1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

WHILE DRIVING IN NJ, THE MANIFOLD BLEW AND MADE THE VEHICLE INOPERATIVE. LUCKILY, MY MECHANIC CAME AND TOWED THE CAR TO HIS GARAGE. THE MECHANIC PERFORMED A PRESSURE TEST AND DETERMINED THAT THE 'PLASTIC MANIFOLD' HAD BLOWN. THE ORIGIN OF THE FLUID LEAK WAS BEHIND THE ALTERNATOR. THEN WE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM BACK IN 2004-5. I NEVER KNEW, NOR WAS I NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR. THE CAR WAS JUST INTO THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE A "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ON, NO DISCUSSION WAS MADE ABOUT THIS MANIFOLD PROBLEM ... THEY EVEN CHECKED FOR ANY PREVIOUS TECHNICAL BULLETINS. SO, NOW WHAT HAPPENS?

I OWN A 1997 CROWN VIC LESS THAN 100 THOUSAND MILES. BOUGHT THE CAR 2 YEARS AGO AT DEALERSHIP IN LOUISVILLE KY. FOUND OUT THERE WAS RECALLS ON VEHICLE AFTER PURCHASE WAS TOLD CARMAX WAS GOOD. NOW HERE I SIT WITH A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH WAS RECALLED, BUT NOONE EVERY FIXED IT. SOMEONE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, YES WAS A RECALL SHOULDN'T THERE BE A LAW TO MAKE SOMEONE STAND BEHIND THE CRACK INTAKE MANIFOLD THIS WAS A 1 OWNER WHEN I BOUGHT IT WITH ONLY LIKE 60000 MILES,. *TR

WHILE CHECKING THE OIL IN THE CAR, WE NOTICED A CRACK IN THE INTAKE. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM LIKE WITH THE FIREBIRD INTAKE RECALLS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE ENGINE THEN BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO FURTHER INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED STEAM NEAR THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT BECAUSE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC, IT FAILED. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY OVER $3,000 TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 91,000.

I RECENTLY DETERMINED THAT I NOW HAVE A LEAKING FRONT COVER/INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET/CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MY 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA 4.6 LITER V-8 WHICH WILL REQUIRE IMMEDIATE REPAIR. HAD THIS DEFECT MANIFESTED ITSELF BACK IN 2005, I WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY THE CHAMBERLAN V. FORD SETTLEMENT BUT CLASS MEMBERS HAD TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT BY MARCH 16, 2006. SINCE MY 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA HAS ONLY RECENTLY STARTED LEAKING COOLANT, I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO FORK OVER THE REPAIR MONIES MYSELF. IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF FORD REPAIRING THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT GRATIS? F

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS. SHE PULLED OVER AND EXITED THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE INSURANCE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE JUNK YARD. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

97 FORD CROWN VICTORIA AND 97 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS WITH 4.6 V8 ENGINES HAVE BOTH HAD THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED DUE TO CRACKING AND LEAKING COOLANT AND RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. THIS OWNER JOINED A CLASS-ACTION SUIT HELD IN FEDERAL COURT IN OAKLAND CALIF. AND ON 12-16-05 ISSUED A JUDGMENT RULING THAT FORD WOULD REIMBURSE FOR THIS PROBLEM. A VERY SHORT THREE MONTH PERIOD WAS PROVIDED FOR OWNERS TO CLAIM THIS REIMBURSEMENT. IT IS NOT KNOWN IF THE COURT REQUIRED NOTIFICATION OF THE OWNERS OF THIS RULING. IF IT DID THIS OWNER DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION. THE EXPENSE FOR BOTH CARS WAS $1500. FORD NOTIFIED FLEET OWNERS AND OFFERED REPLACEMENT OF THE MANIFOLD. HOWEVER, PRIVATE OWNERS WERE EXCLUDED. IN VIEW OF THIS NOTIFICATION AND THE COURT RULING, REIMBURSEMENT OF THIS EXPENSE SHOULD APPLY TO PRIVATE OWNERS. *JB

THE MANIFOLD CRACKED, ENGINE OVERHEATED,BLEW HEATER CORE HAD TO TOW CAR MILES FOR REPLACEMENT. PARTS INCLUDED MANIFOLD,GASKETS, HEATER CORE AND HOSES. THIS AT 84000 MILES AND NO WARRANTY. *JB

1997 CROWN VICTORIA TECHNICAL BULLETIN 05N04 NHTSA 10018959 DATE OF BULLETIN: DEC, 14, 2005 /INCIDENT JUNE 12, 2006 THIS SETTLEMENT EXTENDED THE COVERAGE OF ALL COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLD 7 YEARS FROM THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY....WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE 1997 OWNERS? THE BULLETIN WAS RELEASED A YEAR AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE ENDED!? ONE YEAR LATE FOR 1997 OWNERS. WHAT SHOULD WE DO BECAUSE IT IS PAST THE EXTENDED WARRANTY? A DEFECT IS A DEFECT WITH OR WITHOUT A TIME LIMIT. WE DID NOT CHOOSE TO HAVE IT BREAK WHEN IT DID....THE DEFECTIVE PART DID THAT FOR US! WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THIS PART/SERVICE COVERED? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! *JB

I WAS REFERRED BY MR. MICHAEL J. SACKS AT [email protected] HIS RESPONSE: IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE GETTING THE RUN AROUND AND I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU CONTACT NHTSA IN WASHINGTON DC IF THE COMPANY IS NOT WILLING TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH RECALLS. WEBSITE IS WWW.NHTSA.GOV PROBLEM DETAILS: RECENTLY I RECEIVED AN ESTIMATE FOR WORK FOR $899.14 TO FIX A CRACKED MANIFOLD ALONG WITH GASKETS, AND SEALS ON MY 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA, THAT I PURCHASED FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP IN BALTIMORE, MD IN 2003. THIS PIECE WAS ORIGINALLY RECALLED BY FORD COMPANY, BUT NEVER REPLACED BY IT'S ORIGINAL OWNER, NOR THE DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM. WHEN THIS BREAKDOWN OCCURRED I CONTACTED THE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED MY EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM IN SEPTEMBER OF 2005. THE CLAIM WAS DENIED BECAUSE THEY DO NOT COVER ITEMS THAT WERE RECALLED. I WAS THEN DIRECTED BY THE WARRANTY COMPANY TO...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH SLOWING TO A STOP, STEAM WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP AND HOSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED HOWEVER, NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

DT: THE VEHICLE IS A 1997 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. ON 6-12-05 THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON ROUTE I40 WHEN HE SMELLED AN ODOR COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE CALLED THE HIGHWAY PATROL WHICH ARRANGED TO HAVE HIM TOWED TO BARSTOW. THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN BECAUSE THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED. THE VEHICLE LOST ALL THE COOLANT WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. WHEN THE MECHANIC FROM CASTNERS AUTO SERVICE 214 SOUTH BRADFORD AVENUE, PLACENTIA, CA 92870 TELEPHONE # 714-528-1311 WAS REMOVING THE SPARK PLUGS HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS ALUMINUM FLAKING ON THEM. THERE WAS NO COMPRESSION. HE REPLACED THE ENGINE AND ALL THE PARTS THAT WENT WITH IT ON 6-15-05 THROUGH 6-30-05. MECHANIC TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT IT WOULD COST MORE TO REPAIR THE ENGINE THAN TO BUY A NEW ONE. THE REPLACED ENGINE WAS FORD MANUFACTURED. CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AS OF NOW. VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED...

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT BEGAN TO FILL WITH A WHITE SMOKE AND SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND LET THE CAR COOL OFF. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT A FORD DEALERSHIP TO THE COST OF $1100 FOR A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF AND WOULD ONLY PAY FOR THE REPAIR IF MY CAR WAS A TAXI CAB OR A POLICE CAR!!!!! *NM

CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD DISCOVERED WHEN CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED THINKING IT WAS A BAD SEAL, ONLY TO DISCOVER THE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. NEW MANIFOLD IS ON ORDER $285 DOLLARS, STILL WAITING ON THE REPAIR BILL. *JB

THE COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLDS DEVELOPED FATIGUE CRACKS, RESULTING IN TOTAL ENGINE COOLANT LEAKAGE. COMPLETE LOSS OF COOLANT RESULTED IN ENGINE FAILURE, OWNER WAS LUCKY TO BE ON LOCAL STREET AND NEAR TO A CAR REPAIR SHOP, SPENT $1100 ON REPAIR. *JB

I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR STARTED TO OVERHEAT VERY QUICKLY, WITHIN 2 MINUTES. THE TEMPERATURE GOT SO HOT SMOKE POURED OUT, AND THE CAR STALED. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES IT COOLED DOWN ENOUGH TO GET IT HOME, AND THEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP. SMOKE WAS EVERYWHERE. THE REPAIR PERSON SIGHTED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY WAS RESPONSIBLE, AND THAT HE HAS SEEN A LOT OF SUCH PROBLEMS IN CROWN VICTORIA'S OF THE SAME YEAR 1997. THE REPAIR WAS $989.54, AND THE MILAGE ON THE VEHICLE IS CONSIDERABLY LOW FOR THE YEAR. IT ONLY HAS 69, 500 MILES. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS THE DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT INTO THE RED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. THE CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM WAS A CRACKED MANIFOLD AND BLOCK. *AK *NLM

COOLANT SPRAYED OUT OF ENGINE WHICH CREATED STREAM TO COME FROM HOOD. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE AND ALLOWED VEHICLE TO COOL DOWN, AND SIT OVER NIGHT. HE THEN HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO TOLD HIM THAT HIS INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS BLOWN, AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE IT.*AK