Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1993 Mercury Villager submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 142 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 142, in the owner's own words
THREE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS ON THE FRONT, AND THREE MORE ON THE REAR ARE BROKEN OFF, WITH A INCREASINGLY MORE LOUD SOUND COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I BELIEVE THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS DEFECT IN THESE VANS, BUT REQUIRE THE OWNER TO SHOULDER THE PAYMENT OF THIS EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY EVIDENT IN THE 1993 MODEL YEAR OF THE MERCURY VILLAGER AND THE NISSAN QUEST. *NM
BAD FACTORY DESIGN LEADS TO EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS BREAKING. THUS CAUSING EXPENSIVE, UNDUE REPAIRS. FORD IS UNWILLING TO ASSIST CUSTOMERS WHO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE ENGINE. *AK MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/MINIVANSENTHUSIASTDISCUSSIONGROUP/169.HTML
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR COLLISION. THEN, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. *AK
STUDS ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD SHEARED OFF. CAUSED EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER PASSENGER COMPARTMENT SICKING PASSENGERS. ALSO CAUSED A LOUD NOISE LIKE A EXHAUST LEAK. MECHANIC SAID HAD SEEN THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER VILLAGERS.*AK
I AM THE OWNER OF A '93 MERCURY VILLAGER. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE SEVERAL OF MY HEAD BOLTS REPLACED DUE TO BROKEN BOLTS CAUSING MY HEAD GASKET TO LEAK AND CAUSE MY ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM, THERE ARE MANY OF US SEEKING AN EXPLANATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN VISIT CARTRACKERS.COM AND YOU WILL FIND MANY UPSET OWNERS OF BOTH NISSAN QUEST AND MERCURY VILLAGERS (SAME MOTORS) WITH SAME PROBLEM.*AK
EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS HAVE BROKEN AND EXHAUST IS BACKING UP INTO THE CABIN. MY MECHANIC OWNS A VILLAGER AND TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT THE DEALER IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FIX IT. I HAVE DONE SOME ON-LINE RESEARCH AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON AND COULD POSSIBLY BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *JB
THE TWO OUTSIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS ON THE BOTH THE FRONT AND BACK WERE BROKEN. THIS CAUSED EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER THE CABIN.*AK
THIS IS ABOUT MY 1993 MERCURY VILLAGER. AFTER VIEWING YOUR SITE, IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR IS WIDESPREAD. THE BOLTS THAT CONNECT THE MANIFOLD TO THE ENGINE BLOCK SHEARED OFF. I HAD THE REPAIR DONE IN MAY OF 1998 AND ALSO CONTACTED THE LINCOLN MERCURY DIVISION OF FORD. I EVEN SENT THEM TWO OF THE SHEARED BOLTS. SINCE THAT TIME, THE BOLTS ON THE FRONT MANIFOLD HAVE SHEARED. I NEVER EVEN RECEIVED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM FORD IN RESPONSE TO MY LETTER. THE ENGINE NOW IS VERY NOISY AND I BROUGHT IT IN TO MY MUFFLER MECHANIC ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO AND HE NOTED THE SHEARED BOLTS ON THE FRONT OF THE MANIFOLD. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER NHTSA IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS OR WHETHER YOU ARE AWARE OF ANY SUCCESS WITH FORD IN GETTING THIS PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF. IT IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.
CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE'S FUMES WERE ESCAPING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. DEALER STATED THAT EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS DEVELOPED A LEAK. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS
WHILE DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY, TAIL PIPE CAUGHT ON FIRE, BURNED THROUGH REAR FLOOR OF INTERIOR CABIN AND IGNITED AN UMBRELLA. MR
THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BECAME UNSTEERABLE AT SPEED. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE CRANKSHAFT'S PULLEY WHICH CAME LOOSE DUE TO THE CRANKSHAFT BREAKING . THIS HAS RUINED THE CRANKSHAFT AND REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE INSTALLED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. DT
4 EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS SHEARED OFF, CREATING EXCESSIVE EXHAUST LEAKAGE AND NOISE. CAUSING EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER VEHICLE. *AK
EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS CONTINUE TO BREAK, ALLOWING EXHAUST FUMES TO ESCAPE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ENTER COMPARTMENT. *AKA REPETATIVE PATTERN FAILURE OF THE STUDS SECURING THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO THE ENGINE OCCURS REGULARLY. CONSUMER FEELS THE EXHAUST WHICH CAN BE SMELLED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS A HEALTH HAZARD THERE BY AFFECTING THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *JG
MULTIPLE EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUD FAILURE POSSIBLY, ALLOWING NOXIOUS EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE INSIDE TEMPERATURE OF THE VEHICLE BECAME COLD, WHILE TRYING TO ADJUST THE HEAT, THE DRIVER NOTICED THICK BLACK SMOKE FROM THE TAILPIPE, THERE WERE NO DASHBOARD INDICATORS THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND AS A RESULT THE VAN LOST ALL COOLANT RUINING THE ENTIRE ENGINE, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR BOTH REPLACED ENGINES. NLM
IN OCT0BER OF 2001 CONSUMER HAD FILLER VENT HOSE REPLACED AS PART OF A RECALL, BUT REMEDY DID NOT WORK, AND FUEL WAS LEAKING AGAIN. *AK
MANUFACTURER ADMITTED DESIGN PROBLEM ON NISSAN 3.0 L MOTOR THAT WAS EVEN COVERED UNDER A GOODWILL WARRANTY. BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS THAT ARE NOW ON THE 4TH REVISION TO THE REPLACEMENT PART. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES EXHAUST FUMES TO LEAK INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I HAVE FOUND AT LEAST 5 SERVICE BULLETINS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE ON BOTH NISSAN AND MERCURY VEHICLES.*AK
BOLTS CONTINUALLY BREAK ON MANIFOLD EXHAUST SYSTEM. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH BOLTS ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD. TSB # 98-10-14. *AK
ENGINE POWER SURGES, SHOULDER BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE
FOUR BOLTS ON ENGINE MANIFOLD HAVE PREMATURELY BROKEN OFF, THIS WOULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE EXHAUST SYSTEM TO SEPARATE FROM VEHICLES FRAME. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT ALL 8 BOLTS ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD WERE REPLACED AT DEALER, MECHANICS AND SERVICE PERSONNEL TOLD HIM THAT ITS COMMON, PARTICULAR TO 93 VILLAGERS. CONSUMER SAID THE PROBLEM IS LAPPING AGAIN AT 95000 MILES, SINCE THIS IS A DEFECT CONSUMER IS ASKING FOR COMPENSATION. *YD
BROKEN STUDS ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD LED TO FAILURE OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND REQUIRED HIRING A SUBCONTRACTOR TO DRILL OUT BROKEN STUDS FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK. TOTAL COST FOR REPAIR WAS $1731. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A FAILURE THAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED FOR ANY CAR AFTER 76,000 MILES. HOWEVER, SEARCHING INTERNET RESOURCES INDICATES THAT THIS IS A SPECIFIC DEFECT OF MERCURY VILLAGER AND NISSAN QUEST. OVER 100 COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH NHTSA FOR 1993 AND 1994 VILLAGERS. THE SAME SEARCH OF 1993 DODGE CARAVAN, AS A SIMILAR VEHICLE WITH HIGHER SALES, YIELDED NO COMPLAINTS FOR EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILURE. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESOURCES, FORD LOST A LEGAL SUIT IN CANADA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND IS PAYING FOR REPAIRS OF VILLAGERS IN CANADA. FORD HOWEVER, REFUSED TO CONSIDER THIS IN MY CASE. NISSAN HAS APPARENTLY CHANGED STUD SPECIFICATIONS 4 TIMES TO ACHIEVE A SUITABLE STUD THAT DOES NOT BREAK. THE CRITERIA LISTED FOR A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS TO INITIATE A RECALL IS VAGUE, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT MERITS A RECALL.
BOLTS BROKE OFF CAUSING THE MANIFOLD TO LEAK EXHAUST FUMES AND ENGINE BECAME NOISY.
THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ALL MERCURY VILLAGER VANS ALLOWING EXHAUST GAS LEAKAGE INTO THE ENGINE BAY IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL, THEREFORE POSSIBLY ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. ALSO EXHAUST GASES ARE ALLOWED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE UNTREATED BY THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WE FINALLY PICKED UP ON THIS WHEN MY WIFE KEEP GETTING SLEEPY DRIVING HOME, AND FOUND THIS INFORMATION ON THE "EDMUNDS" WEBSITE, (EDMUNDS.COM). WE HAVE RETURNED THE VAN RECENTLY TO REPAIR THE FILLER VENT HOSE, PROBABLY A $2.00 REPAIR, WHY HAS THIS PROBLEM NOT BEEN ADDRESSED? IT IS FAR MORE DANGEROUS, MORE EXPENSIVE ($1200), AND DIFFICULT TO DETECT BECAUSE IT ONLY SOUNDS LIKE A "STUCK" VALVE LIFTER. WE HAD THE VAN FOR MANY YEARS WITH THE NOISE PRESENT, (FROM THE LEAKING EXHAUST MANIFOLD), BUT THE ONLY SOURCE OF ANY INFORMATION ON THIS DESIGN PROBLEM WAS THE "TOWNHALL TALK" FORUM ON THE EDMUND'S WEBSITE. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE KILLED AFTER FALLING ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL BEFORE SOME TYPE OF NOTIFICATION GOES INTO EFFECT? I HAVE A DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPROPER SHEAR STRENGTH MANIFOLD STUD WHICH I IMAGINE WAS USED TO SAVE SOME MONEY ALONG THE WAY FOR NISSAN/MERCURY. SOME KIND OF RESPONSE HERE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANKS, JOHN. *AK
BOLT BROKE ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD. CAN HEAR A TICKING NOISE. ALSO, FUEL IS LEAKING OUT THOUGH CRACKS. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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