1996 Ford Thunderbird

96 FORD THUNDERBIRD HEADLIGHT SWITCH SHORTINGSMOKING HEADLIGHTS OUT. KEVIN VANOY, ASTORG FORD PARKERSBURG, WV SAYS THIS IS COMMON. HE ORDERED PART SAID MECHANIC SEPARATED WIRES AND ORDERED PARTS. SAID NO MORE PROBLEMS DRIVE AWAY. LIGHTS STILL GO OUT MELTING WIRES. GLEN DETHY CARRIAGE FORD CLARKSVILLE, IN ORDERS PARKERSBURG TO SEND PARTS TO IN, BUT WILL CHARGE $100 EXTRA TO INSTALL, NEITHER DEALER WOULD RUN A HOT WIRE WITH A CABIN SWITH TO LET CUSTONMER SAFELY HAVE LIGHTS. BOTH DEALERS SENT CUSTOMER BACK ON ROAD WITH DANGEROUS LIGHT SWITCH.

THIRD BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY KEEPS MELTING. OCTOBER 2000 26,000 MILES FIRST NOTICED MY THIRD BRAKE LIGHT HAD MELTED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE LIGHT SOCKETS, WAS TOLD THEN THAT IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM, AFTER MUCH ARGUING AND WRITING THE BBB FORD FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE IT AT NO COST TO ME. NOW 2003 AT 32,800 MILES ASSEMBLY IS MELTED AGAIN, AGAIN I WAS INFORMED THAT FORD WILL NOT REPLACE IT THE COST IS MINE. I SAID THEN AND I STILL BELIEVE THIS A PRODUCT DEFECT ON FORDS PART. I DO NOT BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE PART, APART WHICH IS THE SAME PART THAT IS IN THERE NOW AND WILL MELT AGAIN IN A YEAR OR TWO AND I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. THE LINK BELOW SHOWS PICTURES OF A FORD THUNDERBIRDS THIRD BRAKE LIGHT DAMAGE AFTER THE ASSEMBLY AND WIRE HARRNESS HAS MELTED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A FIRE HAZARD.W.MN12PERFORMANCE.COM/MN12HOWTO/3RD_BRAKE_LIGHT/3RD_BRAKELIGHT.HTML. *AK

THE FRONT SPRINGS ARE DEFECTIVE AND BREAK THUS COLLASPSING THE STRUTS AND MAKING THE VEHICLE HARD TO HANDLE. THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFILD COOLANT CHANNEL WALLS ARE TO THIN AND TEND TO BLOW-OUT. FINALLY, THE BACKLIT REAR REFLECTOR TENDS TO BURNOUT TO OFTER FOR A INTEGRATED PART. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE THE REFLECTOR IS AN INTEGRATED PART OF THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE COST OF REPLACEMENT IS PROHIBITIVE SO THE REFLCTOR REMAINS BURNED OUT ON MANY OF THE OTHER T-BIRDS I SEE ON THE ROAD CAUSING A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE'S VISIBILITY. THE ILUMENATOR IN THE REFLECTOR SHOULD BE SERVICABLE. *AK

THE ASSEMBLY FOR THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT HAS MELTED AND NOW YOU CANNOT GET THE BULBS OUT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED (@ $100.00) NOT COVERD UNDER THE EX-WARRENTY, TALKED WITH ANOTHER FORD MACHANIC AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THAT ASSEMBLY ON THE THUNDERBIRD AND FORD DOESNOT INTEND TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. CUSTOMERS PROBLEM. DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME.