2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COOLANT PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V526000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STOP SAFETY NOW WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED, THE WARNING LIGHTS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V526000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

RETURNING FROM FLORIDA TO GEORGIA AND PASSED A VEHICLE AT ABOUT 70MPH AND RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR BUT VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING. I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN AND VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED ACCELERATING. ADDITIONALLY, "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE INTERMITTENTLY OCCURS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND AROUND TOWN IN TRAFFIC AND SLOWS THE VEHICLE TO PERHAPS 10-15MPH AND TELLS ME TO PULL OVER. THIS HAS HAPPENED RANDOMLY AT UNSPECIFIC TIMES AND IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHICH COULD BE DANGEROUS. I HAVE CONCERNS THAT THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FROM FORD SINCE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE ISSUE FROM FORUMS ONLINE AND IT COULD RESULT IN WRECKS AND MAYBE EVEN FATALITIES.

2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID WAS GOING 20MPH ON ELECTRIC MOTOR IN TRAFFIC WHEN TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STOP SAFELY NOW SIGN DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE GAS ENGINE DID NOT COME ON AND I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE. I PLACE THE CAR IN PARK AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND THE WARNING LIGHT DISAPPEARED. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC ON IT. THEY INDICATED IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY ON THE CAR THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEAN OR REPLACED, AND THE PCM NEEDS TO BE REPROGRAMMED. I REPLACED IT. THIS IS AFTER I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE TWO RECALLS FOR THIS VEHICLE - ELECTRIC STEERING CONTROL AND ELECTRIC COOLANT PUMP FOR THE HYBRID BATTERY. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL FIXED THE STALLING ISSUE SINCE OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS INDICATED THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS, ONLY TIME WILL TELL. IF THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL SINCE LOSING PROPULSION IN TRAFFIC IS NOT SAFE. *TR

EXPERIENCED THE SECOND OF TWO IN-TRAFFIC DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS AS DANGEROUS AS THE G.M. IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS (SEE ODI#: 10683675) OUR INITIAL STOPPING PLACE - IN A "REVERSE GORE-POINT" BETWEEN THE N/B FREEWAY LANES OF THE I-405 FREEWAY IN SANTA ANA, CA AND AN OUTSIDE TRANSITION ROAD WAS UNSAFE IN THE FULL-DARKNESS OF A NON-ILLUMINATED HIGH-SPEED INTERSECTION; WITH TRAFFIC ZOOMING BY ON BOTH SIDES, WITH THE FLASHERS STILL ACTIVE, I RES-STARTED THE ENGINE -- ALL DASH WARNINGS CYCLED ON THEN OFF NORMALLY; ON A DISTINCT UP-GRADE, I REVV'D THE ENGINE AGAINST THE SERVICE BRAKES, AND WATCHED FOR A SUITABLE GAP IN TRAFFIC OVER-TAKING US ON OUR RIGHT SIDE. SEEING SUCH A GAP, I RELEASED THE SERVICE BRAKES AND ACCELERATED TO 30 MPH TOWARDS THE OUTER SHOULDER...BUT ONLY MADE IT PART-WAY ACROSS THE 2 LANES WHEN THE SECOND SHUT-DOWN OCCURRED...THE SAME "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT...THE SAME SQUEALING ENUNCIATOR TONE... THE SAME WORTHLESS "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE AND AGAIN, THANKS TO COURTEOUS AND ALERT OVER-TAKING DRIVERS, I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A RELATIVELY BROAD SHOULDER SECTION BESIDE A `DISAPPEARING' RIGHT TRAVEL LANE. IT WAS NOW 7:55PM. WE WERE ON OUR CELL PHONE TO THE AAA WHEN A HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER STOPPED BEHIND US TO CHECK OUR SITUATION, AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION UNTIL A TOW-TRUCK COULD ARRIVE ON-SCENE. THIS IS THE SECOND OF OUR FAMILY'S FOMOCO HYBRIDS TO EXPERIENCE SUCH IN-USE DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS THAT PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH NO USABLE WARNINGS OF IMPENDING DOOM - NOT EVEN "LIMP-AWAY POWER" ... THE "AFTER-IT'S-TOO-LATE" MESSAGE-PANEL MIGHT AS WELL DISPLAY "KISS YOUR A$$ GOODBYE". THE IDIOT FOMOCO ENGINEERS WHO DECIDED TO "PROTECT" THE HYBRID BATTERY BY "STALLING" THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY OBVIOUSLY NEVER CONSIDERED WHAT A FREEWAY-SPEED REAR-END IMPACT WOULD DO TO THEIR PRECIOUS BATTERY...OR TO THE "REPLACEABLE" LIVING OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

EXPERIENCED TWO IN-TRAFFIC DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS AS DANGEROUS AS THE G.M. IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS... TRAVELING IN 60MPH-70MPH NIGHT-TIME VALENTINE'S NIGHT FREEWAY TRAFFIC ON THE I-405 IN SANTA ANA, CA. IN THE #3 LANE OF 5 LANES, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY FLASHED ON - ACCOMPANIED BY THE `SCREECH' OF THE `CHECK GAUGES' TONE - AND THE DRIVE-TRAIN LOST ALL POWER -- ALONG WITH THE ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS TEXT "STOP SAFELY NOW". WITH NO POWER STEERING, AND LIMITED BRAKE BOOSTER RESERVES, I ACTIVATED THE HAZARD FLASHERS - AND THANKS TO ALERT AND COURTEOUS TRAFFIC, WAS ABLE TO STOP IN A "REVERSE GORE-POINT" BETWEEN THE FREEWAY LANES AND AN OUTSIDE TRANSITION ROAD. THINGS COULD HAVE COME OUT FAR-WORSE IF OVERTAKING DRIVERS HAD BEEN INATTENTIVE - OR WE HAD TO CROSS THE PATH OF A BIG-RIG WITH LIMITED BRAKING- OR STEERING CAPABILITIES. AS AN ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTIONIST, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS IS THE SECOND OF OUR FAMILY'S FOMOCO HYBRIDS TO EXPERIENCE SUCH IN-USE DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS THAT PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH NO USABLE WARNINGS OF IMPENDING DOOM - NOT EVEN "LIMP-AWAY POWER" ... THE "AFTER-IT'S-TOO-LATE" MESSAGE-PANEL MIGHT AS WELL DISPLAY "KISS YOUR A$$ GOODBYE". THE IDIOT FOMOCO ENGINEERS WHO DECIDED TO "PROTECT" THE HYBRID BATTERY BY "STALLING" THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY OBVIOUSLY NEVER CONSIDERED WHAT A FREEWAY-SPEED REAR-END IMPACT WOULD DO TO THEIR PRECIOUS BATTERY...OR TO THE "REPLACEABLE" LIVING OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

WHEN DECELERATING DOWN HILL THE BRAKES BECAME SEEMED TO HAVE NO POWER TO STOP THE CAR AND REQUIRED EXTREME FORCE TO STOP THE CAR. AFTERWARDS THE ELECTRONIC MOTOR DISENGAGED FROM THE ENGINE AND THE AUTOMOBILE RUNS ON COMBUSTION ENGINE ONLY WITHOUT THE HYBRID ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST. *JS

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.

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

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