2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Complaints

FAX ON BEHALF OF (FL) REQUEST STATISTICS OF WINDOW REGULATORS BEING REPLACED ON THE MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS AND IF A RECALL WILL BE ORDERED. *TS *JB THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO CLOSE THE WINDOW. *NM

ON SATURDAY, OCT. 21, 2006 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00PM I WAS DRIVING ON I-95 JUST SOUTH OF PORT SAINT LUCIE FLORIDA, TRAVELING AT 70 MPH, WHEN I EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC BLOW OUT OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE ON MY 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS, WITH 14,980 MILE ON THE ODOMETER. THE TIRES WERE ALL ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE BUT THE SIDEWALLS WERE COMPLETELY SHREDDED, AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 500 TO 600 FEET TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY. I HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW MICHELIN TIRE AT A COST OF $144.96 -WITH A 65,000 MI. WARRANTY! THE TIRE THAT BLEW WITH LESS THAN 14,980MI WAS NOT WARRANTED OR PRO RATED BY THE DEALER OR BY MICHELIN. I DID NOT RUN OVER ANYTHING IN THE ROADWAY, AND BROUGHT THE TIRE TO TWO DIFFERENT TIRE SHOPS AND THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. I CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! MICHELIN, ADVERTISES ITSELF AS ONE OF THE "SAFEST" TIRES ON THE ROAD, -WELL THIS PARTICULAR ONE CERTAINLY WAS NOT. IT IS A P225-60R16 ENERGY LX4. I AM REPORTING THIS IN HOPE YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET MICHELIN TO HELP DEFRAY THE COST OF THE NEW TIRE, AND OR SEE IF THERE IS A SAFETY DEFECT WITH THIS STYLE OF TIRE, WHICH MAY WARRANT FURTHER ACTION. I REMAIN ANXIOUSLY AWAITING YOUR REPLY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE SURGED IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE REVVED, AND THE TACHOMETER ROSE QUICKLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER, THE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR AND WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKE SHE INADVERTENTLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AS WELL. UPDATED 09/11/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AFTER COLLIDING HEAD ON WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT 30 MPH TO TURN LEFT WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN THE RED LIGHT AND CAUSED THE COLLISION. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE POLICE WAS CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO OFFERED NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. UPDATED 08/29/06. *JB

2005 GRAND MARQUIS PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *TS THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ON UNLESS THE PERSON SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WEIGHED 190 LBS OR MORE. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MANUFACTURER CALLED AND EXPLAINED THAT DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO UNTIL THE PART WAS RECALLED. *NM

KNOCKING NOISE FROM ENGINE/TRANSMISSION AREA WHEN CAR IS STOPPED AT IDLE, TRANSMISSION IN GEAR, WINDOWS CLOSED AND HEATER FAN OFF. PROBLEM: INTERMITTENT, ERRATIC, MUFFLED KNOCKING NOISE. HEARD FROM INSIDE THE CAR. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HORN ONLY SOUNDED WITH EXTREME PRESSURE BEING APPLIED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE HORN DID NOT SOUND WHEN ANY OTHER AREA OF THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE HORN WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE HOW TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM WITHOUT POSSIBLY CAUSING THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. THE ONLY WORK COMPLETED BY THE DEALER WAS AN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE STEERING WHEEL COVER TO INSPECT THE HORN CONNECTION. THIS RESULTED IN THE HORN SOUNDING CONTINUOUSLY. THEREFORE, THE DEALER DISCONNECTED IT COMPLETELY. THE DEALER, WHO WAS A FORD DEALER, RECOMMENDED TAKING THE VEHICLE TO A MERCURY DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE HORN HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED. UPDATED 05/30/06. *AK

THE STEERING BOLTS CAME OUT OF MY STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 GRAND MARQUIS. NOTHING LED UP TO THIS SITUATION - THERE WAS NO WARNING. HAD I NOT BEEN GOING ON A 25 MPH 2 LANE ROAD THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. INSTEAD, I ENDED UP HALF WAY IN A DITCH BLOCKING THE RIGHT HAND LANE OF TRAFFIC. I WAS TOLD FROM MY DEALERSHIP, KINGSLAND FORD MERCURY LOCATED ON HIGHWAY 40, PER THE SERVICE MANAGER MONTY THAT THIS WAS A RESULT OF THE MANUFACTURER AND MY CAR CAME OFF THE LINE THAT WAY. I HAVE CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND OF COURSE THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE IS NO RECALL TO MY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE STEERING BOLTS. *JB

THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON JANUARY 26 2006 NEW WITH LEES THAN 100 MILES ON IT. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP IN A PARKING PLACE WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND HAND ON GEAR SHIFT TO PLACE THE CAR IN PARK IN FRONT OF A NURSING HOME. SUDDENLY THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL WITH ENOUGH SPEED IN THE SHORT DISTANCE TO GO THROUGH A WALL INTO A ROOM OF THE NURSING HOME. LUCKILY THE ROOM IN THE NURSING HOME WAS UNOCCUPIED. I DID SUFFER AN INJURY TO THE TOP AND RIGHT SIDE OF MY RIGHT FOOT, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE ACCELERATOR UP WITH MY RIGHT FOOT AND PLACING MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CAR DID NOT STOP ACCELERATING UNTIL THE IMPACT INTO THE NURSING HOME. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY AND THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP AND SERVICE PERSONNEL WAS NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBLE DEFECT. TO THIS DATE THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY CONCERNS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE THE BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE. WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE PEDAL INTERMITTENTLY GOES TO THE FLOOR. MOST OFTEN THIS OCCURS WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE AND PLACING IT IN GEAR. ON ONE OCCASION A POWER BOOSTER WAS REPLACED ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THERE WAS A PEDAL PRESSURE TEST PERFORMED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE PRESSURE WAS A LITTLE LOW, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR CONCERN.