2004 MERCURY MONTEREY Complaints

DROVE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES AND PARKED IT. GOT BACK IN TO MOVE IT, STARTED VEHICLE, HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN... NO ELECTRICAL, WOULD NOT RESTART. TOW TRUCK CALLED, JUMPED BATTERY, WHEN IT STARTED UP IT WAS PUT IT IN DRIVE AND TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND HEARD A HISSING SOUND AND SAW FLUID SQUIRTING OUT. EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. SHOP SAID STEERING RACK HAD GONE OUT, REPLACED STEERING RACK. *TR

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING, EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF TRANSMISSION. COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NO GEARS, ENGINE REVS, SPINDLES TURN FREELY. THERE WAS NO NOISE ASSOCIATED WITH FAILURE, TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS NOT BURNED NOR DIRTY, NO LOSS OF FLUIDS. 46,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH IT, LOOKING FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS REPORTED. *TR

OUR TRANSMISSION/TORQUE CONVERTER WENT OUT ON OUR 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. IT LEFT MY 4 YEAR OLD AND MY HUSBAND STRANDED ON 95 (HIGHWAY) FOR HOURS. IT JUST STOPPED MOVING. *TR

WAS DRIVING 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY PREMIER MINIVAN WHEN SUDDENLY WHILE IN DRIVE GEAR LOST ALL DRIVE POWER TO THE WHEELS. LUCKILY THERE WAS AN OUT TO PULL SAFELY OFF THE ROAD, INTO A DRIVEWAY. IF THIS WOULD'VE OCCURRED 1/4 MILE FURTHER IN THE ROADWAY THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AN "OUT" AS THIS IS A VERY CURVY MOUNTAINOUS ROAD WHERE FEW PLACES TO SAFELY EXIT THE HIGHWAY. POTENTIALLY THERE COULD'VE BEEN TERRIBLE INJURIES OR WORSE W/4 PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE INCLUDING MY PRECIOUS 2YR OLD DAUGHTER AND HANDSOME 4 YEAR OLD BOY. THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER TALK ABOUT HAVING NO CONTROL OF A SITUATION. VERY SCARY AND NERVE RACKING. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY CONCERN THAT NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. THIS COULD'VE BEEN A WHOLE LOT WORSE. FIRST THING I DID WHEN I GT TOWED HOME WAS CHECKED INTERNET FOR PROBLEMS WITH TRANNY AND THE ARTICLE CAME UP ABOUT NHTSB PROBE ABOUT THIS EXACT DESCRIPTION SO I FELT I HAD TO MAKE A COMPLAINT. HOPE THIS ENOUGH DESCRIPTION. *TR

FRONT BEARING AND HUB ASSEMBLY SCRAPING AND GRINDING NOISE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AFTER 58,000 MILES. COULD NO LONGER TRUST EXTENDED USE OF VEHICLE FOR FEAR OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. *TR

WITH 54K MILES ON VEHICLE, AND NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS, THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE DRIVING, WITH THE CAR HAVING TO COAST TO THE SIDE. IT HAS REQUIRED A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. IT IS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY, AND IT APPEARS THAT MANY FORD/MERCURY OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT IT FAILS, BUT I WAS THANKFUL WE WEREN'T ON THE FREEWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED, JUST A CITY STREET. *TR

MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF HER PARKING SPOT, PUT THE VAN IN FORWARD, AND DISCOVERED THAT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT THIS EVENT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. OUR REPAIR TECHNICIAN HAD TO REPLACE OUR PLANETARY GEARSET, BECAUSE THEY WERE DESTROYED, THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED AS A PRECAUTION, AND THE NEUTRAL SWITCH WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE ROOT CAUSE. HOWEVER A BROKEN "CAM SWITCH" WIRE WAS PREVENTING THE CAR FROM OPERATING NORMALLY. WHEN THAT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED, WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR VAN BACK. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A BUSY TWO LANE ROAD WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION, AS IF IT HAD BEEN SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO A LEFT TURN LANE FOR A SUBDIVISION WHERE SHE HAD TO WAIT IN THE VEHICLE FOR OVER AN HOUR FOR HELP TO ARRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A FORD DEALER WHERE THEY "REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER DUE TO FAILED PUMP SHAFT SPLINE". THE REPAIR COST US $1475.46. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE: UPON ENTERING INTERSTATE 64 OUTSIDE LEXINGTON, KY MY 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY MINI-VAN LOST FORWARD ACCELERATION. THE TACH REVVED HIGH BUT NO FORWARD MOTION. CAME VERY CLOSE TO BEING STRUCK BY A TRACTOR TRAILER RIG BUT MANAGED TO STEER THE VEHICLE OFF THE INTERSTATE. TRIED PLACING THE CAR IN ANY GEAR BUT HAD NO DRIVE POWER. THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS PARK, ALL OTHER GEARS WERE INOPERATIVE. MONTEREY HAD TO BE TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. INVESTIGATION HAS INDICATED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAS FAILED. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS VEHICLE, NO NOISES OR SLIPPAGE. IT HAS APPROX. 82000 MILES ON IT. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM BEFORE THIS WITH THE ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION. I FEEL THAT ONLY MY SKILLS AS A DRIVER PREVENTED A MAJOR ACCIDENT FROM HAPPENING. HAD I NOT TAKEN IMMEDIATE ACTION TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE WHEN FORWARD DRIVE EPOWER WAS LOST I WOULD HAVE BEEN STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE DOWN-SHIFTED. SHE STOPPED THE ENGINE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER POSSIBLY CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. HE ADDED THAT SINCE THERE WERE NO RECALLS, AND THE WARRANTY EXPIRED HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $3000.00 FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.