NHTSA Complaint #10065936 — 1995 MERCURY VILLAGER

I OWN A 1995 MERCURY VILLAGER. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A USED CAR DEALER. SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE THREE YEARS AGO, I HAVE HAD A RECURRENT PROBLEM WITH SMELLING GAS FUMES IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VAN. I HAVE TAKEN THE VAN TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, AND AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE STATION. NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE GAS SMELL. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY CHILDREN. GAS FUMES ARE VOLATILE, AND IF THEY ARE STRONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO DETECT THE ODOR, THEN I FEEL THE VAN IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED, BUT NO ONE SEEMS ABLE TO DETECT THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY DIRECTLY, BUT I RECEIVED VERY LITTLE INFORMATION FROM THEM. I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET OF OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE READ WHERE OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I CALLED FORD, THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD RECEIVED NO OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE. I FEEL THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE SAFETY ISSUE OF DRIVING A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. *JB