2005 MERCURY MONTEGO Complaints

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO PREMIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES MADE EXCESSIVE NOISE, BRAKES WERE DRAGGING, AND THERE WA S BRAKE DUST. THE NOISE USUALLY OCCURRED WHEN TRAVELING IN REVERSE. THE NOISE SOUNDED LIKE THE CALIPERS WERE NOT RELEASING. THE REAR BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY,AS A RESULT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE DOING ALL THE WORK. THE CONTACT FELT THAT IT TOOK EXCESSIVE FORCE TO APPLY THE BRAKES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 21000 MILES. *AK

EXCESSIVE REAR BRAKE WEAR. OUR 2005 MONTEGO, PURCHASED NEW IN JAN. 2006 EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE REAR BRAKE WEAR WITH LESS THAN 24K MILES OF NORMAL DRIVING. THIS REQUIRED NEW PADS AND ROTORS BE REPLACED. WE GENERALLY GET 50K TO 60K MILES OF WEAR ON THE BRAKES OF THE OTHER FORD PRODUCTS WE HAVE OWNED OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. FORD OFFERED NO EXPLANATION OTHER THAN BRAKE WEAR IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AFTER 12K MILES. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT BILL UTTER FORD IN DENTON, TX SAID HE HAS SEEN THE SAME EXCESSIVE WEAR PATTERN IN AS LITTLE AS 20K MILES ON SIMILAR MODELS. FORD REFUSED TO ASSUME ANY OF THE COST FOR REPLACEMENT. CLEARLY THIS IS BOTH A DESIGN FAILURE AND A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IF FORD CHOOSES TO CONTINUE TO IGNORE THIS SAFETY ISSUE I WILL NOT BE BUYING ANYMORE OF THEIR PRODUCTS. *NM

REAR BAKES WEARING OUT EXTREMELY FAST. REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT 17K MILES AND AT 12K MILES. BRAKES WEARING OUT AT RATES FASTER THAN CUSTOMARY MAY LEAD TO UNREASONABLE EXPECTATION OF TIMELY REPAIR IN TIME, AND BRAKE FAILURE IN SERVICE. DEALER SERVICE IS OFFERING TO INSTALL CERAMIC BRAKE PADS. *JB

THE NECESSITY TO REPLACE REAR BRAKES ON A 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO WITH ONLY 19,749 MILES. *JB

I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH MY NEWBORN DAUGHTER WHEN I HEARD THIS AWFUL RUMBLING FROM MY LEFT REAR TIRE. UPON GAINING CONTROL OF THE CAR AND GETTING IT SAFELY OFF THE DESERTED COUNTRY ROAD INTO A FIELD, I SAW THAT THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY DEFLATED AND BARELY HANGING ON THE RIM. AFTER TAKING THE TIRE TO BE REPAIRED, I WAS TOLD THE TIRE WAS UN-REPAIRABLE, AND THE TIRE HAD A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT ACCORDING TO MY TIRE MAN. THE TIRE HAD BUBBLED IN SEVERAL PLACES ALONG THE INNER RIM. THE FLAT HAD COME FROM A SMALL NAIR HOLE THE REPAIRMAN SAID WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED IT TO DEFLATE THAT FAST WITHOUT A DEFECT BEING PRESENT. I CONTACTED MY FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD MY TIRE WAS UNDERINFLATED. HOW THEY KNOW THIS FROM A COMPLETELY FLAT TIRE IS BEYOND ME. I WAS NOT OFFERED ANY TYPE OF ASSISTANCE IN REPLACING MY TIRES ON MY MERCURY MONTEGO THAT WAS BARELY 14 MONTHS OLD WITH AROUND 23K MILES ON IT. THESE DEFECTS ARE SERIOUS, AND I WISH YOU WOULD TAKE THEM AS SUCH BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *JB

REAR BRAKES ARE EXCESSIVELY WORN. THE FIRST INCIDENT OF GRINDING NOISE HAPPENED AT 100 MILES. AT 196 MILES THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS AND PADS. SQUEAKING, GRINDING NOISES AND EXCESSIVE REAR BRAKE DUST CONTINUED. CURRENTLY AT 18,846 MILES THE GRINDING IS EXTREMELY LOUD. THE DEALER CLAIMS I NEED NEW BRAKE PADS AND ONE RIGHT REAR ROTOR. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS INCIDENT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. THIS IS ABNORMAL BRAKE WEAR AND THE OWNERS OF FORD FIVE HUNDRED AND MERCURY MONTEGO SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. POTENTIAL BUYERS BEWARE! FORD AND THE DEALER WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS AS THEY CLAIM THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS COVERED FOR 12 MONTHS. THIS IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE!!!! *JB

REAR BRAKES DUST BADLY AND HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR. DOCUMENTED THIS COMPLAINT ON FIRST TRIP TO DEALER AFTER BUYING CAR. SINCE THEN I HAVE MADE COMPLAINTS TO ANOTHER MERCURY DEALER. TODAY THEY TELL ME FORD HAS RE-ENGINEERED THE REAR BRAKE PADS TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT BECAUSE THE CAR IS MORE THAN A YEAR OLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE NEW BRAKE PADS. *NM UPDATED 07/30/08

DT: THE CONTACT STATED DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW SWITCH WAS REPLACED TWICE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ONLY PROJECT OUT ABOUT 2 OR 3 CAR LENGTHS. DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING ABOVE 40 MPH ON DARK UN-LIT ROADS. HAVE HAD DEALER CHECK THE AIM AND WAS TOLD IT WAS RIGHT ON SPEC AND IF IT WASN'T IT WAS AT MAX ADJUSTMENT FOR HEIGHT. HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THEM MYSELF PER OWNERS MANUAL AND APPARENTLY DEALER IS CORRECT BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO ELEVATE THEM AS WELL. VERY DANGEROUS, CANNOT SEE FAR ENOUGH AHEAD TO BRAKE UNLESS GOING VERY SLOWLY. HIGH BEAMS ARE FINE, NO PROBLEM. *JB

PURCHASED VEHICLE IN JAN.05 SEAT BELT REPLACED IN JAN TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN FEB. 05 AND A VALVE REPLACED DUE TO CHECK ENGINE WARNING FUEL PUMP REPLACED IN AUG.05, NOW HAVE TROUBLE STARTING CAR