Consumer Safety Complaints

NO SUMMARY

Incident date: Aug 17, 1999

THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON WHEN THE THERMOSTAT GUAGE WENT TO HOT FROM NEUTRAL, THEN THE CAR OVERHEATED AND STALLED THE ENGINE AT ABOUT 55 MPH. SMOKE AND STEAM POURED OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. ONE COULDN'T START THE ENGINE AGAIN UNTIL IT COOLED DOWN.

Incident date: Aug 24, 2000

CAR OVERHEATED AND ENGINE BLEW OUT. CHECK ENGINE AND ENGINE TEMP WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. TEMP GAUGE DID NOT REGISTER HOT. NEED TO REPLACE ENGINE.

Incident date: Sep 7, 1999

I THINK YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN YOU HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD CAR SEEMS TO BE FALLING APART FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I ORIGINALLY OWNED MY CAR FOR 3 MONTHS WHEN THE TEMP. GAUGE ZEROED OUT FROM A SHORTED OUT FUSE. THE NEXT PROBLEM WAS ODOMETER WENT BLANK AND SHOWED ME SYMBOLS IN 05/1999, AND THE ELECTRICAL CLUSTER WAS REPLACED. LATER IN 09/1999, MY COOLANT SYSTEM BUSTED AFTER A VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHE... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 1999

OIL LOSS NOT REMEDIED, REPEATED ATTEMPTS BY DEALER. AFTER 6 MONTHS OF ATTEMPTS TO RECTIFY PROBLEM A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON HOW TO REPAIR PROBLEM WAS FOUND BY DEALER. BULLETIN ISSUED IN 1997. WORK DONE BUT PROBLEM CONTINUES. NO SIGNS OF OIL LEAKAGE OR BURNING NOW OR PRIOR TO REPAIRS. LOSS HAS BEEN AS MUCH AS 4 QUARTS IN 3000 MILES

Incident date: Sep 20, 1999

THIS IS A TILT BED TOWING VEHICLE. PARKING BRAKE APPEARS INSUFFICIENT TO HOLD VEHICLE ON GRADE WHEN LOADED WITH TOWED VEHICLE. OPERATOR WAS RUN OVER WITH VEHICLE AFTER SETTING BRAKE AND SUFFERED SERIOUS BODILY INJURY.

Crash 1 injured

HAVE HAD SEVERAL MECHANICAL FAILURES ON VEHICLE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS REFUSED TO WARRANTY REPAIRS WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER 36000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY.

Crash

NO SUMMARY

FAN MOUTINGS DO NOT STAY FLUSH WITH ENGINE BRACKETS PULLEYS ARE NOT ADEQUATE

MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAS ALWAYS READ HIGH SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR. IN AN ATTEMPT TO COOL DOWN THE ENGINE WHILE I'M IN TRAFFIC, I HAVE TO TURN ON THE DEFROSTER. TO KICK IN THE ENGINE FAN. *AK

Incident date: Aug 7, 2000

WHILE TRAVELING AT 65MPH, VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, THEN ENGINE QUIT. CONSUMER HAD TO GET TO SHOULDER BY USING HAZARD LIGHTS. WHILE CONSUMER WAS ON SHOULDER ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. CONSUMER SAYS TEMPARATURE GAUGE WENT TO 3 QUARTERS INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

Fire

Incident date: Jul 26, 1996

CAR RUNS HOT. WHEN STARTING UP WINDOWS WOULD FOG, COULD SMELL ANTIFREEZE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED HEATER CORE, THEY SAID IT HAD A PIN HOLE IN IT. CONSUMER SAID CAR WASSTILL RUNNING HOT, CONSUMER COULD HEAR A FLAPPING NOISE, LIKE A HELICOPTER UNDER THE HOOD.*AK THE POPING FRONT RIGHT SUSPENSION WAS DUE TO SWAY BAR LINK FAILURE WHICH MADE STABLIZER BAR LOOSE. HORN MALFUNCTIO... Read more

WHILE TRAVELING TEMPERATURE INDICATION LIGHT FLASHED. AFTERWARD VEHICLE WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

Incident date: May 3, 2000

IN APRIL 2000 AT POULSON, NJ ENGINE DEVELOPED A NOISE LIKE TAPPETS OR LIFTER CLANING. WE HAD THE CAR DROVE TO PAGE, AZ (100 MILES) TO THE FORD LINCOLN DEALERSHIP, THEIR INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE CONFIRMED THE ROD WAS LOOSE. THE ENGINE WAS RUNINED, NO ENGINE WERE AVAILABLE TO REPLACE OUR ENGINE. THE REASON GIVE WAS BECAUSE OF THE "HEAD GASKET FAILURES".

ENGINE RUNS 30-40MPH WITH FOOT OFF GAS, DUE TO COOLANT LEAKING IN ENGINE INTO OIL. PUT COOLANT (DEX COOL) IN CAR, PAID FOR A WINDOW REGULATOR ON PASSENGER SIDE, SOON LIGHT HEATER DUCTS, THINK CYLINDER SHIFT LIGHT CLICKER, LOW COOLANT, ENGINE NOISE, WE WERE TOLD CAR WAS NORMAL.

Incident date: Aug 3, 2000

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 55MPH ON AND VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS STILL IN NORMAL STAGE, AND VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF. A TOW DRIVER WAS CALLED OUT TO JUMP START VEHICLE, AND FOR FIRST THIRTY MINUTES IT WAS OKAY. THEN, TEMPERATURE GAUGES WENT UP, AND VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A SHOP. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT CRANKSHAFT BROKE. *AK

Incident date: Jul 5, 2000

CAR LEAKS A MOCHA/CHOCOLATE COLOR FLUID. THEN OVERHEATED AFTER BEING DRIVEN ABOUT 1.5 MILES . I ADDED COOLANT TO BOTTLE AND 1 QT OIL. TEMP GAUGE WAS STILL UP AFTER IDLING FOR 5-6 MINUTES. MY MECHANIC EXAMINED VEHICLE AND SAID LIQUID IS OIL MIXED WITH WATER AND THERE IS OIL IN RADIATOR. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORP AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE TO NEAREST DEALER (MICHAEL STEAD HILLTOP, RICHMOND, CA... Read more

Incident date: Jan 2, 2000

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE- MY FAMILY AND I WERE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROX. 35MPH WHEN VERY SUDDENLY THE TEMP GUAGE WENT INTO THE RED, WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE. AT THAT POINT THE CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC THIS WAS VERY FRUSTRATING NOT TO MENTION SCARY MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR WAS LOOKED AT WE WERE TOLD THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO BAD HEAD GASK... Read more

Incident date: Aug 30, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE RECALL COMPONENT (ENGINE RADIATOR FAN) PRIOR TO NOTIFICATION RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *MJS

Incident date: Apr 1, 1998

TEMPRATURE GUAGE FAILED. YH

Incident date: Apr 1, 1998

TEMPRATURE GUAGE FAILED. YH

SEVERAL DEFECTIVE FAILURES

Crash Fire

Incident date: Jul 7, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION CAUSING OVERHEATING AND ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATION. *MJS (96V-006)

Incident date: May 26, 2000

CRUISE LIGHT WILL COME ON FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND THE CAR WILL SEEM TO LURCH OR KICK AND THEN ENGINE WILL STALL, LOOSING STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY, POSSIBLE COMPUTER OR TORQUE CONVERTER

Incident date: Jun 7, 2000

DASH WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEN CAR OVERHEATED, CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AGAIN. HAD TO BE TOWED.*AK

Incident date: Jun 2, 2000

VEHICLE SMOKES EXCESSIVELY, AND TEMPERTURE GAUGE IS OVER THE RED MARK. ALSO, THERE IS RATTLING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD.*AK

Incident date: May 18, 2000

A/C STOPPED COOLING, TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT AND I PULLED OVER. THERE WAS NO SIGN THAT THE CAR HAD GOTTEN HOT. NO STEAM, ETC. REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON CAR DONE. *AK

Incident date: May 24, 2000

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 35 MPH, I NOTICED THE COOLANT TEMPERAURE HAD SHOT UP TO THE RED ZONE. AS SOON AS THIS HAPPENED, IT IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK DOWN TO THE MIDRANGE OF THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND STAYED THERE FOR APPROX. 10 MILES. I CHECKED THE ANTI-FREEZE AT A GAS STATION AND IT SEEMED TO BE FULL. I PARKED THE CAR AND LET IT COOL FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS. I BEGAN MY DRIVE HOME AND THE TEMP. STAY... Read more

Incident date: May 27, 2000

IN JANUARY 1998 I NOTICED WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS STAYING IN THE RED ZONE NEAR THE H. I TOOK IT INTO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THE NEXT MORNING AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. THE COST OF THIS REPAIR WAS AROUND $1100. ON SATURDAY 05/27/2000 WHEN DRIVING AWAY FROM A PARKING LOT I NOTICED THE CAR WAS IDLING VERY ROUGH, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS PEGG... Read more

AT ONLY 19000 MILES THE CAR HAS BLOWN THE HEAD GASKET, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE SPLIT DOWN THE SIDE IN SEVERAL PLACES,BOTH DRIVE BELTS BROKE CAUSING DEAD CELLS IN THE BATTERY,NOW TEMP GAUGE GOES TO RED WHEN IN TRAFFIC WITH A/C WORKING.DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKET AND BELTS BUT CANT FIND THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM. WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK!!!! *AK

Incident date: Jun 3, 2000

THE TEMPERATURE AND SYSTEM CHECK SYSTEM ON MY DASHBOARD GAVE ME NO INDICATION THAT THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING. THE MECHANIC WHO WORKED ON AT THE MADISON TN BP SERVICE STATION SAID MY CAR SAID THAT HE WAS HAVING SEVERAL LINCOLN HAVING THE SAME TYPE PROBLEM ONE WAS IN RIGHT NEXT TO MINE AT THE TIME IT WAS WORKING ACORDING TO HIS COMPUTER MY GAUGES WORKED THEY JUST DIDNT SENSE ANY OVERHEATING I HAVE SPE... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2000

TEMPERATURE GAUGE ALARM WENT OFF, WARNING CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS RUNNING HOT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN . *AK

Incident date: Apr 6, 2000

EXPERIENCED A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND COULD NOT OPERATE THE VEHICLE

Incident date: Apr 11, 1997

ENGINE STALLS

Incident date: May 10, 1999

BLOWN HEAD GASKET

Incident date: May 6, 2000

AT 55MPH VEHICLE STALLED AND LOSS STEERING AND BRAKING POWER. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL IT COOLED. INCIDENT OCCURRED THREE MORE TIMES.

Incident date: Jan 1, 2000

TEMPERATURE GAUGE WARNING LIGHT BROKE AND RESERVOIR TANK SENSOR FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. NLM

ENGINE AND STEERING PROBLEMS

Incident date: Apr 14, 2000

HEAD GASKET PROBLEM, REIMBURSMENT

Incident date: May 25, 2000

VEHICLE OVERHEATED, AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HIGH, THIS COULD CAUSE VISIBILITY PROBLEM IF STEAM CAME FROM EXAUST. *AK

Incident date: May 24, 2000

AFTER TAKING VEHICLE FOR A SAFETY CHECK CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 200 MILES AND HEARD TWO BANGS. THEN, TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HIGH. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE, AND ENTIRE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED TO THE GROUND.*AK

Fire

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE OVERHEATING AND LOSS OF POWER, RECALL FOR SAME FAILURE, HOWEVER VEHICLE DENIED DUE TO VIN #. YH

Incident date: Mar 14, 2000

AFTER INITIALLY GETTING THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED AT NO CHARGE IN DEC. 1999, THE VAN HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS IN MARCH 2000. THE SYMPTOMS WERE NO HEAT, IRRADIC TEMPERATURE GAUGE, AND LOSS OF ANTI-FREEZE. I BROUGHT THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALER IN MARCH 2000. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING COVER GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. INITIALLY THE ESTIMATE WAS FOR $900 BUT I HAD COMPLAINED TO FORD MOTOR AND THE D... Read more

Incident date: Mar 19, 2000

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE BEGAN FLUCTUATING BACK AND FORTH. I STOPPED THE CAR AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND THE CAR TO BE OVERHEATING. VEHICLE WAS ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN AND COOLANT WAS ADDED. CONTINUED ON TO DESTINATION WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. VECHILE WAS TAKEN TO A FORD DEALER IN ARKANSAS TO PINPOINT PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED.D... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2000

WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY 3 LANE HIGHWAY ENGINE TEMP GUAGE WENT TO READ LINE STEAM STARTED POURING FROM WNDER HOOD HAD TO PULL OFF HIGHWAY QUICKLY. *AK

Incident date: Feb 22, 2000

ENGINE PLENUM FAILED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. *MJS

COOLER LINES LEAKING. NLM

Incident date: Apr 8, 2000

TEMPERATURE WAS VERY HOT ON THE CAR AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE. NO FLUID IN RADIATOR. REFILLED ONLY TO REALIZE A SLOW LEAK. TOOK IT TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. THEY COULDN'T FIND A LEAK BUT SAID IT HAD TO DO WITH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, SO IT WAS REPLACED. 2 DAYS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE SAME PROBLEM HAS ARISEN. HAVE CONTACTED THEM AGAIN TO DETERMINE WHAT TO DO. SOMETIMES THE CAR GOES FROM NO... Read more

Incident date: Apr 25, 2000

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED IN JULY 1997 WITH 32,000 MILES. SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES REPAIRED THREE TIMES AND THEY STILL SQUEAK. THE AIRBAG MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED FOUR MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, LUCKILY UNDER FEDERAL WARRANTY. THEN IN JUNE 1999, I HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK BECAUSE THE STRAPS CAUSED IT TO CRACK. FORD WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL. IN ... Read more

TEMPERATURE GAUGE READS IN VERY HIGH NORMAL RANGE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS; CAR COMES VERY CLOSE TO OVERHEATING. HAVE I MISSED A RECALL NOTICE ON THIS PROBLEM? *AK