NHTSA Complaint #702979 — 1994 MERCURY VILLAGER

AS MY WIFE WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION IN KNOXVILLE, SHE REALIZED THAT SHE HAD LOST SOME TYPE OF POWER AND THE TACHOMETER REGISTERED A MINIMAL RPM READING. AT THIS POINT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ANY PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR. SHE WAS BLOCKING TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC AND COULD MOVE NEITHER FORWARD NOR BACKWARDS. LUCKILY, SHE WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN ASSISTANCE QUICKLY FROM THE ATTENDANTS AT A NEARBY SERVICE STATION. THE NEXT DAY WE HAD THE VAN TOWED TO A MERCURY DEALER. THEY PINPOINTED THE PROBLEM AS A CRACKED CRANKSHAFT. THROUGH MY OWN RESEARCH AND CONTACTS WITH LOCAL MECHANICS, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS FAILURE WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART, THAT THERE WAS NO REASON FOR A CRANKSHAFT TO FAIL ON A 5-YEAR-OLD VAN WITH 75,000 MILES. ANOTHER MERCURY SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED TO ME THAT THE VILLAGER VAN HAD A HISTORY OF CRANKSHAFT PROBLEMS. THIS WAS CONFIRMED WHEN I CONSULTED YOUR SERVICE BULLETINS DATABASE. THERE WERE SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS REGARDING CRANKSHAFT FAILURES IN THE 93-95 VILLAGERS. THE BULLETINS SUMMARIZED THIS FAILURE AS A "DRIVEABILITY CONCERN." I BELIEVE THIS DRASTICALLY UNDERSTATES THE PROBLEM. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN ON ONE OF OUR LOCAL HIGHWAYS, TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED , I BELIEVE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH HARSHER, POSSIBLY EVEN DEADLY. I WOULD URGE YOU TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE '94 VILLAGER AND ITS REPERCUSSIONS ON PASSENGER SAFETY. *AK