2004 MERCURY MONTEREY Complaints

WHILE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH NO WARNING VAN WILL NOT ACCELERATE, [ENGINE REVS UP BUT NOT MOVE] WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP ALONG A BUSY FREEWAY ,HAD TO HAVE VAN TOWED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY JERK AND STALL WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ABOVE 30 MPH. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE WOULD OPERATE AS NORMAL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT UPON EXAMINING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT WATER WAS PENETRATING THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND CORRODING VARIOUS COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

IT IS A WELL CARED FOR 2004 THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED TO HAVE A LITTLE SHAKE WHEN ACCELERATING. ONCE I GOT UP PAST 50-55ISH IT ALMOST WENT AWAY. I ASSUMED I HAD A WHEEL OUT OF BALANCE SO WHEN I HAD IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE A FEW DAYS LATER, I HAD THEM DO A ROTATION AND BALANCE. THAT REALLY DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING AND IT GOT WORSE. IF I WAS ACCELERATING UP HILL(WHICH I HAVE TO DO A LOT SINCE I LIVE AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL) THEN IT WAS LIKE I WAS DRIVING OVER HUNDREDS OF BROOMSTICKS THAT SOMEONE HAD LAY ACROSS THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP (NOT MY USUAL ONE, BUT IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO HOME) TO SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT. THEY LOOKED AND SAID CV SHAFT. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO MY REGULAR SHOP TWO DAYS LATER, THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID 'FOUND TRANSAXLE OUTPUT SHAFT BEARING ON RIGHT SIDE AXLE VERY LOOSE CAUSING EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT WITH RIGHT AXLE.' HE SAID THE RIGHT AXLE WAS BASICALLY LOOSE WHERE IT ATTACHED TO THE TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO RESEARCH IF IT WAS ACTUALLY A BUSHING OR A BEARING IN ORDER TO TELL ME THE REPAIR COST. MONDAY MORNING I GET A CALL SAYING BASICALLY I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW THE VIBRATION ISN'T AS BAD, BUT IS STILL THERE. IT ALSO FEELS LIKE IT IS WANTING TO TAKE OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED. NOT CHUGGING OUT, BUT LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN IT GETS A LITTLE SURGE OF POWER THEN STOPS. ALMOST AS IF SOMEONE ELSE IS TAPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL, THEN LETTING OFF. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER I AM USING THE CRUISE CONTROL OR NOT. *TR

OUR FAMILY OF FIVE WAS TRAVELING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A THREE-LANE HIGHWAY WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 60 MPH. WE ENCOUNTERED A HILL AND -'' WITHOUT WARNING -'' THE VEHICLE TACHOMETER VIOLENTLY INCREASED RPM AND WE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. FORTUNATELY THE TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND DESPITE THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION, THERE WAS A SHOULDER TO SAFELY PULL ONTO. WHILE WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AND THAT EVERYBODY ESCAPED ANY HARM (ESPECIALLY OUR THREE KIDS IN CAR SEATS), I WOULD HATE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED DURING "''RUSH HOUR"' WITH A TRACTOR TRAILER BEHIND ME. *TT

FIRST OCCURRENCE AT 43K MILES. TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH ON MAIN ROAD WHEN ENGINE SPEED INCREASED AND VEHICLE DRIFTED POWERLESS TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. EXAMINATION BY FORD ADVISED BAD TRANS, FIRST TIME THEY'D SEEN THE PROBLEM. NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. ESTIMATED REPAIR - $3500. TOOK VEHICLE TO AAMCO - INITIAL ESTIMATE $2000 BUT ONCE OPENED UP ADVISED THAT FULL REBUILD WAS REQUIRED DUE TO EXTENSIVE METAL FRAGMENT PENETRATION THROUGHOUT SYSTEM. COST - $3500. ON 6/2/11 WAS TRAVELING AT 35MPH ON LOCAL ROAD. ON ACCELERATING AFTER A RIGHT TURN, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHUDDERED AND THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASED. VEHICLE DRIFTED POWERLESS TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AGAIN - ROUGHLY 40K MILES ON REBUILT TRANSMISSION (83K TOTAL VEHICLE MILES). IN CHECKING TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL, THERE APPEARED TO BE WATER IN THE SYSTEM. TOWED TO FORD DEALER, ADVISED THAT THIS WAS NOT A NORMAL OCCURRENCE AND THEY DIDN'T SEE IF OFTEN. ADVISED THAT, BASED ON AGE AND MILEAGE OF VEHICLE, TRANSMISSION SHOULD JUST BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST - $3500. VEHICLE IS NOW ON SECOND TRANSMISSION AT LESS THAN 85K MILES. *TR

2004 MERCURY MONTEREY VAN. TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT APPEARED BLINKING AND COULD SMELL BURNING TRANSMISSION FLUID WHILE DRIVING UP A CANYON ROAD. STOPPED CAR OFF ROAD AND SHUT DOWN. WAITED 25 MINUTES TO ALLOW TRANSMISSION TO COOL. NOTICED SOME SPILL OF FLUID ON ROAD. HEADED BACK DOWN CANYON ROAD BUT ONLY TRAVELED 5 MILES DOWN WHEN WARNING LIGHT CAME BACK ON. AFTER TRAVELING LESS THAN 1/2 MILE, VAN CAME TO UPHILL CLIMB AND SLOWED DOWN TO A COMPLETE STALL. NO ROOM OR SAFE PLACE TO PULL CAR OVER SO COASTED CAR BACKWARD HOPING NO OTHER CAR WOULD BE APPROACHING. REACHED LOWEST PART OF ROAD AND PULLED BACKWARD INTO PRIVATE DRIVE. CAR NEVER WOULD ENGAGE AGAIN AFTER WAITING OVER 40 MINUTES. HAD OWNER OF PROPERTY TOW THE VAN HOME WHICH TOOK OVER ONE HOUR DOWN THROUGH DANGEROUS CANYON ROAD. AS IT HAPPENED OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND, NO PLACE TO DROP VAN OFF FOR SERVICES. CAR ENGINE OPERATING BUT TRANSMISSION NOT ENGAGING IN ANY DRIVE GEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVED, EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A TRANSMISSION. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER INVOICE, THERE WERE METAL SHAVING IN THE PAN, AND THE OIL PUMP/TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED. UPDATED 11/04/11

WITHOUT WARNING (LIGHTS, NOISES, MESSAGES) OUR 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY, WITH ONLY 67K MILES, WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. WHEN WE THEN TRIED TO PUT IT INTO DRIVE, IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD. WHEN SWITCHED BACK TO REVERSE, IT THEN WENT FORWARD! LUCKILY OUR SERVICE GARAGE IS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. ...SO IT ONLY TOOK US A COUPLE OF HOURS TO GET IT THERE. MECHANIC FOUND MAGNET IN TRAY COVERED WITH NOT ONLY METAL SHAVINGS, BUT ALSO LARGER CHUNKS OF METAL. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED IN OUR ALLEY, SO THERE WERE NO TRAFFIC ISSUES TO DEAL WITH AND NO ONE GOT HURT. *TT

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 101,000 MILES ON 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY MINI-VAN. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING OR OCCURRENCES - ALL FLUIDS AND FILTERS HAVE BEEN CHANGED EVERY 30,000 MILES SINCE VAN WAS PURCHASED AT 40,000 MILES ON ODOMETER. THIS SUBSEQUENT FAILURE INCLUDED THE VEHICLES IMMOBILITY/LOSS OF POWER TO TRANSMISSION EVEN WHEN IN GEAR. THIS FAILURE REQUIRES THAT THE TRANSMISSION BE COMPLETELY REBUILT AT A EXPENSE OF $2500 - ASSUMED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE IS DUE TO EXCESSIVE METAL IN FLUID FROM FAILURE OF TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALTHOUGH HE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,890 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,150.