NHTSA Complaint #10155226 — 1996 MERCURY MARQUIS

MY INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING TODAY 4/12/2006 RESULTING IN COOLANT SPRAYING AND REDUCING MY VISIBILITY ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD RESULTING IN A NEAR HEAD ON MISS TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THE MANIFOLD HAS A KNOW DEFECT BY FORD WHICH WITHOUT MY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OR NOTIFICATION AGREED TO THE SETTLEMENT OF A CLASS ACTION SUIT. DUE THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT I HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED - WHICH IS ONE REASON FOR WRITING THIS MESSAGE. HOWEVER, THE MORE IMPORTANT REASON IS THE KNOWN POTENTIAL DANGER OF THIS DEFECT ON THE LIVES OF OTHERS WITHOUT HAVING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. TODAY COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL INJURY AND THE FORD COMPANY IS JUST LOOKING AT THE DOLLAR SIZE INSTEAD OF DOING THE RESPONSIBLE THING. IT'S A REAL SHAME AND I HOPE ODI CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I WAS LUCKILY TODAY, BUT OTHERS MAY NOT BE IN THE FUTURE. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL - THAT WOULD HAVE BE THE RESPONSIBLE THING FOR FORD TO DO. SOMEONE HAS TO FORCE THEM TO TAKE A MORE COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO THESE TYPES OF MATTERS - IT DOESN'T MAKE GOOD BUSINESS SENSE OR GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS NOT TO. I AM COUNTING ON YOU TO HELP DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AND HELP SAVE FUTURE LIVES AND INJURIES. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED 100 MILES AND THE COST OF REPAIRS IS GOING TO BE CLOSE TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TOTAL. DUE TO THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT (WWW.FORDMANIFOLDSETTLEMENT.COM), NOT ONLY DOES FORD GET AWAY WITH NOT REIMBURSING ME FOR MY COST, PUT MY LIFE IN JEOPARDY, BUT ALSO HAVING OTHERS OUT THERE WITH TICKING TIME BOMBS IN THERE CARS. *NM