Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 985017 | 11/01/1998 | 613042 | Experiencing a grunt or squeak noise from the front suspension when turning the steering to full lock, to the left or the right. *tt | 06/16/2000 | |
| 8060 | 02/01/2000 | 612274 | Some vehicles may exhibit a slight steering drift / wander condition, usually noted during highway driving. *tt | 06/07/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| 6218 | 05/01/1999 | 607026 | Conditions with cosmetic cracks in the frame at the rear upper control arm access opening. *tt | 11/03/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 11/08/2011 | 31000 | 1 | |
| While driving or backing at slow speeds this vehicle(which has very very low miles) makes loud,banging,pounding,binding noises and sounds like the entire front end is going to fall off. this happens frequently and is not normal for any car with such low miles 15 years old or not. i have gotten to the point that i am afraid to drive this car. i have also been told that others have this same or a similar issue. the car was driven by an older couple aka my grandparents who bought it new in 98' and they both passed away in 2012. this may be in part due to the double wishbone suspension which i know nothing about. i am extra upset as i said due the fact that this car has only had an average of just over 2,000 miles annually and was treated very well. the car looks like new but scares me half to death when i hear this unmistakable loud sound of broken,binding,loose or defective parts. i am able to repair it but was hoping there was a recall due to the same story being posted over and over. this car,either model the gs or ls is an accident waiting to happen. if you are a prospective buyer,please drive the car slowly then turn in reverse and if it exists the problem will sound off immediately. if backing out with a very slight curb,the car will sound much worse.ford is not known for its front ends other than the fact that its cars and trucks front ends are either next to impossible to align and/or are very expensive to repair. i have never seen or heard anything like this in any other car maker,ford should pay for this travesty of a front end. without taking a visual i would say it my car needs both upper and lower ball joints,tie rod ends and a full suspension check or rebuild. if anyone hears this in a car from a dealer or elsewhere=do not buy!!! *tr | |||
| 11/08/2011 | 31000 | ||
| While driving or backing at slow speeds this vehicle(which has very very low miles) makes loud,banging,pounding,binding noises and sounds like the entire front end is going to fall off. this happens frequently and is not normal for any car with such low miles 15 years old or not. i have gotten to the point that i am afraid to drive this car. i have also been told that others have this same or a similar issue. the car was driven by an older couple aka my grandparents who bought it new in 98' and they both passed away in 2012. this may be in part due to the double wishbone suspension which i know nothing about. i am extra upset as i said due the fact that this car has only had an average of just over 2,000 miles annually and was treated very well. the car looks like new but scares me half to death when i hear this unmistakable loud sound of broken,binding,loose or defective parts. i am able to repair it but was hoping there was a recall due to the same story being posted over and over. this car,either model the gs or ls is an accident waiting to happen. if you are a prospective buyer,please drive the car slowly then turn in reverse and if it exists the problem will sound off immediately. if backing out with a very slight curb,the car will sound much worse.ford is not known for its front ends other than the fact that its cars and trucks front ends are either next to impossible to align and/or are very expensive to repair. i have never seen or heard anything like this in any other car maker,ford should pay for this travesty of a front end. without taking a visual i would say it my car needs both upper and lower ball joints,tie rod ends and a full suspension check or rebuild. if anyone hears this in a car from a dealer or elsewhere=do not buy!!! | |||
| 2 | 03/01/1999 | ||
| Problems with upper and lower ball joints and tie rods.*mr the parts were replaced, some of them twice. ford put ungreased parts on. eventually they dried out again and started squeaking. if not replaced they would possibly break which could cause the driver to lose control, possibly causing injury or death. *ph the front brakes were resurfaced. *jb | |||
| 05/13/1999 | |||
| While driving at 55 mph steering wheel suddenly started moving frm side to side, causing loss of vehicle control, resulting in crash. *ak | |||
| 07/05/1998 | |||
| Vibration felt at speed 59-70 on occassion. yh | |||
| 06/30/1998 | |||
| While driving between 55-65 mph consumer can feel a vibration all through the vehicle. also when hitting a bump the steering wheel almost leaves driver's hands. the dealer is not able to correct the problem. owner has been to dealership 4 times for this problem. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 08/24/2008 | 90000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mercury grand marquis. while driving approximately 10 mph, the contact heard a loud noise and felt excessive vibration. the contact was informed by another motorist that the end rod was disengaged underneath the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and it was discovered that the ball joint was the cause of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 90,000. | |||
| 08/14/2007 | 105000 | 1 | 04/14/2003 |
| During normal driving, heard extremely alarming loud creaking, squeaking noises from front end. steering became sloppy and erratic. took it to r&r automotive in lex. pk. md and had complete front end replaced, due to worn out ball joints, idler arms, pitman arms, tie rods, sway bar ends which could not be lubricated. replaced with those equipped with grease fittings. $1750.00 *jb | |||
| 60000 | 4 | ||
| The inner and outer tie rod ends have been replaced as well as the upper and lower ball joints. *mr *scc *nlm | |||
| 03/05/1998 | 1 | 03/05/1998 | |
| Front end missalignment causes vehicle to pull to the right. yh | |||
| 10/01/1998 | |||
| There is a constant feeling that the tires and front end are both out of alignment and tires out balance(they are not) causing a constant rough ride on the smoothest pavement beginning at 55mph. dealer has changed tires twice re-balanced tires 4 times and re-aligned 3 times. can you check. *ak | |||
| 5 | 03/18/1998 | ||
| Vehicle pulls to the left while driving. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 01/03/2005 | 1 | ||
| The front upper ball joints were squeaking due to dryness,which consumer has been informed that they can break and cause the wheels to fall off.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 10/21/2010 | 142767 | ||
| Vehicle became undriveable due to the fact that the air suspension completely gave out and the shock absorbers were no longer working. the approximate starting time to this problem, when the compressor was acting up, was back in september of 2010. the car sits so low to the ground now that i will have to get rid of it altogether (either have a junk yard buy it or get rid of it as a parts car), as it's unsafe for me to drive, let alone have my daughter in. also, i'm a poor mother, unemployed, who definitely can't afford to pay the large costs of getting this fixed. in talking to people about the problem, it's either the compressor has gone bad, a wiring problem, or a problem with the on/off switch in the trunk. | |||