NHTSA Complaint #712256 — 1994 MERCURY VILLAGER

THIS VEHICLE HAD SEVEN (7) OF TWELVE (12)EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS SHEAR. I WAS INFORMED BY THE QUEEN CITY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, THAT THIS CONDITION HAS BEEN A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH 1993 AND 1994 YEAR MODEL MERCURY VILLAGERS. I WAS FURTHER INFORMED THAT ALL TWELVE (12) STUDS WERE REPLACED WITH NEW STUDS THAT MERCURY IS NOW INSTALLING IN ALL VILLAGERS MANUFACTURED SUBSEQUENT TO THE 1993 AND 1994 YEAR MODELS. THE TECHNICIAN AT QUEEN CITY MERCURY STATED THAT MERCURY IS NO LONGER USING THE ORIGINAL STUDS DUE TO THE ORIGINAL STUD'S FAILURE RATE. QUEEN CITY FURTHER INFORMED ME THAT THEY ARE ROUTINELY CHECKING ALL 1993 AND 1994 VILLAGERS THAT COME IN FOR ANY SERVICE FOR SIGNS OF THE STUD FAILURE. I WAS INFORMED THAT FAILING TO MAKE THIS REPAIR COULD RESULT IN CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE REPAIR COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MANIFOLD STUD FAILURE WAS $641.30. FORD/MERCURY DENIED MY REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE REPAIR EXPENSE STATING THAT, TO DATE, THERE HAD BEEN NO MANDATED RECALL TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE NHTSA'S REVIEW, IF IN FACT, MERCURY HAS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT FAILURE RATES RESULTING FROM DEFECTIVE STUDS.