NHTSA complaint: 1995 MERCURY VILLAGER — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
!!!EMERGENCY ALERT!!! NHTSA RECALL NO. 00V419002 MFG. NO 00S59B PRESENTS ADDITIONAL, MORE SERIOUS RISK OF INJURY AND EXPLOSION. MY WIFE AND I COMMUTE OUR CHILDREN 30 MILES TO SCHOOL (2 HOURS AVE. DAILY). SHE PRIMARILY DRIVES THE VILLAGER. IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR SHE DEVELOPED SERIOUS TINGLING AND NUMBNESS THROUGHOUT HER EXTREMITIES INCLUDING FACIAL, FOOT AND HAND SUPERSENSITIVITY. THE CONDITION GREW WORSE AS THE MONTHS PASSED. WE SPENT MAY AND JUNE WITH DOCTORS PERFORMING MRIS AND NERVE CONDUCTION TESTS TO RULE OUT MS OR OTHER NEUROPATHY. UNTIL LAST WEEK WE WERE CLUELESS. FOR ABOUT A YEAR WE BEGAN NOTICING FAINT GASOLINE SMELLS IN THE CABIN OF OUR VILLAGER. THE WERE MILD AT FIRST. THEY BECAME MORE INTENSE IN JANUARY OF 2001. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WE GOT THE NOTICE OF THE REFERRENCED RECALL REGARDING THE FUEL VENT LINE. WE EVENTUALLY HAD THE RECALL WORK SCHEDULED FOR JULY 2, 2001. AFTER RETURNING TO OUR FORD REPAIR SHOP AT THE END OF THE DAY ON THE 2ND, WE WERE TOLD TO COME BACK ON THE 9TH BECAUSE A NEW MOTOR WAS NEEDED PER ANOTHER RECALL, AND THAT BOTH WOULD BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME. WE DELIVERED THE VEHICLE TO FORD ON THE 9TH. BY CIRCUMSTANCES IT WAS NOT FINISHED UNTIL THE 17TH. BY ABOUT THE 16TH, (1 WEEK BEING WITHOUT THE VEHICLE) MY WIFE NOTICED REMARKABLE IMPROVEMENT IN HER SYPTOMS. THIS GAVE ME CAUSE TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE CONNECTION TO THE RECALL. MY DETERMINATION IS THAT IN ADDITION TO RISK OF GAS SPILLAGE DUE TO THE CRACKED VENT HOSE, GASOLINE FUMES CAN
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation