NHTSA Complaint #760480 — 1993 MERCURY COUGAR

THIS IS A WRITTEN COMPLAIN REGARDING A COMPANY RECALL ON REPLACING HEAD GASKET FOR ALL MERCURY COUGAR (3.8V ENGINE) 1994 AND UP. I OWN A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR XR7 3.8V ENGINE WHO HAS THE SAME ENGINE PROBLEM AS THE 1994, BUT THE MERCURY COMPANY DECIDED TO HAVE A RECALL ON ALL 1994 MODELS ONLY. WELL, I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE RECONSIDER SINCE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM APPEARED TO MY CAR AND HAD TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE HAS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. HOWEVER, THEY COULDNT DO IT UNDER THE MANUFACTURE RECALL DUE TO THE YEAR OF THE CAR BEGIN 1993 AND NOT 1994. I HAD TO PAY $1000.00 OUT OF MY BUCKET TO HAVE IT DONE BY A MERCURY/LINCOLN DEALER, WHICH I FELT IT WAS UNFAIR TO BE GETTING PENALIZED FOR SOMETHING I HAD NO CONTROL OF. I TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AND MY ENGINE HAD ONLY 63,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD EXPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT THE HEAD GASKET BLOWN WITHOUT GIVING ME ANY SIGN OR INDICATIONS. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING AT MY PART THAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. THEY ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE PROBLEM, BUT STILL CANNOT DO IT ON THE COMPANY EXPENSE. IN LIGHT OF THIS, DUE TO THE HEAD GASKET GOTTEN BLOWN, IT DAMAGED OTHER PARTS IN CAR WHICH THE DEALER GAVE AN ESTIMATED COST OF $800.00. I REALLY CANNOT AFFORD TO SPEND THIS MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT THE MERCURY COMPANY IS VERY AWARE OF IF AND EVEN ADMITS THAT THEY HAVE A DESIGN PROBLEM ON ALL 3.8V ENGINE.*AK