1997 Mercury Cougar

I HAVE A 1997 MERCURY COUGAR. I FEW WEEKS AGO I STARTED SMELLING ANTI-FREEZE AND I NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS OVER THE HALF WAY MARK. THEN MY "LOW COOLANT" LIGHT CAME ON. I ADDED SOME ANTI-FREEZE UNTIL I COULD GET THE CAR INTO MY MECHANIC. AFTER CHECKING OUT MY CAR, HE SAID I HAD A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD. I LEFT THE CAR FOR TWO DAYS AND WHEN HE CALLED ME TO PICK IT UP, HE HIT ME WITH A $875 BILL. WOW!!! I DON'T HAVE $875, SO I HAD TO BORROW IT! I NEED MY CAR. THEN TWO DAYS AFTER I GET THE CAR FIXED, I'M TALKING TO A FRIEND AND HE TELLS ME THERE WAS A RECALL ON 1997 4.6 LITER ENGINES IN THE MERCURY COUGARS. I WENT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND EXPLAINED MY PROBLEM. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP ME AND GAVE ME A 1-800 FOR FORD. I CALLED FORD. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET THE WORK DONE AT A FORD/LINCOLN/MERCURY DEALER. SO EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY PARTICULAR CAR, FOR THE PARTICULAR PROBLEM I HAD, I CAN'T GET REIMBURSED FOR THE WORK. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHERE TO GO FROM HERE??? EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE PROPERTY, THANK GOD, THE PROBLEM STILL COST ME TIME, MONEY AND WAS AN INCONVENIENCE. I FEEL THAT SINCE IT WAS A RECALL, I SHOULD AT LEAST BE REIMBURSED FOR THE PARTS.*AK