1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Exterior Lighting Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE COVERED WITH SOME TYPE OF FILM. HE HAD TO USE THE HIGHBEAMS TO SEE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 149672.

Mileage: 149,672

COMPOSITE HEADLIGHT LENSES TURNED MILKY TO THE POINT THAT VEHICLE BECAME UNUSABLE FOR NIGHT DRIVING. AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER UNWILLING TO REPLACE OR ASSIST WITH REPLACEMENT COSTS. DEALERSHIP WANTS $583.84 TO REPLACE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES. *JB SAFETY DEFECTS CAUSING LIFE THREATENING SITUATION.

Mileage: 51,000

PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVERS HAVE DEVELOPED A DEEP HAZE, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING LIGHT OUTPUT. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS CLOUDING IN THE HEADLIGHT LENSES. THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE BRIGHT AS THEY SHOULD BE. *AK

THE HEADLIGHT SURROUNDS (CLEAR PLASTIC POD THAT ENCLOSE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS) ON MANY FORD AND MERCURY MODEL CARS AND TRUCKS TURN FROM "CLEAR" TO A FOGGED UP "MILKY-WHITE", REDUCING SEVERALLY THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT CAN REACH THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLE, THEREBY CREATING A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. OTHER COMPANIES SUCH AS HONDA USE PLASTIC AROUND THEIR HEADLIGHT BULBS AND THEIR PLASTIC STAYS CLEAR ALLOWING HEADLIGHT BULBS TO PROPERLY LIGHT UP THE ROAD. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD BY E-MAIL, SEVERAL TIMES TO ASK FOR ANY HELP THEY WOULD OFFER-FROM REPLACEMENT TO FREE INSTALL: THEY SENT OUT COMPUTER GENERATED "FORM" LETTERS AND TOTALLY IGNORED MY SAFETY PROBLEM. THERE MUST BE A MILLION FORD PRODUCT CARS AND TRUCKS AFFECTED THE SAME WAY (I CAN BARELY SEE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE).

Mileage: 61,000

WHILE DRIVING, THE HEADLIGHT LENS OVER THE YEARS HAS BECOME CLOUDY. WHICH CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. *JB CONSUMER WAS CHARGED FOR REPAIRS AND THINKS THEY SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. *TC

BRAKING LIGHTS BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION, THEN THE CRUISE CONTROL DID SO TOO. THERE WERE NO CONSEQUENES DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTIONS, UNTILL THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BEGAIN TO CATCH ON FIRE AND SO DID ONLY THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR.*AK

HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY COVERS ON THIS MODEL ONLY, FOGS OVER (INTERNALLY) AND LENS CAN NOT BE CLEANED. DEALER INFORMS ME THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT DISCREPANCY IS TO REPLACE ENTIRE PIECE AT A RATE OF ABOUT $500.00.*AK

Mileage: 81,465

THE ISSUE IS A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN HEADLIGHT CANDLEPOWER ON THE MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS AS THE VEHICLE AGES THAT CAN ONLY BE REPAIRED BY REPLACING INTEGRAL COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLES BODY FOR $500 OR MORE IN COST. THIS IS NOT DUE TO AGING BULBS BUT DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHT COVERS. THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVER CLOUDS WITH AGE AND CANNOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT REPLACING LARGE BODY COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE WILL LEAD TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS WITH THE MOST LIKELY TYPE BEING WITH PEDESTRIANS. THE REASON I HIGHLIGHT PEDESTRIANS IS DUE TO THE FACT OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES HAVE LIGHTS THAT WILL HELP GRAND MARQUIS DRIVERS AVOID AN ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, PEDESTRIANS DO NOT HAVE LIGHTS AND THE DIMINISHED HEADLIGHT CANDLEPOWER OF THE GRAND MARQUIS WILL MAKE PEOPLE ON OUR STREETS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AND THUS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BEING STRUCK BY A GRAND MARQUIS. ITS UNREASONABLE TO REQUIRE $500 TO SIMPLY MAINTAIN YOU HEADLIGHTS. IN ADDITION, THIS ISSUE BECOMES MORE OF A PROBLEM AS THE VEHICLE AGES DUE TO THE FACT IT ENDS UP IN THE HANDS OF FOLKS LEAST LIKELY TO HAVE $500 TO FIX THE ISSUE. THIS ISSUE REQUIRES A MANUFACTURER RECALL AND REPAIR DUE TO DESIGN FLAWS AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CONCERNS. *NM

Mileage: 110,000

THE LENS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS DEVELOPS A CLOUDY APPEARANCE. WHEN THIS OCCURS IT DECREASES THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATION, WHICH RESULTS IN POOR VISIBILITY. CONSUMER FEELS THE CLOUDINESS IS CAUSED BY THE SUNLIGHT DETERIORATING THE LENS. THE DEALERSHIP WILL REPLACE THE LENS.*AK

Mileage: 40,000

STOP LIGHT CONNECTOR WAS OVERHEATING AND BURNING UP WIRING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PROBLEM WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS TO BE STARTED UNDER THE EMERGENCY START, IF STARTED IN PARK IT WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK, CONSUMER STATES ALSO WHILE DRIVING THERE ARE NO STOP LIGHTS. *SLC

THE LOW DIMMER LIGHT IS TOO DIM, CAUSING VISUAL DIFFICULTY WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. THE OCCUPANT HAD TO REPLACE THE BULB IN ORDER TO SEE. MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT SAID IT WAS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE HEADLIGHTS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

LOW BEAMS TOO DIM TO DRIVE!! MUST USE HIGH BEAMS TO DRIVE SAFELY. WORST LIGHTING IN ANY CAR DRIVEN IN 40 YEARS

POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. LIGHTS WERE BLINKING ON AND OFF FOR THREE DAYS.

BACK UP LIGHT BULB FAILED. YH

LOW BEAM LIGHTS DO NOT ALUMINATE SUFFICIENTLY.

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM, ESPECIALLY IN FOG OR RAIN.

LOW BEAM LIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DIM, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO DESIGN.

CONTROLS FOR HEAD LIGHTS AND DOME LIGHTS ARE LOCATED ON THE SAME KNOB, DESIGN CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH ACCIDENTAL TURN OFF/ON OF HEAD LIGHTS.