Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 0222 | 02/04/2002 | 630628 | Some vehicles may exhibit an intake manifold crossover (first runner) coolant seepage condition. *tt | 04/19/2002 | |
| 99B29 | 12/01/1999 | 612219 | Some vehicles may experience engine coolant leaks at the engine front cover gasket. owner notification program providing replacement of the engine front cover gasket. *tt | 06/07/2000 | |
| 13186 | 09/01/1999 | 6090542 | Information regarding front cover & water pump bolts-torque valve revision/3.8-4.2l. *mjs | 03/21/2000 | |
| 99207 | 10/04/1999 | 6089651 | Subject on engine coolant leaking into the engine oil on some vehicles. *tt | 02/11/2000 | |
| 99131 | 06/28/1999 | 606484 | Concerns with engine coolant leaking into engine oil on some vehicles. *tt | 08/25/1999 | |
| 97050110617 | 05/01/1997 | 52896 | Vehicles may experience illumination of the engine cooling indicator light. *tw | 10/30/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| BC0192970201 | 01/02/1997 | 51063 | Low coolant light stays on. the low fluids module in the cluster not making electrical contact wth the flex curcuit in the cluster. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||||
| BC3243970210 | 02/10/1997 | 51865 | Engine cooling light on - possible oil leak at upper jam nut on the upper transmission cooler line. *tw | 07/17/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 07212 | 10/01/2007 | 10023943 | Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. updated 2/23/10. *pe | 02/20/2008 | |
| 02221 | 11/11/2002 | 10008304 | Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation tool correct application. *mj | 07/27/2004 | |
| 870197 | 10/22/2002 | 10000592 | Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt | 03/25/2003 | |
| 99B29#1 | 04/01/2000 | 99B29 | 613562 | Information regarding replacment of engine front cover gasket. **mr | 07/21/2000 |
| 13180 | 09/01/1999 | 6090538 | Information regarding camshaft position (cmp) sensor alignment tool chart. *mjs | 03/21/2000 | |
| 6997 | 09/01/1999 | 6090310 | Some service manuals may list the incorrect camshaft position sensor alignment tool for vehicles with various engine sizes. *tt | 03/14/2000 | |
| 6996 | 09/01/1999 | 6090309 | Information regarding a change in the torque values of the engine front cover water pump bolts. *tt | 03/14/2000 | |
| 983224 | 02/12/1998 | 607436 | Some vehicles may have water contamination in the air filter and / or the mass air flow sensor. *tt | 09/23/1999 | |
| 9874 | 04/13/1998 | 601343 | A new silicone gasket and sealant. *yc | 07/24/1998 | |
| 97610 | 03/17/1997 | 51990 | Blower motor- chirping or squeaking from blower motor at low speeds. *jd | 07/17/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 01246 | 12/10/2001 | 630515 | Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt | 04/18/2002 | |
| 0214 | 01/21/2002 | 630001 | Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant and/or oil from the cylinder head gasket area. *tt | 04/11/2002 | |
| 01205 | 10/15/2001 | 627927 | Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt | 02/26/2002 | |
| 0147 | 03/05/2001 | 619424 | Subject regarding engine oil recommendations for use in 2001 vehicles - sae 5w-20 motor oil. *tt | 05/30/2001 | |
| 983108 | 02/01/1998 | 607402 | Effective march 2, 1998m3.8l engine assembly is added to fqr(ford quality renewal) assembly program. *ak | 12/21/2000 | |
| 983107 | 02/25/1998 | 607401 | Brief information regarding engines being added to the fqr (ford quality renewal) assembly program. *tt | 09/22/1999 | |
| 99816 | 05/03/1999 | 606420 | Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt | 08/19/1999 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 982010 | 10/12/1998 | 603695 | Experiencing a buzzing or rattling noise from the exhaust system. *yc | 03/02/1999 | |
| 9864 | 03/30/1998 | 601312 | Information on a buzzing or rattle noise from the exhaust system. *tt | 07/21/1998 | |
| BC0407961115 | 11/15/1996 | 50753 | Instructions for replacing diagnosed failed parts. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| BC0490961112 | 11/12/1996 | 50763 | Instructions for replacing diagnosed failed component. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| BC9714961101 | 11/01/1996 | 50860 | Diagnostic instructions for servicing evaporative emission purge flow system. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 982310 | 11/23/1998 | 603724 | Mass air flow (maf)- sensor contamination- service tip. *ak | 03/03/1999 | |
| 9834 | 02/16/1998 | 600588 | Air inlet-water in air inlet elbow-malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminates due to water contamination of air filter and/or mass air flow sensor (maf)- vehicle swith 4.6l engine. *ak | 05/27/1998 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||||
| 05N04 | 12/14/2005 | 10018959 | Extended coverage program 05n04 - extended coverage for composite intake manifold. this program is being provided as a settlement to a class action lawsuit. the terms of the settlement extend the coverage of the all-composite intake manif | 01/25/2006 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/10/2008 | 1 | 03/08/1998 | |
| Intake manifold crack and anti-freeze spilling out and a lot of steam smoke while i was driving,car in shop now a it will cost me $600.00 to fix. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2004 | 45329 | 1 | 05/05/2001 |
| Make: mercury model: cougar year: 1997 type: passenger car service bulletin number: 05n04 nhtsa item number: 10018959 summary description: extended coverage program 05n04 - extended coverage for composite intake manifold. this program is being provided as a settlement to a class action lawsuit. the terms of the settlement extend the coverage of the all-composite intake manifold to 7 years from the original warranty start date of the vehicle, with no limit on the number of miles that the vehicle has been driven. *tt on march 2, 2004, i sent a letter to ford motor company describing how the intake manifold on my 1997 mercury cougar had ruptured on feb. 28, 2004. after waiting a month and receiving no reply, i called their customer complaint line and described the problem. they told me that my vehicle did not qualify for a recall reimbursement, but gave no reason why. since my daughter also owns a 1997 mercury cougar, i told her to have a mechanic check her intake manifold. the mechanic replaced her intake manifold at no charge since it had been recalled as per the above quoted statement. i called ford back with this information and they gave me the same reply. i wrote them a letter and they did not reply. i visited my local mercury dealer, from whom i had recently purchased a new vehicle and again was told that my vehicle does not qualify for the recall. i understand that this case went to court and the ruling was that ford had to pay every owner of vehicles with this defect a sum of $750. i have not been paid anything and ford refuses to give me any answer other than what they have already given. i still have the defective intake manifold in my possession and the repair bill for $1455.28. *jb | |||
| 01/05/2005 | 33212 | 1 | 01/23/1997 |
| The consumer received a recall well over seven years ago, at the time of the recall the consumer was not experiencing any problem with the intake manifold mentioned in the letter. while driving the vehicle, the radiator leaked antifreeze onto the street. the vehicle was towed and according to the recall letter the manifold is cracked. *nm......*ak | |||
| 06/15/2003 | 86000 | ||
| This type of car has a horrible tendancy to blow head-gaskets, which is exactly what happened. i do not understand how there has not been a recall yet. | |||
| 10/23/2003 | 48000 | 3 | 07/25/1997 |
| While driving, the consumer smelled anti freeze fumes inside the vehicle. antifreeze fumes were affecting the consumer's breathing. *ak a cracked intake manifold, plug wires and a bad exhaust hose had to be replaced. the maf sensor was cleaned and the was antifreeze replaced. *tt *jb | |||
| 05/28/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 35mph the vehicle intake plastic manifold over heated with no warning and the consumer was forced to pull over. *tt | |||
| 06/05/2000 | 60000 | 06/15/1997 | |
| We have numerous complaints with this vehicle. one of which is the brakes. another is the cooling system. there is a recall on the manifold but our local ford dealer wlll not replace even though we have asked them to do so. in addition the engine had a problem which no one could figure out. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 06/25/2001 | 77400 | 4 | 06/10/1997 |
| I have a 1997 cougar xr7 with a 4.6 liter v8. around july 1, 2001, the intake manifold on the car cracked causing it to overheat. i had the car fixed, not knowing there was a recall on these intake manifolds. in march of 2004, i found the recall letter sent to me by lincoln mercury. i contacted the service manager, tim coats, at what was then ruston ford (i knew him as he did most of my vehicle's warranty work when he was at the lincoln mercury dealership in monroe, la.). i told him about the letter and i still had all my receipts. he sent everything in to lincoln mercury and i was reimbursed. the recall was good for 7 years, unlimited mileage beginning in february 1998. last february, i was told my car was leaking antifreeze. as it was repeatedly pressure tested, and did not loose pressure, we could not find the source. finally, in june of last year, that intake manifold cracked. both intakes that cracked lasted approximately 70,000 miles and/or 4 years. i contacted the lincoln mercury dealer in minden where i got the part and was told that the warranty had expired and there was nothing lincoln mercury would do. i have since called lincoln mercury customer service 3 times and they have told me there is no current recall on the car and due to the mileage, there is nothing they will do. so, i replaced this intake with one from o'reilly auto parts. i have know found out this one is cracked and leaking. o'reilly will warranty the part, but i have to submit the bill for labor with the defective part and hope they will reimburse. each time this happens, the labor runs around $250 - $300. then, it has to have new plugs and wires as they get wet. all i know is there is a serious problem. this will be the fourth intake manifold in 9 years, the car has 175,000 miles on it and i have to keep it until the first of next year. i no longer feel safe as you never know when the intake is going to crack. the vin # is 1melm62wxvh623591. nm | |||
| 04/21/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1997 mercury cougar developed a cracked manifold.***no answer required***. *mr a recall was issued for 1996 and 1997 mercury cougars but the consumer's vehicle was not included due to vin. *nm | |||
| 06/27/2004 | 82000 | 1 | 09/12/1997 |
| For no reason at all antifreeze started leaking from the plastic intake manifold in my 1997 cougar with a 4.6l motor. i searched the web and learned that this is a common problem and ford extended the warranty on some plastic intake manifolds. found all info i could and copied it for the local mercury dealer to repair under warranty. dropped it off for service, only to get a call that my vin was not one that was awarded the extended 7 year warranty, even though the length of time we owned this cougar fit the time criteria. im really disappointed in ford that they are not covering all of their plastic junk manifolds. i called the 800 number for complaints, but the man said i am sorry i can not help you, but i will type your info in our database. so i am no spending $900.00 to repair a car with 82k miles on it for something i would not have expected to have trouble with. to prove that they know there is a problem, they now replace the original manifold with a new part number, and design. they admit it was a bad deal, but still will not help me. i told them that while they were typing my complaint, also type that this is my last ford, and also my families last ford. it's a sad testament for the usa workers. henry ford would not be pleased. thank you, keith korhely. *nm | |||
| 02/27/2004 | 45500 | 1 | 05/03/2002 |
| The low coolant warninging light came on and the smell of antifreeze came into the vehicle compartment. the temperature gauge moved to the highest setting. copious smoke escaped from under the hood of the vehicle. the forward tube of the plastic intake manifold showed a rupture about four inches long on the front of the intake manifold. reapair cost was $1455, including replacement of the spark plugs, which had been soaked in antifreeze. the texas comission on environmental quality issued a warning to me by letter that a concerned citizen had reported my vehicle was seen emitting excessive smoke and that if i did not take action to repair the vehicle, they would charge me with a violation. the vehicle has been repaired with a new ford intake manifold that has the forward tube made out of aluminum and the rest plastic. ford refuses to issue a recall on this model saying that human life has not been endangered. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 1 | 09/27/1997 | ||
| Radiator loosing anti-freeze. nlm | |||
| 1 | 12/17/1997 | ||
| Engine thermostat failed. mjs | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 03/19/2006 | 42000 | 1 | 04/10/1997 |
| I have a 1997 mercury cougar xr7 that has 42,000 miles on it. the intake manifold cracked in my garage and liquids leaked all over garage. my car was one of the excluded vehicles in fords class action and recall of cracked manifolds. *nm | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 138434 | 1 | 11/13/1998 |
| Problems with plastic intake manifold.*mr the manifold which was replaced under recall cracked in the same location as the previous faulty manifold which caused the vehicle to overheat. *nm | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 138434 | 1 | 11/13/1996 |
| The manifold cracked in the same location, overheating the car for the second time. *bf the intake manifold was made of plastic and was recalled. the new manifold was also made of plastic and over time it also failed. the consumer feels the dealer should have installed the new re-designed two piece, half plastic half metal manifold. *nm | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Recall regarding problems with plastic intake manifold. *mr the original intake manifold was cracked at the front motor. ford replaced the defective plastic manifold with another defective plastic manifold. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| The consumer examined the engine and noticed coolant had leaked due to a cracked intake manifold. *ak *jb *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I understand there was a class action suit due to a faulty intake manifold on many ford cars with a 4.6 liter engine. i or my kids have owned a 1997 mercury cougar since new. recently this car which had been in storage for several years was given to my son who is laid off and attempting to complete his bachelors degree. i spent money to repair sensor, freezeplug and he put new tires on this car. i am writing because i contacted ford about this defective intake manifold problem and was told i was too late because the class action involving the faulty plastic intake manifold had expired in 2007 or at 75,000 miles. the car in question has slightly more than 75,000 miles. how could i have taken part in repairing or reimbursement of over $800 i had to pay to get the plastic intake manifold replaced. i then found on the internet that many individuals are in the same position i am in. i found the following link on the internet very informative and gives several examples of people with this problem and explains some safety issues concerning this problem because people are still driving these cars possibly not knowing the engine could blow up at any time in any place including traffic. see link below http://public.fotki.com/trsi/ford_sucks/ford_intake_recall/manifold2.html can or will you help with this problem. at the least people should be made aware that their car with this plastic manifold could leave them stranded in a dangerous situation. the link i included does give examples of why this could be dangerous and indicates many people may still be unaware that this plastic manifold problem even exist. this is important as an owner and to prospective buyers of these cars as well. please help! i just think it is obvious the intake manifold is and was faulty and wrong that the actions was settled and i did not even know about it. i do have the defective intake manifold which is cracked at both ends of the manifold. water in engine boom! safety danger! *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 08/24/2005 | 107710 | 1 | 01/13/1998 |
| 1 .heavy loss of coolant,spraying all over engine area continuously and would not maintain proper levels. 2. car overheating and risk of burning up the engine. 3. replaced plastic manifold,coolant,thermostat and gasket. this manifold was a class action lawsuit against ford motor company that i contacted after the incident and was told my vin did not fall into the category. i now looked it up and it certainly does. the outcome of the lawsuit had dates involved and my incident happened seven months after the judges decision of seven years after the warranty. after calling ford and speaking with 3 customer service people their script was the legal decision and they (ford) was not going to do a thing for me. how many people are out there that had this happen and have no idea of this plastic manifold that should have never been in the car and paid good money for something that ford caused and now will not stand by their product. *jb | |||
| 12/17/2003 | 1 | ||
| Dt: the contact stated the coolant light illuminated on dashboard .the vehicle was taken to a dealership. the plastic intake manifold cracked causing the loss of antifreeze. no repairs were made.*ak updated 12/27/2005 - the consumer did some research and found that the manufacturer had recall this part but not for civilian vehicles. *nm | |||
| 04/12/2005 | 1 | ||
| Consumer's request for reimbursement but was denied reimbursement for the plastic manifold replacement in his 1997 mercury cougar .***no answer required***. *mr the consuemr was not reimbursed for the repairs because the repairs were not made at a ford/mercury dealer. *nm | |||
| 02/24/2005 | 1 | ||
| The intake manifold cracked, causing the coolant to leak out. could cause the engine to overheat. consumer will contact the manufacturer.*ak | |||
| 07/14/2004 | 46000 | 1 | |
| Consumer complained about a defective part in the intake manifold, which at one time was on recall. no notification was ever received. manufacturer was contacted, and stated that the warranty expired, and they did not have to honor the recall. *ak | |||
| 07/10/2004 | 52000 | 1 | 04/08/1998 |
| Had catastrophic intake manifold failure while on vacation. fomoco has a recall on this component (97m91) but refused to provide relief. as i understand the recall of this known problem, ford will only replace when it fails, but it must fail in a specific time frame. this was a silent recall as ford never publicized it. i had attempted a preventative replacement as i was aware of the inherent problem -- again my local mercury dealer (king - gaithersburg, md) would only replace when the manifold failed. well it did while i was on vacation hundreds of miles from home. as this was a known manufactor's problem from the date of installation, replace must be done when the problem first comes to ford's knowledge. instead, when issuing the recall (march 1999) ford chose to ignore the problem until the consumer brings it to the dealership's attention. only then would the dealer acknowledge the recall existed. *ak | |||
| 07/13/2004 | 143000 | 1 | 01/10/1998 |
| The plastic intake manifold on my 1997 mercury cougar failed on 7/13/2004. the coolant leaked into the spark plug socket and grounded the number 2 spark plug, leaked coolant over engine. left my wife stranded with undriveable car. subsequent examination of the engine by an ase mechanic revealed a fatigue crack in the intake manifold near the cross-over tube. this is clearly a design flaw. it will cost over $900 to remove and replace the faulty intake manifold. the old part will be available after repairs are affected. *la | |||
| 06/19/2002 | 75180 | 1 | 05/23/1997 |
| No warning, driving to work under normal conditions when steam and coolant (which could be smelled) came out from under hood, limiting my vision. i had to stop and low coolant level light came on. i had to have car towed home. took car to a corner mechanic who informed us the intake manifold had cracked and it would cost us $1,200. we were skeptical because on other vehicles we have, this part is cast so it doesn't break. we then had the car towed again to a reputable mechanic that we have used before and he also said the intake manifold was broken. he then had to order a new ford part that cost us $589.17 plus labor of $249.60 and wrecker run of $38.40, for a grand total of $923.12. upon checking with ford.com, we found out that this has happened to several others and upon speaking with someone over the phone we were informed that there was a customer satisfaction program, service bulletin 97m91 that would have replaced this defective part at no cost to us, if the part would have broken in the month of may, instead of june 19, when it occurred. we were never aware of such a program and are extremely distressed that such a reputable company as ford would not make this an unlimited warranty knowing that the part will fail and that the replacement part is made of aluminum which is dependable. why was this not used during manufacturing of the automobile? surely, the cost then would have been minimal to ford. could this possibly be reason why it was not made a voluntary recall? we want to be reimbursed for this part, considering we were only 3 weeks out of 97m91.*ak | |||
| 05/20/2004 | 55901 | 1 | 07/17/2003 |
| I have a 1997 mercury cougar. after seeing a low coolant light, and stopping the car, i opened the hood and had coolant everywhere! the car was towed to a repair shop and i was told it was a cracked intake manifold. after further research i have found this is a continual problem with ford produced automobiles. *ak | |||
| 11/03/2003 | 73100 | 1 | 11/04/1997 |
| 1997 cougar xr7, 4.6liter engine. cracked intake manifod allows cooling fluid to escape. problem has been present for over three years but has never been located until lately when fluid loss increased significantly/*ak | |||