1997 Mercury Cougar

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MY VEHICLES BECAME TOTALLY DISABLED ON A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY WITH HEAVY AFTER HOURS RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE MANIFOLD WHICH IS MADE OF PLASTIC BROKE WERE THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR WAS BUILT IN, I ALSO NOTICED THAT A FEW SPARKPLUGS WERE FLOODED WITH COOLANT. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A LAWSUIT ON THESE VEHICLES BUT NO ONE KNEW ABOUT IT AND ONLY FLEET VEHICLES WERE COVERED AND NOT CIVILIAN VEHICLES. I WONDER IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE FOR ME TO SEEK A DEALERSHIP AND GET REIMBURSED FOR THESE DAMAGES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10521303

Incident

Jun 19, 2013

Mileage

156,000 mi

ON 5/19/2004 I HAD TO HAVE TOWED AND REPLACE DEFECTIVE CRACKED PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ON A 1997 MERCURY XR7 COUGAR AND HADN'T BEEN PREVIOUSLY INFORMED OF ANY RECALLS THEN RECENTLY I HAD TO REPLACE YET ANOTHER DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD (2ND CAR ) THIS SHOP INFORMED ME OF A CLASS ACTION THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF PREVIOUSLY THAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE AUTO ABOVE HOWEVER AS THE NOTIFICATION PROGRAM NEVER NOTIFIED ME ON EITHER CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10486065

Incident

May 19, 2004

Mileage

88,075 mi

FUEL WAS NOTED LEAKING FROM FUEL LINES JUST AFT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, FUEL WAS SEEM RUNNING DOWN THE FUEL LINES AND SIDE OF FUEL TANK. LEAK WAS CAUSED BY FUEL LINES CHAFFING THROUGH ON TOP OF TANK. CAR HAD 51,000 MILES ON IT. *TT

NHTSA ID

10411712

Incident

Jul 6, 2011

Mileage

51,000 mi

I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT DUE TO A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MANY FORD CARS WITH A 4.6 LITER ENGINE. I OR MY KIDS HAVE OWNED A 1997 MERCURY COUGAR SINCE NEW. RECENTLY THIS CAR WHICH HAD BEEN IN STORAGE FOR SEVERAL YEARS WAS GIVEN TO MY SON WHO IS LAID OFF AND ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE HIS BACHELORS DEGREE. I SPENT MONEY TO REPAIR SENSOR, FREEZEPLUG AND HE PUT NEW TIRES ON THIS CAR. I AM WRITING BECAUSE I CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD I WAS TOO LATE BECAUSE THE CLASS ACTION INVOLVING THE FAULTY PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD EXPIRED IN 2007 OR AT 75,000 MILES. THE CAR IN QUESTION HAS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 75,000 MILES. HOW COULD I HAVE TAKEN PART IN REPAIRING OR REIMBURSEMENT OF OVER $800 I HAD TO PAY TO GET THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED. I THEN FOUND ON THE INTERNET THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE IN THE SAME POSITION I AM IN. I FOUND THE FOLLOWING LINK ON THE INTERNET VERY INFORMATIVE AND GIVES SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND EXPLAINS SOME SAFETY ISSUES CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STILL DRIVING THESE CARS POSSIBLY NOT KNOWING THE ENGINE COULD BLOW UP AT ANY TIME IN ANY PLACE INCLUDING TRAFFIC. SEE LINK BELOW HTTP://PUBLIC.FOTKI.COM/TRSI/FORD_SUCKS/FORD_INTAKE_RECALL/MANIFOLD2.HTML CAN OR WILL YOU HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. AT THE LEAST PEOPLE SHOULD BE MADE AWARE THAT THEIR CAR WITH THIS PLASTIC MANIFOLD COULD LEAVE THEM STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE LINK I INCLUDED DOES GIVE EXAMPLES OF WHY THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS AND INDICATES MANY PEOPLE MAY STILL BE UNAWARE THAT THIS PLASTIC MANIFOLD PROBLEM EVEN EXIST. THIS IS IMPORTANT AS AN OWNER AND TO PROSPECTIVE BUYERS OF THESE CARS AS WELL. PLEASE HELP! I JUST THINK IT IS OBVIOUS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS AND WAS FAULTY AND WRONG THAT THE ACTIONS WAS SETTLED AND I DID NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT. I DO HAVE THE DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH IS CRACKED AT BOTH ENDS OF THE MANIFOLD. WATER IN ENGINE BOOM! SAFETY DANGER! *TR

NHTSA ID

10303349

Incident

Dec 15, 2009

Mileage

70,000 mi

INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACK AND ANTI-FREEZE SPILLING OUT AND A LOT OF STEAM SMOKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING,CAR IN SHOP NOW A IT WILL COST ME $600.00 TO FIX. *TR

NHTSA ID

10214703

Incident

Jan 10, 2008

IGNITION FAILED TO TURN WITH KEY. PUT LUBRICANT (WD-40) IN HOLE AND TAPPED WITH HAMMER UNTIL KEY TURNED.

NHTSA ID

10185275

Incident

Mar 4, 2007

Mileage

61,700 mi

FORD HEADLIGHTS: CLOUDY LENSES: FORD MADE AUTOS HAVE PLASTIC LENSES/HEADLIGHTS THAT CLOUD UP OVER TIME, WITHIN 5 YEARS TO 10 YEARS, THAT LIMIT EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT. I PERSONALLY HAVE HIT CURBS AND NARROWLY MISSED PEDESTRIANS ETC DUE TO INABILITY TO SEE THEM AT NIGHT DUE TO LOW HEADLIGHT BRIGHTNESS. THE FORD/MERCURY DEALER INFORMS ME THAT TO REPLACE THE FOGGED LENSES, I WILL HAVE TO PAY HIM $350.00 PER HEADLIGHT FOR A WHOLE NEW ASSEMBLY. LENSES ARE NOT SOLD SEPARATELY, HE SAYS. CANNOT BE CLEANED, HE SAYS. WHY, WHY, WHY DO YOU LET FORD GET BY WITH SELLING CARS THAT HAVE THESE DEFECTIVE, PRONE TO FAILURE HEADLIGHT LENSES? PEOPLE CAN'T SEE WHERE THEY ARE GOING AT NIGHT! DOESN'T THAT CONCERN YOU? LOOK THROUGH ANY PARKING LOT, SEE THE FORD PRODUCTS WITH DARKENED, RUINED LENSES. THESE ARE ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN TO 1000'S OF DRIVERS WHO CAN'T AFFORD $350 PER HEADLIGHT EVERY 5 YEARS OR SO! FORD SHOULD RECALL THESE CARS AND/OR OFFER REASONABLE COST REPLACEMENTS. $350 PER LENS IS NOT REASONABLE! *NM

NHTSA ID

10183370

Incident

Feb 22, 2007

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

NHTSA ID

10158037

Incident

Jun 25, 2001

Mileage

77,400 mi

SOME 1997-2008 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, OR 6.8L 2V ENGINE--SPARK PLUG THREAD REPAIR PROCEDURE--NOT COVERED UNDER NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY. *NJ THIS INCLUDES F-53 MOTORHOME CHASSIS. UPDATED 2/23/10. *PE

EXTENDED COVERAGE PROGRAM 05N04 - EXTENDED COVERAGE FOR COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THIS PROGRAM IS BEING PROVIDED AS A SETTLEMENT TO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT EXTEND THE COVERAGE OF THE ALL-COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO 7 YEARS FROM THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY START DATE OF THE VEHICLE, WITH NO LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF MILES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN. *TT

GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT

GENERAL POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT

REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT

NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER - SERVICE TIPS. 2003 ESCORT AND SUPER DUTY F SERIES INCLUDED. *TT