2008 MERCURY MARINER Complaints

POWER STEERING ASSIST MODULE STOPED WORKING FOR NO REASON WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THIS PROBLEM MY MECHANIC IS TELLING ME IT IS A 50% CHANCE I MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN.

EVERYTIME I TRY TO FILL GAS, THE PUMPS KEEP SHUTTING OFF. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST OR SLOW I DO IT OR THE ANGLE. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND AFTER THEY INSPECTED IT AND FOUND NO OBVIOUS ISSUES, THEY LOOKED ONLINE IN THEIR MECHANIC WEBSITE AND SEEN THAT THE FUEL NOZZILS FOR THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES OFTEN NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SHAPE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE IF A PROBLEM IS CAUSED DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN, THEN I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. IT'S A VERY FRUSTRATING PROBLEM. IT CAN TAKE 5-10 MINUTES TO FILL TANK COMPLETELY AND WHEN IN NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES, THAT'S A LONG TIME TO BE STANDING OUTSIDE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE STEERING ASSIST FAULT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS A KNOWN FAILURE AND THE STEERING COLUMN OR SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

"TAKATA RECALL" WHEN I WAS LEAVING A STORE YESTERDAY I NOTICED THAT MY ABS, BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH A DESCRIPTION INDICATING MY CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM. I NEVER NOTICED AN ISSUE WITH MY BREAKS PRIOR TO THESE SIGNALS COMING ON AND MY FIANC'S CAR HAD BEEN FUNCTIONING WELL FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS. I NORMALLY DRIVE THE SUV SO WHEN I NOTICED IT SAID THAT I MADE SURE THE BREAKS WERE WORKING WHEN I STARTED TO MOVE. I DID NOTICE THAT THE BREAKS REQUIRED MORE OF A FIRM PUSH WHEN I WAS NEEDING TO COME TO A SPOT. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ACCIDENTS OR CAUSED ME TO RUN ANY STOP LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS. HOWEVER, AFTER DOING MY OWN RESEARCH I DID FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE 2008 MERCURY MARINERS AND FROM SOME OF THE WARNINGS I HAVE READ STATED THE BREAKS ENDED UP FAILING AFTER THIS ALL ACCRUED AND ABOUT GOT THEM INTO ACCIDENTS. WITH THE NHTSA ALREADY INVESTIGATING THE '2006-2012 FUSION AND LINCOLN MKZ AND THE 2006-2011 MERCURY MILAN' MODELS WITH THE SAME ISSUES, IT SEEMS THE ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN JUST THE MERCURY MARINER.

WE HAVE HAD A 2008 MERCURY MARINER FOR LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND I WAS DRIVING AND THE POWERSTEERING STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS TRYING TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE HIGHWAY TO GET MYSELF AND MY 3 CHILDREN HOME AND I COULDN'T STEER IT WAS TO HARD COME TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A TORQUE SENSOR RECALLED FOR THIS CAR BUT WHEN I RUN THE VIN SAYS NO RECALL AND I NOTICED THERE WERE OTHERS WHO COMPLAINED OF THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT THEY WERE TOLD IT WASN'T RECALL FOR THEIR 08 MERCURY EITHER BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM THIS COULD CAUSE A CRASH SO THANKFUL IT QUIT WORKING BEFORE I GOT ON THE HIGH WAY AT HIGHER SPEED COULD HAVE CRASHED WITH MY BABIES SO I'M CONFUSED WHY THERE IS NO RECALL SINCE OTHERS WITH THE 08 MERCURY HAD SAME PROBLEM AND FORD SAID THEIRS WASN'T A RECALL YET OBVIOUSLY IT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO SINCE OTHERS ARE HAVING THE PROBLEM TOO.

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DEPART A RESTAURANT PARKING LOT, WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING THE POWER STEERING ON MY VEHICLE FAILED. THIS NEARLY CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND SURELY WOULD HAVE IF THE PARKING LOT HAD BEEN MORE FULL.

I CALLED FORD AFTER THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT TURN. IT WAS PARALLEL PARKED ALONG SIDE A STREET, AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD. THE WHEEL WAS MAKING LOUD, GRUNTING NOISES AND SHAKING PROFUSELY. I LOOKED UP AND FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR MERCURY MARINER 2008 MODELS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH OLIVER HOGG, A SERVICE CONSULTANT AT LINDSAY FORD OF WHEATON AND DISCUSSED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AND THAT IT SEEMED TO BE EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH MY VEHICLE. HE TOLD ME IT WOULD BE COVERED BY FORD IF THAT WAS THE ISSUE, IF NOT, I WOULD HAVE TO COVER THE COST AND DIAGNOSTIC. THE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT STATED, "C/S STEERING IS MAKING NOISE AND DISPLAY READS STEERING ASSIST FAULT--TOWED IN. CAN FOR CODES (B2278 STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR FAULT (FOUND STEERING HARD AND COLUMN MOTOR CHATTER). REPLACE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY (PART #CL8Z3C529D) (FOUND STEERING HARD AND COLUMN MOTOR CHATTER). LINDSAY FORD OF WHEATON QUOTED ME $2,385.18 FOR THE LISTED ISSUES. HE SAID MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, AND THERE WAS NOT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE PARTS, SO I WAS OUT OF LUCK. I FIND THIS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE, AFTER LEARNING OF ALL OF THE OTHER MERCURY MARINERS OF 2008 TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, AND EVEN WITH THE RECALL. THIS IS UNSAFE, AND A PRODUCT OF FORD MANUFACTURING, AND SHOULD BE RESOLVED WITHIN FORD MOTOR COMPANY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATE ABNORMALLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING ASSIST ABILITY AND VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GUIDE THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE SENSOR AND POSSIBLY THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN FROM A CITY STREET INTO A PARKING LOT AT APPROXIMATELY 10MPH. I RESPONDED TO FORD/MERCURY'S INITIAL RECALL SEVERAL YEARS AGO, TAKING THE TO MIDWAY FORD (ROSEVILLE MN). THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE PERFORMED WHATEVER WAS REQUIRED TO ADDRESS THE POWER STEERING RECALL. ADMITTEDLY, I WAS UNSURE WHAT THIS REQUIRED AT THE TIME. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS UNAWARE THIS COULD POSSIBLY HAVE RELATED TO THE INITIAL RECALL. AFTER I PAID FOR A DIAGNOSIS AT THE SAME DEALER, I WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. I OBTAINED A SECOND OPINION FROM A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REMEDIED THE ISSUE BY PUTTING IN A NEW BATTERY. NEW BATTERY IN, POWER STEERING RETURNED. NOW, TWO YEARS LATER, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED YET AGAIN. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS, JUST A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. IT'S CLEAR WHATEVER "FIX" THE DEALERSHIP DID WHEN I TOOK IT IN AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE DID NOT ADDRESS WHATEVER THE PERSISTENT ISSUE IS WITH THE POWER STEERING. I KNOW THIS NOW AFTER READING *DOZENS* OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I ALSO SEE FROM READING THESE COMPLAINTS THAT THE DEALER WILL SURELY NOT COVER THE COST OF A FIX AT THIS TIME, BY CLAIMING THE RECALL ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED PREVIOUSLY - WHICH, IT'S APPARENT IT WAS NOT. I'M DONE WITH FORD AUTOS AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE. THIS IS UNJUST AND UNSAFE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STEERING MADE A POPPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING KNUCKLE FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUFACTURER SAFETY CAMPAIGN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.