2008 MERCURY MARINER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 14V284000 (STEERING) WAS RECEIVED IN MAY 2014. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN AUGUST 2014 AND THE POWER STEERING SOFTWARE UPDATE REMEDY WAS PERFORMED. ON JANUARY 16, 2014 WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND ERRONEOUSLY TURN BEFORE EVENTUALLY MALFUNCTIONING COMPLETELY MAKING THE STEERING WHEEL VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO THE PREVIOUS SOFTWARE UPDATES THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY TO REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

WHEN TAKING THIS VEHICLE IN FOR RECALL SERVICE FORD # 14S05 (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000), THE REPROGRAMMING OF THE ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST STEERING WAS DONE, BUT WAS TOLD THE STEERING SHAFT AND LOWER U-JOINT WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RECALL INDICATES FAILED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED, BUT UPON INQUIRY AT THE DEALER (BRONDES, TOLEDO, OHIO) I WAS TOLD IT ONLY APPLIED TO ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS--NOT MECHANICAL ONES. THE WEAR ON THESE COMPONENTS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE TORQUE SENSING DEVICE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE ME TO BE FORD NOT WANTING TO MEET ITS FINANCIAL OBLIGATION TO FIX THIS ENTIRE RECALL. THIS WAS A NEW DESIGN INTRODUCED IN THIS MODEL YEAR AND IT IS ONLY NOW STARTING TO FAIL. I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR AND WAS DENIED; AND I CALLED THE FORD HOTLINE AND WAS SIMILARLY DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR, BUT ADVISED TO RETAIN MY RECEIPTS IN CASE THERE WAS FURTHER ACTION ON THIS RECALL. THE INTERNET HAS SEVERAL REFERENCES TO THIS TYPE OF FAILURE/REPAIR. I THINK THEY ARE DIRECTLY LINKED. *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE NATIONWIDE RECALL BY FORD THIS SUMMER. AS INSTRUCTED, I WENT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND MY CAR WAS "GIVEN THE FIX". NOT 1 LATER MY POWER STEERING IN MY CAR HAS COMPLETELY GONE OUT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE MY CAR. I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN DIAGNOSED AND "FIXED" UNDER THE RECALL, SO THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER THEY COULD DO. MY CAR IS ACTUALLY DOING THE THING THAT THE RECALL WARNED ABOUT AND THEY SENT ME AWAY. IT HAS BEEN 4 MONTHS, I FEEL LIKE I TAKE MY LIFE INTO MY HANDS WHEN I DRIVE MY CAR AND FORD TAKES NO RESPONSIBLY. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CONTACT TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,810. DJR

STARTED VEHICLE. DASH MESSAGE READ "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE." NO POWER STEERING. AFTER DOING ONLINE RESEARCH (IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO FIND SIMILAR TO IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS), I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A STEERING RELATED RECALL PERTAINING TO THE VEHICLE (7/2014). TOOK VEHICLE TO LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT THE RECALL WORK HAD BEEN DONE THE LAST TIME WE HAD OUR OIL CHANGED OVER THE SUMMER, AND THAT THE RECALL HAD BEEN "CLOSED OUT".... WE WEREN'T INFORMED OF EITHER THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE, OR THAT THEY HAD "TAKEN CARE" OF IT. THE RECALL WORK WAS APPARENTLY TO "REPROGRAM" SOME "MODULE" TO SIMPLY MAKE THE DRIVER AWARE THAT SOMETHING HAS GONE AWRY WITH THE POWER STEERING (NO KIDDING). THE ULTIMATE DIAGNOSIS: THE VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW STEERING COLUMN AT A COST OF NEARLY $1,300.00 AS THE "TORQUE SENSOR" HAS FAILED. IT IS APPARENT TO ME AND MANY OTHERS THAT THE RECALL HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH REPAIR OF THE FAILED COMPONENT, WHICH IS NOT SUCH AN "UNLIKELY EVENT"....ALSO, THE FAILURE OF THE COMPONENT IS NOT A MATTER OF IMPROPER MAINTENANCE AS COULD BE THE CASE WITH TYPICAL POWER STEERING SYSTEMS...IT JUST FAILS. THE FAILURE OF THE COMPONENT(S) IS HOWEVER A PRETTY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE I WOULD THINK. I WILL MAKE THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AWARE OF THIS, AND CONTINUE TO FIND OUT WHY THESE REPAIRS SHOULD NOT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER. BY THE WAY, MILEAGE WAS 87,810 WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN RESET THE STEERING CODE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED A POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD EXCESSIVELY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT ENGAGED HER BRAKES AND WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO FIND A FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

IN COLD WEATHER MY GAS PEDAL STICKS. EVEN AFTER I HAVE STARTED MY CAR AND LET RUN FOR 10-15 MINUTES. WHEN I GET IN, REVERSE TO FORWARD POSITION AND TRY TO ACCELERATE- THE GAS PEDAL STICKS. I HAVE TO SLAM ON IT FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES BEFORE IT ACTUALLY WORKS. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AS WELL, NOT JUST THE INITIAL START. IT DEFINITELY HAPPENS MORE IN COLD WEATHER. WHAT CAN I DO? AFTER RESEARCH THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2008 MERCURY MARINERS. I BELIEVE IT'S DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING), THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000. DJR UPDATED 02/24/15*LJ UPDATED 9/13/2017*CN