1997 Mercury Cougar

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