Guest sam wrote: Sunday, October 12, 2008

Purchased a 1997 Mustang GT April 2006, a real cream puff. 14,300 miles on odometer. Oct, 2008, with 36,000 miles, intake manifold cracks, in exact place, as pictured above. Didn't know of the manifold problem, when I purchased it. Don't know if other engine damage has occoured. Hopefully the redesigned manifold, with aluminum crossover, will be durable. I love this car, and was hoping to keep it a long time.
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Well it is still a Crapstang, so baby it and you may get a couple years from her.

Purchased a 1997 Mustang GT April 2006, a real cream puff. 14,300 miles on odometer. Oct, 2008, with 36,000 miles, intake manifold cracks, in exact place, as pictured above. Didn't know of the manifold problem, when I purchased it. Don't know if other engine damage has occoured. Hopefully the redesigned manifold, with aluminum crossover, will be durable. I love this car, and was hoping to keep it a long time.

Thank you very much, Richard Tourino. I clicked your link for Better Business Bureau for out-of-court settlement. I will do this after I try one more round at Sanderson Ford in Glendale, Arizona. This regards for continual cracking intake manifolds on Ford 4.6 SOHC.

Yeah, i have been surfing and searching for Ford intake manifold problem relations. Now, i realized there are damn so many problems as shown on most websites. I will not be surprised anymore.
Tell you what! Bell Ford dealership in Phoenix, Arizona, sold me an obsolete intake manifold (part # F8AZ-9424-BC)without me knowing. Bell Ford "too bad!" to me. The correct part number is # F6SZ-9424-AA which is a new design but the date was March 2002. This new design should have it with aluminum coolant crossover costs around $500. I found out after 40,000 miles ahead (mileage around 130,000). This was the 3rd intake manifold. If you guys had been buying plastic intake manifolds after redesignation (not giving you the ones with aluminum coolant crossovers), you all should have the right for Ford to fix for free.
On 3rd intake manifold after 130,000 miles, my wife with a baby in the back seat of 1996 ford Mustang GT were on the way to home during the monsoon storm. We were on 303 loop highway. It was set on cruise control and the mileage was 60MPH on 55MPH speed limit. I was laying back and driving with steering wheel tilted up. (WE ARE DEAF AS HEARING IMPAIRED!!!) I didn't notice the dash lights warning. The engine started to stumble and I lifted my head up to see the dash lights. I had to push the clutch to pull over. But after pushing the clutch, cruise control freed RPM to redlines and boomed. There was smoke all around us. We were coughing. We got so scared. We all had to get out of the Mustang car immediately. It was so stormy outside! Had been waiting outside a very long time until our family came and found us stranded. A tow truck came for the Mustang. An obsolete intake manifold hurted us pretty well.
My Mustang had been sitting for about a year. My family and I have very low incomes because many businesses didn't want to hire a deaf person as a part of discrimination and can't prove for ADA laws. Finally, i rebuild my Mustang engine with head set and head bolt replacement. But the engine was found no good because of bad cylinder compression and main bearings to cause oil pressure dropping.
I am doing an ongoing action against Ford. I'm looking for the final key to get all of owners' vehicles to be regained or Ford Motor Company may go down the roads to out of business.
So far, 12 Ford factory plants have been shut down. Also GM has problems, too. Do not trust any AC Delco parts. Keep using the internet to keep seaching until you win. If you want to like myself. Good Luck!!!
Thank you for reading this.

Mine too. I'm sure others don't even know this exists so there must be thousands. My dealer says this isn't what the laws suit refers too and that the action has not been decided on yet. Wonder if this is the same thing they tell all the police departments who must have a bunch of cruisers in their fleets with this same problem.

right front (temp sensor i think) Sensor blew off and manifold cracked on my 96 gt, left me stranded. Trying to epoxy everything back together will probably end up getting an aftermarket w/ aluminum radiator rail for about 260 and doing it myself. Have had a lot of faith in ford but this problem with no resolution from ford really is bull.

Well seems I have company :( 1996 Crown Vic LX 4.6L and one cracked plastic intake. A friend of mine works for a Ford truck dealer. His price in this POS intake is $490. Seems the after market replacement is the better way.

Going to try and JB Weld it first ;)

Add me to this list too, the intake manifold on my 1996 Grand Marquis (128000 miles) just went out on me.

My Linconln Town Car also had a cracked manifold. The dealer fixed it for $1150. When I went to the dealer to pick up my car, I asked for the old manifold back. We went back into the repair department to look for it and there was some confusion as to which manifold was mine. There were several on the floor! I guess this is a popular defect. Add me to the list if there is a law suite. I used to buy only American cars but, with things like this, I really am starting to think Ford and GM want you to buy a foreign branded car. My next car won't be an American Brand!!!

My husband just bought me a cream puff 97 Lincoln TC I wai like everyone else we thought it was a hose, imagine our surprise when we realized it was the manifold, his words "oh S*#! it's plastic". I'm disappointed in Ford that they went cheap and then don't stand behind their product. This should be a safety issue also. SHAME ON FORD!!!!!!

I just got the news that my 96 Thunderbird with 59,301 miles
has a cracked cooling manifold. I was told the warranty was only good for 7 years. Ford refused to extend the date. If I had known so many of these critical parts were made out of plastic I would have not purchased a Ford. Ford should have recalled these cars and fixed the defective part when they first discovered it was a problem.

yeah i just had this problem. crack in the exact spot as your picture. im kinda pissed...im a poor college student left stranded. anyway i was doing some research and found some irony...this is on a used car website 96 marquis profile
1996 Mercury Grand Marquis: Making headlines, however, is a new composite intake manifold for the car's 4.6-liter V8, designed to reduce engine noise. In addition, the shift quality of the 4-speed automatic has been improved making for smoother, less-annoying downshifts.

hah making headlines now for its cracking...i think its pretty ironic

1996 Crown Victoria, same problem as everyone else,Ford quoted $1100 to fix, with no guarantee that other damage did not occur. Cracked behind alternator. I patched with epoxy resin and was able to run it long enought to feel confident that no other engine damage occured. Did much internet research in preparation for repair. NAPA has a Balkamp replacement manifold with aluminum crossover for $284, also replaced the water pump for $50, total job cost me about $400, plus my time. It was slow going taking everything apart and getting to it,probaly 8 hours total,learned several new tricks and had to improvise some special tools. Now knowing what I do about doing the job I could do the whole thing in 4 hours if I had all the new parts sitting there ready to go. I havent done any major repairs in years, if I can do it you can do it! Take pictures as you take everything apart, it really helps with putting it back together. Now it purrs like a kitten. Love
Crown Victoria's, owned 4 of them, hate Ford over the poor
customer service and lousy attitude.Count me in on suit. E-mail if you need any tips or my pictures for doing the job.
Happy to help.

READ THIS!!
I bought my 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis August 2002 with 71,000 miles from a Dodge dealer. My nephew, the salesman advised me to buy a warranty. I paid $1,588 for a 24 mo. warranty. March 2004 at 82,140 miles had antifreeze leak. Brought it in to my mechanic. Plastic intake manifold cracked. Replacement (new design with aluminum plate across front) with labor, etc cost $1,070.10 (with sales tax). Warranty company repaid me $909 because of $75 deductable and they don't repay for sales tax. Lucky me. This week Dec. 2004, terrible smell front of car. Large damp area on concrete driveway under engine compartment. Went for short drive, opened hood, steam rising near air cleaner. Brought it in to my mechanic. He thought it might be manifold again. But it wasn't. The cause was Ford part no. F1VY-8555-A tube, A METAL COOLANT TUBE which had corroded, shooting antifreeze upward, destroying the Mass Air Flow Sensor. 86,885 miles Dec. 08. Cost me $8.60 for tube, $40.05 for gaskets, $24.00 antifreeze, $169.60 for sensor. Water pump required removal to do repair, I paid $98.30 for new replacement to be safe. Labor $480.00. Total $ 820.05 without sales tax. WARNING. Be prepared for this to happen to you.

You may find this site helpful, in getting some or all your expenses reimbursed:
http://www.dr.bbb.org/autoline/index.asp

You give up nothing and who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised. As they say, "nothing ventured, nothing gained".

Good Luck

Darn, I think I just bought a lemon. Test drove a cream puff 1997 Grand Marquis on Saturday that only had 71K miles on it, and accelerated rapidly and saw the steam. Thought it was just a heater hose and took the car anyway. Now as I search the internet, I am not a very happy camper. I thought I was a loyal Ford customer, but I think my next car purchase will be a different brand.

Well I checked my 1996 Mercury this morning and found a crack in the manifold right behind the altenator. Called the ford company and got the run around just like everyone else so I figured I will have to have it fixed myself. I did find a manifold at an auto parts dealer and the cost was $249.99. I dont't think I better try to put it on myself so I checked with my mechanic and he will put it on for $205.00 so this ordeal is going to cost me about $500.00. Please add my name to any list that will help me get my money back from the ford company.

I have a 1996 Grand Marquis and it is leaking anti-freeze but I have been unable to locate the leak. I thought it could be a water hose but I haven't found one leaking. After I came upon this web site I now believe it is my manifold. It has anti-freeze all around the area behind the alternator so I am thinking it is the manifold. Since all the information I have been reading was written in 2003 I am hoping there has been a recall for the Mercury.

99 mustang gt mine intake cracked 2 days ago rught behind the alternator. what a bunch of crap? is there any recalls of the product?

I own a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis with the 4.6 L engine. I thought my intake manifold gaskets were leaking until I removed the intake manifold and found a crack in the front of it. I searched the internet to find a replacement and came across many complaints of the same nature. I will be calling the number listed in these messages and complain. Is there any class action suits underway to cover this expense? I live in Texas.