1996 Mercury Villager Engine Problems

WHILE DRIVING ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. DEALERSHIP DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10101740

Incident

Sep 2, 2004

Mileage

82,177 mi

I NOTICED THERE WAS AN EXHAUST SMELL SEEPING INTO THE VAN, I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH QUEST'S AND VILLAGER'S SNAPPED EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WERE 2 STUDS BROKEN AND MISSING. I CALLED SEVERAL DEALERS AND GOT QUOTES AND FOUND A NISSAN DEALER TO DO IT FOR $800 THEY SEEM TO HAVE MORE EXPERINCE DOING IT SINCE IT ALSO IS A PROBLEM WITH PATHFINDERS AND MAXIMAS. I CALLED FORD AND THEY FLAT OUT REFUSED TO HELP OUT AT ALL!

NHTSA ID

10069180

Incident

Jun 15, 2003

Mileage

81,600 mi

THE STUD BOLTS ARE (IS) BROKEN ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD. EXHAUST FUMES ARE LEAKING AND COLD AIR MAY ENTER HEAD. REPAIR IS EXTREMELY HIGH BECAUSE OF POSITION OF BOLTS. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BUT CANNOT STOP USING IT. ALSO WE CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX IT. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10049200

Incident

Dec 4, 2003

Mileage

90,000 mi

EXHAUST GASES ESCAPING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT BECAUSE OF AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLT FAILURE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10041151

Incident

Sep 1, 2001

Mileage

115,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID

10042008

Incident

Sep 29, 2003

EXHAUST FUMES ENTERED THE PASSENGER CABIN. THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE FRONT AND REAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *PH *SCC *NLM

NHTSA ID

10032365

Incident

Aug 1, 2003

Mileage

71,000 mi

MY 1996 MERCURY VILLAGER HAS BEEN DIAGOSED AS HAVING BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS. AFTER SEARCHING THE WEB, IT'S BECOME APPARENT THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN MODEL YEARS OF THE MERCURY VILLAGER, INCLUDING MINE. THE DESIGN OF THIS PART OF THE CAR IS DEFINITELY FLAWED BECAUSE OF THE COMMONALITY OF THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10030451

Incident

Jul 1, 2003

Mileage

60,050 mi

EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS SHEARED OFF, ALLOWING EXHAUST FUMES TO SEEP INTO INTERIOR OF VAN. HAVE TO DRIVE WITH WINDOWS CRACKED OPEN TO AVOID GETTING SICK. AFTER INTERNET SEARCH FOUND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING OR HELP OUT WITH THE COSTS WHICH WILL BE SEVERAL 1000 $$. *JB

NHTSA ID

10022988

Incident

May 15, 2003

Mileage

81,000 mi

INTAKE MANIFOLD BOLT SHEARED OFF WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY. EXHAUST FUMES WERE LEAKING FROM PIPE AREA. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8017242

Incident

Aug 26, 2002

VEHICLE HAS STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AT LEAST 12 TIMES OVER SEVERAL YEARS. THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED AND HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED IN HOT WEATHER. THE LAST SEVERAL TIMES WERE ON A BUSY, CURVY HIGHWAY WITH NO ROOM TO PULL OFF ROAD AND ALMOST LED TO AN ACCIDENT. THE VILLAGER'S FUEL PUMP BECOMES VERY NOISY WHEN TRYING TO RESTART ENGINE. AFTER ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES IT WILL RESTART. PLEASE INFORM ME OF WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE. IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN COLD WEATHER. I AM AFRAID AN ACCIDENT COULD HAPPEN. THERE IS NO WARNING AT ALL.*AK

NHTSA ID

765069

Incident

Jul 29, 2002

VEHICLE HAS STALLED 7-8 TIMES AT ANY SPEED, DEALER CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AKWHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER SMELLS GAS, THE FUEL PUMP FAILED, CONSUMER HAD IT REPLACED, AND IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT. *JG

NHTSA ID

8008626

Incident

Feb 1, 2002

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED CHOKING AND THEN IT CUT OFF. CONTACTED DEALER, CANNOT FIND CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

8007626

WHILE DRIVING OIL LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEN AL LOUD NOISE CAME FROM ENGINE, CAUSING ENGINE TO DRAG. CONSUMER HAD OIL CHANGE TWICE, AND FIXED PROBLEM TEMPORARILY. *AK

NHTSA ID

8007251

Incident

Apr 7, 2002

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. THEN, AT DEALER MECHANIC SAID THAT PROBLEM WAS DUE TO AN ENGINE BLOWN THAT HAD CRACKED THE BLOCK. ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

8005961

Incident

Jan 19, 2002

A DAY AFTER TAKING VEHICLE FOR MANUFACTURER'S RECALL AWF40C-F 00 S 59 REPAIRS FILLER HOSE HAD TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE. WHEN CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH ENGINE STARTED JUMPING. THEN, CAUGHT ON FIRE JUST LIKE IT SAID IN RECALL. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD EXHAUST LEAK AT THE MANIFOLD. THE CONSUMER SAYS HE DOES NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *YH

NHTSA ID

887144

Incident

Mar 13, 2001

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING MOTOR PROBLEMS. *JB

NHTSA ID

560987

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00S59, HOWEVER DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH DEALER, RECALL REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED. *SLC

NHTSA ID

560845

ENGINE NOISE, KIND OF LOUD. ALSO, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER SAID THEY SHOULD REPLACE TENSIONER.*AK AFTER THE DEFECTIVE TENSIONER WAS REPLACED, THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. HOWEVER CHECK THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON AFTER THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS FLASHING CONTINUOUSLY. *YH

NHTSA ID

885457

Incident

Nov 1, 2000

ENGINE DIED $5000 REPAIR SECRET SERVICE WARRANTY TO REPLACE NOT HONORED BY DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

743634

Incident

Apr 2, 2000

HEAD CONTROL MODULE WIRE HARNESS IN BACK OF THE DASH PANEL BURNED UP. WIRES WERE COMPLETELY MELTED. *AK SEVERAL ELECTRICAL RELATED PROBLEMS: BATTERY FAILURE, OPEN CIRCUIT IN MAIN ENGINE HARNESS TO EGR SOLENOID, OVERHEAD LIGHT FAILED, POWER DOOR LOCKS WERE OPERATING BY THEMSELVES, POWER LOCKS WOULD NOT LOCK WITH THE SWITCH, REAR WINDSHILED WIPER SWITCH FAILED AND REAR WIPERS WOULD NOT STOP EVEN AFTER FUSE WAS REMOVED, SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN WITH REMOTE OR SWITCH. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. POWER STEERING PUMP NOISY AND WAS REPLACED. AIR CONDITIONER MOTOR FAILED. WHEN LOCKING VEHICLE WITH KEY, HORN WOULD OPERATE, KEYLESS ENTRY HAD JUST BEEN INSTALLED. *SLC

NHTSA ID

882682

RECALL 00V419002/ FUEL TANK VENT HOSE, RECEIVED LETTER ON 17 FEB 2001. AT THAT TIME CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY DEALER PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE YET. ON FEB 26 2001, CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE, AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THERE WAS SMOKE . THEN FIRE STARTED UNDER HOOD. DEALER DENIES THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY FUEL TANK VENT HOSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

881414

Incident

Feb 26, 2001

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

NHTSA ID

724310

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

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

NHTSA ID

721905

Incident

Apr 20, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

721206

Incident

Apr 2, 2000

HEAD BOLT SNAPPED INSIDE THE ENGINE, CAUSING DAMAGES INSIDE THE TIMING BELT GEARS AND LOCKING UP ENGINE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

856321

Incident

Jan 27, 2000