2009 MERCURY MARINER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH IN METRO DC RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER (ENGINE STILL RUNNING BUT NO ACCELERATION). I HAD TO CROSS OVER 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO REACH THE SHOULDER (VERY DANGEROUS). I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED (SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS "FLOODED"). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR EVALUATION TODAY, BUT CAME ACROSS MANY COMMON COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING THIS EXACT ISSUE AND ALSO LEARNED THAT NHTSA WAS CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION. I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY CASE TO THIS ISSUE. THIS COULD BE A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM AS IT HAPPENS AT HIGH SPEEDS AND THE VEHICLE SLOWS RAPIDLY.

UPON ACCELERATING, VEHICLE STALLED. OCCURRED ON AUG 29 AND AGAIN ON SEPT 4. HAD TO GLIDE TO A STOP ON HIGHWAY SHOULDER, PUT CAR IN PARK, TURN OFF, AND RESTART. I'VE HAD INTERMITTENT ISSUES FOR A WHILE WHERE CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE WHEN PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR, THEN IT LURCHES FORWARD. FORD DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THROTTLE BODY AND REPAIRED IT. UPON LOOKING ONLINE, THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH CERTAIN ESCAPES AND MARINERS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL THROTTLE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. PULLED OVER AND PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK. PRESSED ON ACCELERATOR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. IT WOULD NOT REV THE ENGINE. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE THROTTLE WORKED PROPERLY. THIS HAPPENED TWICE TODAY. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL IT SUDDENLY STOP RECEIVING ANY FUEL, CAR DOES NOT NECESSARILY STALL, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE I WILL HAVE TO PULL OVER SHUT THE CAR OFF AND IT WILL RESTART, THE WRENCH ICON WILL COME ON, SOMETIMES THE ENGINE ICON, THIS AT FIRST WAS RANDOM, NO PATTERN, ONCE ON THE TOBIN BRIDGE IN BOSTON, WITH VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC, THANKFULLY WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER OUT OF THE WAY, IT WOULD HAPPEN RANDOMLY FOR A FEW MONTHS AND NOW IT HAPPENS SO OFTEN I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT, I HAVE NO MONEY TO BRING THIS TO A GARAGE AS I FEAR IT WILL COST ME WAY TOO MUCH TO FIX, VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE VEHICLE, ALONG WITH THIS ISSUE THE HEATER,AC FAN ONLY WORKS ON HIGH, BEING A WIDOW WITH VERY A LOW PAYING JOB I BOUGHT THIS AND AM STILL PAYING OVER 300 A MONTH I AM AT A LOSS, THERE MUST BE SOME WAY I CAN GET THIS FIXED AT NO COST TO ME, THIS VEHICLE WAS THE FIRST ONE I HAVE EVER FINANCED AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE A LEMON. *TT

THIS ACTUALLY FIRST OCCURRED ON FRIDAY. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE THRUWAY AT ABOUT 65MPH WHEN THE CAR FELT ALMOST LIKE IT DOWNSHIFTED AND THEN I TOTALLY LOST ACCELERATION AND THE WRENCH LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH. I LIMPED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR JERKED AND SPUTTERED BEFORE I SHUT IT OFF. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS FLOODED AT FIRST THEN IT TURNED OVER NORMALLY. I WAS AN HOUR FROM HOME AND MADE IT BACK WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT MORNING AND IT DID NOT SHOW ANY CODES. THEY SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE PURGE VALVE, AND AS I HAD A BUSY WEEK OF WORK RELATED TRAVEL SCHEDULED I WENT AHEAD AND HAD THEM DO IT FOR $120. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. RIGHT? TODAY I GET AN HOUR FROM HOME AND IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I CALL MY DEALER AND THEY SUGGEST I FIND THE CLOSEST FORD DEALER AND TAKE IT THERE IMMEDIATELY. CLOSEST FORD DEALER COULDN'T TAKE ME FOR 2 WEEKS!! I WAS AN HOUR FROM MY DESTINATION, SO I DECIDED TO CHANCE IT. I DROVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SAME EXACT SCENARIO. I STARTED IT AGAIN, GOT BACK ON THE ROAD AND DROVE 10 MINUTES AND AGAIN, EXCEPT THIS TIME THE ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE. I AM 2 1/2 HOURS FROM HOME AND DRIVING A RENTAL. GARAGE WILL DIAGNOSE AND HOPEFULLY FIX TOMORROW. SERVICE TECH SAID IF HE HAD TO DIAGNOSE WITHOUT A CODE HE WOULD SAY THROTTLE BODY! IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS NOT COVERED BY MY 5 YEAR/60K WARRANTY EITHER. WITH ALL OF THE SIMILAR STORIES I HAVE READ ONLINE FORD NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO DO A RECALL AND REIMBURSE US ALL FOR OUR EXPENSES. *TR

THE FIRST SIGN OF A PROBLEM WITH MY 2009 MERCURY MARINER (39,000 MILES) WAS THREE DAYS AGO WHEN IT STALLED AT A STOP LIGHT. TODAY WAS A BIT MORE DRAMATIC. AT 70 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE RPM SUDDENLY DROPPED DOWN TO 900 AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS NONE RESPONSIVE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO COAST ACROSS SEVERAL LANES ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AS I SLOWED TO A STOP THE VEHICLE BEGAN SURGING AND BUCKING. I NOTICED THE WRENCH LIGHT WAS ON. THEN I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. IT RESTARTED FINE A FEW MINUTES LATER AND RAN NORMALLY (NO WARNING LIGHTS) OVER TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. AFTER LISTENING TO MY STORY, THE FORD SERVICE MAN TOLD ME THAT HE WAS NEARLY CERTAIN THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED REPLACEMENT. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT HE WAS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE SINCE FOR YEARS HE'S BEEN DEALING WITH - ON AVERAGE - THREE OF THESE CASES PER WEEK. THAT'S ONE SERVICE MAN AT ONE DEALERSHIP. DO THE MATH! I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL OR IF FORD WOULD GIVE ME A BREAK ON THE REPAIR. HE SAID "NO", BUT AGREED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY SHOULD NOT FAIL AFTER ONLY 39,000 MILES. HE ALSO SAID IT WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME FILING A COMPLAINT TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. SO, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THEY FOUND NO ERROR CODES REGISTERED AND FOR THEIR TEST DRIVE IT RAN FINE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT. BY THE WAY, THERE WAS AN EARLIER RECALL FOR OUR VEHICLE. IN SEPTEMBER 2010, THEY REPROGRAMMED THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND REPLACED THE PLM, WHATEVER THAT MEANS. *TR

2009 MERCURY MARINER WITH ABOUT 90,000 MILES. WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING ABOUT 65-70 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE POWER TO CAR CUT OFF - WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE VEHICLE; DROVE TO RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. CAR WAS STILL ON, BUT GAS PEDAL WOULD NOT WORK, WRENCH LIGHT WAS ON, CAR IDLING VERY ROUGHLY. TURNED CAR OFF. TURNED CAR BACK ON, WRENCH LIGHT WAS OFF, DROVE ANOTHER 30 MINUTES TO DESTINATION WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN THE TWO HOUR DRIVE HOME, THE CAR CUT OFF FIVE MORE TIMES. I HEARD A BELL ALERT AUDIO SOUND A FEW TIMES, BUT THE ONLY LIGHT THAT CAME ON WAS THE WRENCH JUST AS THE POWER CUT OFF. THE VERY LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND STAYED ON EVEN AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR. I FEEL VERY THANKFUL TO HAVE GOT HOME ALIVE AND WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. DEALER RECOMMENDS A 90M SERVICE PACKAGE ($547), A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ($104), AND POSSIBLY A THROTTLE BODY AND/OR SENSOR ($300-ISH). *TR

I WAS ON A HIGH TRAFFIC FREEWAY COMING HOME FROM A MATERNITY APPOINTMENT (I WAS 7MONTHS PREGNANT AND IT WAS HOT) AND GOING 70MPH MIDDLE LANE. WHEN MY CAR JUST CUT OFF. I WAS STILL MOVING BUT MY DASH WAS OFF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I PULLED TO THE SIDE. I COULD GET IT STARTED BACK UP BUT IT WENT OFF AGAIN. I FINALLY GOT OFF ON A RAMP. I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED AND RENT A CAR. BETWEEN THE TOW RENTAL AND WORK ON MY CAR THE TOTAL WAS (EST 1400). THEN A YEAR LATER IT BEGAN EVERY NOW AND THEN STALLING OR SURGING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSEN. NOW IT HAS BEEN WHEN I STOP OR LET OFF THE GAS IT GOES DEAD. RECENTLY WENT TO AN AUTO SHOP AND THEY HOOKED IT TO THE COMPUTER. IT SAID IT WAS MY THROTTLE BODY. IT WAS CLEANED AND ALL WAS FINE FOR A WEEK. AND NOW IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. I FINALLY DID GOOGLE THROTTLE BODY AND MERCURY MARINER.I FOUND OTHER COMPLAINTS. *TR

RECENTLY PURCHASED 2009 MERCURY MARINER (FORD ESCAPE) HAS THREE TIMES SIMPLY QUIT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED AND THE THROTTLE IS GENTLY PRESSED. LATEST INCIDENT WAS WHILE TRAVELING UPHILL WITH TWO GRANDCHILDREN AND A 18 WHEEL TRUCK ON THE BACK BUMPER. LUCKILY MY WIFE HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, RE-START THE ENGINE, AND ACCELERATE AWAY FROM THE TRUCK. NO ERROR CODES HAVE BEEN SET DURING THESE THREE EVENTS. *TR

DRIVING ALONG AND UNEXPECTEDLY ENGINE GOES IN LIMP MODE WITH NO WARNING AND NO ACCELERATION- EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *TR