2003 MERCURY MARAUDER Complaints

THE TIRES FOR MY SIX YEAR OLD CAR ARE ON BACK ORDER FOR MOST OF THE YEAR, EVERY YEAR!!! THE LAST TIME THEY CAME OFF BACK ORDER IT ONLY LASTED FOR FOUR DAYS!!! THIS IS THE ONLY BRAND THAT COMES IN MY STOCK REAR SIZE SO YOU CAN SEE MY FRUSTRATION. MY CAR IS ALMOST NOT DRIVABLE AND NOT SAFE BECAUSE OF THEIR BUSINESS PRACTICES. *TR

BF GOODRICH IS NOT MAKING THE SPECIFIC TIRE SIZE FOR OUR AUTOS, 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER SIZE OF 245/55/18 AND THERE IS NO OTHER TIRE MAKER THAT HAS THIS SIZE. *TR

REAR TIRES FOR 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER I HAVE 65,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND NEED TO REPLACE MY REAR TIRES FOR THE CAR FOR THE SECOND TIME I CANNOT FIND THE TIRES ANYWHERE, NOT EVEN BFG THEY ARE ALWAYS ON BACKORDER. THE LAST TIME IT TOOK 5 MONTHS SEARCHING FOR THESE TIRES ONE HERE AND ONE THERE. NO OTHER PRODUCTION VEHICLE USES THESE TIRES. IT IS FRUSTRATING WORRYING ABOUT TIRE FAILURE ON A FAIRLY NEW VEHICLE ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW IF IT DOES FAIL YOU CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR UNLESS YOU GET UNMATCHED TIRES. HELP!!!!! *TR

I AM AN OWNER OF A 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER. THE VEHICLE OEM REAR TIRES MANUFACTURED BY BF GOODRICH ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. BFG IS THE ONLY COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURES THIS SIZE TIRE(245/15/18) THIS TIRE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECOMMENDS FOR THIS CAR AND THE USE OF ANOTHER SIZE COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO A HANDLING PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THESE TIRES HAVE BEEN ON BACK-ORDER FOR A YEAR AND WITH OVER 11,000 MARAUDERS ON THE ROAD, THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE A SAFETY ISSUE . *TR

BOTH REAR AXLES AND BEARINGS WERE DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. FORD HAS ISSUED A BULLETIN ON THIS: ARTICLE NO. 03-5-5 AXLE-REARAXLE SHAFT AND/OR AXLE BEARING PREMATURE WEAR-VEHICLES PRODUCED BEFORE 1/1/2003. MY '03 MERCURY MARAUDER WAS BUILT IN AUG. '02. BOTH AXLES, BEARINGS AND SEALS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $647.55. *TR

RADIO - FM STOPPED WORKING; AM CONTINUES WITHOUT PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS 4 & 1/2 YEARS OLD WITH 58,200 MILES. *TR

REAR AXLE AND DIFFERENTIAL FAILED ON 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER. DEALER INSPECTION WITHIN 7-10 DAYS OF FAILURE, NO NOTIFICATION OF RECALL ON 2003 CROWN VICTORIA NHTSA: 04V328000 FOR MARAUDER WHICH MAY USE THE SAME REAR END COMPONENTS. VEHICLE DISABLED AT A NEIGHBORHOOD GAS STATION AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IMPENDING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. *TR

WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN AT INTERSECTION, CAR BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND I ALMOST RAN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER, BUILT IN 06/2002, HAS MFR. KNOWN DEFECT IN STEERING SYSTEM DUE TO STICKING VAPS VALVE ON STEERING RACK. THIS UNIT WAS NEVER RECALLED, REPAIRED AND OWNERS NOT NOTIFIED OF POSSIBLE SAFETY DEFECT WITH STEERING SYSTEM. FORD KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM DUE TO MANY FAILURES OF THIS CAR LINE BUILT BEFORE 12/2002. VEH. HAS 50K MILES. ARE THEY WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO GET HURT OR KILLED FIRST? *JB

2003 MERCURY MARAUDER. ALL INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS FAIL AS YOU DRIVE DOWN THE STREET. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN 5 DIFFERENT TIMES IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS AND NO ONE CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. *NM

ON MY 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER, THE FUEL AND BRAKE PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, I HAVE HIT BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME CAUSING ME TO "BUMP" THE CAR INTO SOMETHING. *NM