNOW THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL FAILURES OF THIS PART. EVEN THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP PARTS MAN SAID THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED. THAT TELLS ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF FAILURES OF THIS MANIFOLD. BUT INSTEAD THE CONSUMER HAS TO PUT OUT AROUND 500 DOLLARS, TO REPAIR A DEFECTIVE PART. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. I NOTICED SEVERAL OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS IN YOUR LISTING OF FAILURES. *AK

THE WATER JACKET ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED RIGHT BEHIND THE ALTERNATOR THE DEALERS CARY ATLEAST 6 MANIFOLDS IN STOCK AT ALL TIMES THEY HAD THE PROBLEM ON OTHER VEHICLES AND TOLD ME MINE WASNT ON THE LIST. *AK

AIR INTAKE PLENUM DEVELOPED A CRACK WHICH IN TURN SPRAYES COOLANT ONTO THE REAR OF THE ALTERNATOR. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS PART BUT FORD WILL NOT REPLACE IT.THERE IS A LIMITED RECALL ON THIS PART BUT IT BEGINS LESS THAN 4 MONTHS AFTER THE BUILD DATE ON MY CAR, EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED EXISTS ON MANY EARLIER MODELS. I WOULD LIKE MY CAR INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL BUT AM TOLD NO WAY BY FORD. ANY HELP IN THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *AK

THIS ALMOST LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE. *AK

MY PRIMARY COMPLAINT IS THE STRESS CRACK ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY FORD, AND HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL PROGRAM FOR THEIR FLEET VEHICLES ONLY. THE COVERAGE IS FOR 7 YEARS FROM THE VEHICLES WARRANTY START DATE, WITH NO MILEAGE LIMITATION. IT COVERS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FOR 4.6 L SOHC ENGINES ON 1996-2001 CROWN VICTORIA POLICE VEHICLES, CERTAIN 1998 THROUGH 2001 CROWN VICTORIA TAXIS AND CERTAIN 1998-2001 LINCOLN TOWN CARS, ALL USING THE SAME INTAKE MANIFOLD AS THAT ON MY GRAND MARQUIS (SAME PART NUMBER, SAME PART!). THE RECALL PROGRAM IS 01M02. THE STRESS CRACK CAUSED COMPLETE COOLANT LOSS AND OVERHEATING OF THE ENGINE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE RELEASE OF COOLANT ONTO THE WINDSHIELDS OF FOLLOWING VEHICLES. IN ADDITION, THE REEL-TYPE ELECTRIC WINDOW SYSTEM IN THE CAR FAILS IN MORE THAN NORMAL FEQUENCY. I HAVE HAD THREE FAILRES IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. *AK

WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY AT SLOW SPEED HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT WELD HOLDING LOWER CONTROL ARM ON DRIVER'S SIDE HAD BROKEN. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

TRANSMISSION VIBRATES, SLIPS (SOUNDS LIKE DRIVING OVER RUMBLE STRIPS) DURING MODERATE ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE SHUDDERS AND VIBRATES WHEN TRAVELING IN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR AND THEN LOSES POWER.*AK