I went to have my car services on 3/14 and was informed by monroe muffler that my that the intake manifold has cracked because it was plastic and not metal. While doing some research I noticed that many other Ford have been recalled for the same reason such as vehicles affected in the american settlement use the 4.6-litre V8 engine and include 1996-2001 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln town car; 1997 Mercury Cougar, Ford thunderbird and Ford mustang; some mustangs from 1998 to 2001; and some Ford Explorer from 2002. I was L;aso told that he has serviced at least five with the same problem in the last year.

- Rochester, NY, USA

I recently purchased a used 2001 Ford Windstar. It began showing 3 lights on the dash. (the brake light ABS light and check engine light) I will begin with the engine light. After reading many articles on the internet of people experiencing the same codes P0174 and P0171 I found the tsb. It called for the replacement of the vacuum line, isolator bolts, valve cover, and port seals. The ABS and brake lights call for the replacement of the whole ABS module. To fix both of these problems are very costly. And after researching, I have conlcuded that these problems are not isolated. Due to the high price of labor and parts I have not been able to fix these problems. I think that the loss of ABS on slippery roads and the loss of the engine due to the defective gasket parts can cause a major accident, and pose as a huge concern. Please contact me with any updates...thankyou

- Miami, FL, USA

1) there were 2 major problems with our Ford Windstar 2001 which we bought brand new from our dealer. The first problem: We thought there was a lot of smoke coming out of exhaust. It looked like it was burning oil. Took it in to the dealer the first time and they replaced a seal. We took a trip and took it back to the dealer and they said there was coolant leaking into the intake manifold and we would need a new engine. We ended up spending about $3500 on the car. The second problem was related to the ABS brain failed and we would need to replace it and that would be about $1200. It was at this point, we decided we would not pursue that repair as that would mean we would have put in about 5K into our car within a year. 3) Ford went in "half" with us on the engine replacement. I do not recall the exact date for the first failure. The second failure was approximately January 2005.

- Temple Terrace, FL, USA

After the check engine light came on, we had the codes read. P0171 and P0174. Running lean on right side and left side. Research shows many others on message boards all around the web with the same problem at the same average mileage (50,000). Dealers want over $600 to fix the issue. With so many users experiencing this design flaw, why isn't there a recall?

- Franklin, TN, USA

Vehicle's back end swayed left and right, making it difficult to maintain control. The cause was undetermined. The consumer stated that the rear control arm broke while driving. The bolt was replaced and a rattling noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. The lower rear tight side bolt was no good. The conusmer stated that the engine light was on. Tests found vacuum leaking from the intake manifold. Lower and upper intake manifold gaskets were replaced. Idle speed control was replaced. The brakes squeaked. When taking off from a stop light the vehicle idles high.

- Queens Village, NY, USA

Both sliding doors did not close fully. The doors would shut and pop back open even when locked. The mechanic replaced several components but only provided a temporary fix. The failure still exist. At 50,000 the intake manifold was replaced twice within a year because it contained a leak.

- Lake Saint Louis, MO, USA

The tail pipe sticks out very far and has very sharp points on it. Son punctured his left knee on one of the points. It dug into his knee and left a gapping hole which needed stitches. Tail pipe sticks out too far and the end should be even all around.

- New Providince, NJ, USA