1997 Ford Thunderbird

I SMELL GAS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED OF 60 AND ABOVE ON FREEWAY MOSTLY. ONCE IN A WHILE I CAN SMELL IT WHEN DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS OF 25 -30MPH. I USED TO THINK THAT I HAD SPILLED GAS ON THE OUTSIDE OF CAR WHEN IT FIRST STARTED HAPPENING, BUT NOW A YEAR LATER, I STILL SMELL GAS AND I DO SMOKE IN MY CAR, BUT WHEN I SMELL THE GAS, I WILL PUT THE CIGARETTE OUT. IS THERE SOME KIND OF RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM, THAT CAN REPAIR IT. I HAVE PUT $4000.00 INTO RESTORING THE CAR AND I AND PUTTING ANOTHER $800.00 INTO IT NEXT WEEK, NOVEMBER 2013, TO REPLACE ALL OF THE BELTS AROUND THE ENGINE. I HAVE ALREADY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION FOR $1800.00 AT AAMCO, AND PUT A $2200.00 PAINT JOB ON IT, BEFORE I KNEW OF THE GAS SMELL. I HAVE ALSO REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. AM I FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE WITH THIS CAR? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME AND WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD DECELERATE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

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

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE FLOOR SHIFTER WAS STICKING IN PARK WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD. IT TOOK FIVE TO TEN MINUTES TO MOVE THE SHIFTER INTO OTHER GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER SAID THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A JUNK YARD TO LOCATE ANOTHER SHIFTER. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

I BOUGHT MY 1997 THUNDERBIRD 4-15-2003 W/70000 MILES, AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS PAGE I CAN ONLY RELATE TO 2 OF THEM, THE VIBERATION IN THE TRANSMISSION ON UPSHIFT,AND THE FRONT END SHAKING ABOVE 50 MPH.BUT I'M SO GLAD. *AK I BOUGHT A 2 YR.EXTENTED WARRENTY,BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE I'M IN FOR SOME PROBLENS. I CAN BE CONTACTED AT TBIRD97@INTERGATE.COM

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY, CLIMBING UP A HILL AND GOING UP A MOUNTAIN, AND WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GASOLINE STATION, AND MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD IN ENGINE WAS MADE FROM PLASTIC AND CAUSING THE PROBLEM. INTAKE MANIFOLD SPLIT OPEN. *AK *SLC