2008 MERCURY MARINER Complaints

3 MONTHS AGO I TOOK MY 2008 MERCURY MARINER INTO FORD FOR THE POWER STEERING RECALL. THEY WERE TO DO ONE OF THREE THINGS: UPDATE THE SOFTWARE FOR THE POWER STEERING, REPLACE THE TORQUE SENSOR OR REPLACE THE POWER STEERING COLUMN. THEY ONLY UPDATES THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM SOFTWARE. DAY 1 AFTER IT BEING FIXED, I WAS EXPERIENCE AN EXTREMELY SHAKY STEERING WHEEL AND A "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" INDICATOR THAT WOULD RANDOMLY SHOW UP NOW AND THEN. FORD SAID THEY COULD LOOK AT IT BUT THAT IT WOULD NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL. FEBRUARY 4, 9:00AM, MY POWER STEERING GOES OUT PULLING INTO WORK. I TOOK MY CAR INTO FORD TODAY AND THEY EXCLAIMED THAT MY POWER STEERING MOTOR AND COLUMN NEED REPLACED BUT AGAIN THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL. I EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS WITH MY POWER STEERING PRIOR TO THE SOFTWARE UPDATE. AFTER READING SEVERAL (A COUPLE HUNDRED) REVIEWS BY OTHER CUSTOMERS, THEY EXPERIENCED THE SAME EXACT INCIDENTS A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE UPDATE, BUT FORD SAID THEY HAD TO PAY THE FULL $1,200 TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN. IT IS SICKENING TO KNOW THAT THIS "UPDATE" IS ACTUALLY CAUSING POWER STEERING TO MALFUNCTION AND PUTTING PEOPLE'S LIVES IN DANGER. ON TOP OF IT, FORD SAYS ONCE THE UPDATE IS RAN, THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO UNDER THE RECALL, WHEN THEY KNOW FULL WELL KNOW WHAT THE UPDATE IS DOING AND PUTTING MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS. SOMEONE PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. LIVES CAN BE LOST DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION THAT SHOULD NOT BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND HEARD AN ABNORMAL GRINDING SOUND FROM THE BRAKES. ALSO, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURES RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ABS UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (TIRES). WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (TIRES) DUE TO A RECENT REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,363.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,719.

THE ABS TONE RINGS ON THE 2008 MODEL MERCURY MARINER AND FORD ESCAPE ARE DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN - THEY ARE THIN METAL, BUT PUT UNDER STRESS BY BEING FORCED ONTO THE HALF-SHAFT (DIFFERENT METAL, DIFFERENT EXPANSION RATE), AND THEREFORE PRONE TO CRACKING/BREAKING. WHEN CRACKED/BROKEN, THEY CAUSE THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM AND REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO FAULT OUT, SOMETIMES INTERMITTENTLY AND WITH NO WARNING. THE PART ITSELF IS CHEAP (~$10 EACH), AND APPARENTLY SHOULD BE, BUT THE DEALER WILL NOT SELL THEM SEPARATELY, AND INSTEAD REQUIRES THE OWNER TO REPLACE THE HALF-SHAFT, WITH ESTIMATES FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS OF BETWEEN $400 AND $1000 TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT HALF-SHAFTS. SIMPLY MAKING THE PART THICKER, OR OF THE SAME METAL AS THE HALF-SHAFT, WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM - INSTEAD, FORD FORCES OWNERS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN AN UNSAFE VEHICLE AND ROBBERY, WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PROBLEM WOULDN'T RECUR WITHIN A MONTH OF DRIVING (THE CRACKING SEEMS TO BE MORE RELATED TO TEMPERATURE THAN MILEAGE). THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO REPLACE THESE AT THEIR OWN COST - I BET THEY'D THEN "DISCOVER" A WAY TO PREVENT RECURRENCE IF THEY WERE PAYING OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET FOR ANY THAT FAILED BEFORE 100,000 MILES. A CURSORY SEARCH ON THE INTERNET WILL TURN UP THOUSANDS OF RESULTS FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 MERCURY MARINER, MY STEERING WENT OUT ON A CURVE ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY WHICH CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD. I COULD NOT MOVE MY STEERING WHEEL WHICH CAUSED ME TO ALMOST DRIVE INTO THE CAR BESIDE ME. I PULLED OVER TO GET GAS & WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE STEERING WAS FINE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $545 FOR JUST THE SENSOR BUT THAT THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED REPLACING SO IT WOULD BE A LOT MORE THAN THAT TO FIX. I WAS UNABLE TO AFFORD A REPAIR, I SIMPLY STAYED ON MY GUARD & WOULD JUST PULL OVER & RE-START THE CAR SO THAT I COULD DRIVE AGAIN SAFELY. THEN I GOT NOTICE OF A RECALL SO I TOOK IT IN & TOLD THEM THAT I HAD ISSUES WITH THE STEERING & WAS VERY GLAD THAT THERE WAS FINALLY A RECALL. THEN 2 MOS LATER, THE STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN & THIS TIME IT IS WORSE THAN BEFORE. I CAN NO LONGER TURN THE CAR OFF & RE-START IT TO GET STEERING, IT IS SIMPLY GONE OUT COMPLETELY & IT HARDER TO TURN THAN EVER. THE STEERING WHEEL ACTUALLY TRIES TO TURN THE OPPOSITE WAY THAT THE DIRECTION THAT I AM TURNING. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP & THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS HAPPENED TO ANOTHER PERSON & FORD WOULD NOT COVER IT AND TOLD ME THAT ALL THEY DID WAS RE-PROGRAM THE CAR. AFTER RESEARCHING THE RECALL, I FOUND THAT IF THE CAR SHOWS HISTORY OF A LOSS OF THE TORQUE SENSOR, THAT THE TORQUE SENSOR WAS TO BE REPLACED. I THEN CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE & THE LADY THERE WAS VERY COLD & SIMPLY STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO SINCE IT WAS ALREADY FIXED ONCE. I TOLD HER THAT IT WAS NOT REPAIRED CORRECTLY BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH IT, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. SHE TOLD ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH THE DEALER THAT I TOOK IT TO. I NOW HAVE NECK PROBLEMS DUE TO DRIVING MY UNSAFE CAR THAT I HAVE NO MONEY TO REPAIR & AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON. THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE & I STILL NEED TO GET TO WORK & GET MY SON TO SCHOOL SO I AM LEFT WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO DRIVE IT. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR THE POWER STEERING RECALL THEY SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT I HAVE NO PROOF OF THAT. SINCE I HAVE GOTTEN MY VEHICLE BACK THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP I TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT I NEED A NEW STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE THE TORQUE SENSOR IS BAD WHICH IS PART OF THE RECALL AND THAT FORD WILL NOT COVER THIS UNDER THE RECALL BECAUSE THEY ALREADY FIX IT WHICH AGAIN I HAVE MY CONCERNS THAT THEY DID NOT REALLY FIX IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. *TR

ON AUGUST 8TH 2014. AT THE TIME OF THE REPAIR AT SUNNYVALE FORD, I TOLD THE ADVISOR ([XXX] ) THAT I HAD AN INCIDENT WHERE THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND REVERTED TO MANUAL MODE. SUNNYVALE FORD THEN ONLY CONDUCTED A RE-PROGRAMMING OF THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING. ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21ST 2015 WHILE DRIVING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL THE POWER STEERING WENT INTO MANUAL MODE AGAIN AND FAILED TO WORK (STEERING WHEEL WAS STIFF). SUNNYVALE FORD THEN DIRECTED ME TO THE ADVISOR ([XXX] ) AND THEY ASKED FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE TAKEN IN TO THEIR SHOP FOR A DIAGNOSIS (WITH A FEE OF $150). I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO TALK TO SOMEONE AND GET THEIR HELP ON THE ISSUE, I TALKED TO A REPRESENTATIVE THAT TOLD ME THERE WAS A 12,000 MILE/ 12 MONTH WARRANTY ON THE RECALL REPAIR. I THEN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO SUNNYVALE FORD ON FRIDAY MORNING (1/24/15) I WAS ADVISED THAT THEY NEEDED AUTHORIZATION FROM FORD (MANUFACTURER) TO RE OPEN THE RECALL AND REPLACE THE POWER STEERING TORQUE UNDER THE RECALL, BUT WOULD NOT HAVE INFORMATION UNTIL MONDAY JANUARY 26TH. ON MONDAY, JANUARY 26TH I CALLED, I WAS THEN TOLD THAT [XXX] WAS OUT FOR THE DAY AND NO ONE ELSE COULD HELP ME. I CALLED FORD DIRECTLY TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE IN GETTING THIS EXPEDITED, THEY ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY (CONTRADICTING WHAT THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME ON 1/23/14). I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A 24 HOUR CALL BACK TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR. ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 27TH [XXX] CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THE REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND NOW THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE COLUMN (COSTING ABOUT $1,300). LATER ON TUESDAY I RECEIVED A CALL FROM FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPERVISOR [XXX] TO TELL ME THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO BE COVERED. I ASKED TO TALK TO HIS MANAGER AND HE SAID HE IS THE HIGHEST RANKED SO THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE I COULD TALK TO. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED IN ORDER TO RESET THE COMPUTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE DEALER UPDATED THE PSCM BUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MODULE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

MY TEENAGE SON WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE HIS 2008 MERCURY MARINER WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE WITHOUT WARNING. IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH BUT HE MANAGE TO GET TO HIS GRANDPARENTS AND PULLED OVER. HIS DASHBOARD INDICATED IT WAS "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAIL." THE POWER STEERING FAILURE WAS THE #1 TRENDING COMPLAINT ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM IN APRIL, 2014 AND IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP, I RESEARCH IT AND FOUND THAT FORD ISSUED SAFETY RECALLS FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.1 MILLION CARS IN NORTH AMERICA. THE FIRST RECALL AFFECTED ESCAPE AND MERCURY FROM 2008-2011. HOWEVER, I DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE AND WHEN THE DEALERSHIP WAS CALLED WE WERE INFORMED THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED. SAFETY RECALLS SHOULD NOT EXPIRED, ESPECIALLY FOR KNOWN ISSUES LIKE THIS. *TR