2004 MERCURY MONTEREY Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED BEFORE OR AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC, BUT THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 78,000.

DRIVING HOME FROM A FAMILY ROAD TRIP, CAR BEGAN SLIPPING AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL. WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. NO ACCIDENT, BUT VERY CLOSE CALLS DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE WAY HOME. VERY STRESSFUL SITUATION FOR A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY WITH 69,000 MILES ON IT.*TR

AT 44,000 MILES, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING, MY TRANSMISSION SIMPLY QUIT WORKING. LUCKILY I WAS ON A SMALL STREET AND NOT A MAJOR HIGHWAY. I HAD MY VAN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. TURNS OUT THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD DISINTEGRATED INTO LUMPS OF METAL. SINCE I HAD PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I WASN'T WORRIED. WHAT A DREAMER! THE FORD PEOPLE SAID SINCE I HAD NOT HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AT 30,000 MILES (WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED THIS PROBLEM) THEY DIDN'T AND WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THE SAME THING. BOTH DEALERSHIPS CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT IT IS A WIDELY KNOWN PROBLEM. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AAMCO (I WILL GIVE FORD NO MORE OF MY MONEY). THE MECHANIC THERE TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION FORD PUT INTO THESE VANS IS TOO SMALL FOR THE ENGINE. THAT IS WHY THEY ARE ALL GOING OUT. IT IS TRULY A DESIGN FLAW BY FORD. UNFORTUNATELY NO ONE IS HOLDING THEM RESPONSIBLE. THE REPAIR COST ME ALMOST $3500. SOMEBODY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK MECHANISM FAILURE, MULTIPLE TIMES HAD FIXED KEEPS FAILING IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD, DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY VAN NEW IN JUNE 2004. IT HAS 69K MILES. I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 44 AT MILEPOST 46 IN MISSOURI AT 70 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE REVS UP AND THE VAN IS NOT ENGAGED IN GEAR. IT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE TRYING TO GET THE VEHICLE FROM THE PASSING LANE TO THE SHOULDER WHEN TRAFFIC IS HEAVY AND YOU ONLY CAN COAST TO THE SHOULDER. I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY THAT WE WERE NOT INJURED AND WE DID NOT INJURE ANYONE ELSE. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A NEARBY FORD DEALER. THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED IN 8 DAYS. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF THE PART. THE SERVICE WRITER ALSO INDICATED TO ME THAT HE HAS PERSONALLY HAS WRITTEN REPAIR ORDERS ON THREE SIMILAR MODELS WITHIN THE PAST YEAR WITH LESS MILES THAN MY VAN. MY INTERNET SEARCH ALSO INDICATED PAGES OF SIMILAR BREAKDOWN ON THE FORD PRODUCT. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY DO NOT PLAN ON ANY RECALL OR RESTITUTION. ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN INCONVENIENCED AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $1,800 IN RELATED REPAIR COST, I HOPE AND PRAY THAT NO ONE WILL BE KILLED WITH THIS PARTS FAILURE THAT GIVES YOU NO ADVANCE WARNING. *TR

2004 MERCURY MONTEREY 4.2 LITER ENGINE, 4 SPEED AUTOMATIC- NO WARRANTY 38,960 MILES WITHOUT WARNING, THE VAN STOPPED ACCELERATING ON FREEWAY ON-RAMP AND THE DRIVER HAD TO COAST TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY CLOVERLEAF. WHEN VEHICLE WAS SAFE FROM MERGING TRAFFIC BUT STILL ON FREEWAY SHOULDER THE ACCELERATOR WAS PUSHED AND THE VAN WOULD REV IT'S ENGINE IN ALL GEARS, FORWARD AND REVERSE WITHOUT MOVING FORWARD OR REVERSE. SINCE THE VAN WOULD NOT MOVE UNDER IT'S POWER ' THE VAN WAS TOWED TO A LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER. MY WIFE AND 1 YEAR OLD CHILD GOT A RIDE FROM FAMILY. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND SAID WE WOULD NEED AN ENTIRE REBUILT TRANSMISSION FROM FORD, PARTS AND LABOR WAS $3500 (3YR WARRANTY). THEY SHOWED ME THE TRANSMISSION FLUID PAN WITH MANY METAL SHAVINGS STUCK TO THE MAGNET. I SPOKE WITH FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS THREE TIMES AND AFTER A TWO DAY DELAY (THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM HAD PROBLEMS) THEY GOT BACK WITH ME TO SAY FORD WOULD PROVIDE NO ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR. I NEVER COMPLAINED TO ANYONE AT FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, I ONLY ASKED FOR THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY POST-BREAKDOWN OR A DISCOUNT IN THE REPAIR COST. THIS VAN OPERATED, LOOKED, AND DROVE LIKE NEW BEFORE THE BREAKDOWN ' AND WE'VE ONLY HAD IT FOR ONE OIL CHANGE SINCE WE BOUGHT IT USED FROM THE DEALER. MY WIFE IS UNEASY WITH THE IDEA OF DRIVING IT AGAIN WITH SMALL CHILDREN FOR FEAR OF BECOMING STUCK IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION WITHOUT WARNING. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND DESIGN DEFECT ' PLEASE LOOK UNDER FORD FREESTAR VANS TO SEE THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR AND RECENT COMPLAINTS. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE IS AT DEALER TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT FORD ITEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE SPEED DECREASED AND THE RPMS INCREASED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 33,800.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN MY 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY SUDDENLY SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND BEGAN SLOWING DOWN. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE MAIN ROAD ONTO A SIDE STREET SO THE CAR COULD COAST TO A STOP. ACCORDING TO TWO SEPERATE FORD DEALERSHIPS THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. BOTH DEALERSHIPS CLAIM THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE FOR A COST OF $3500. THE CAR ONLY HAS 46,000 MILES ON IT. UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR SOME TIME AND THEY REFUSE TO ISSUE A RECALL. THE REASON THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REPLACED IS DUE TO THE THOUSANDS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURES THERE ARE NO PARTS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR THAT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE OWNER. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BY FORD TO REPAIR THESE TRANSMISSIONS. *CN DUPLICATE TO 10231864 *SMCH

2004 MERCURY MONTEREY WITH MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOWS NOT FUNCTIONING AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. *KB THE LAST TIME THE WINDOW MALFUNCTIONED, A NEW WINDOW MOTOR HAD TO BE INSTALLED. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR CALIPERS HAD BECAME STUCK AND RUINED THE BRAKE PADS. *JB

VEHICLE HAS 35,000 MILES. HEARD A GRINDING TYPE NOISE IN THE BRAKES. TOOK TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THAT THE BRAKE PADS WHERE WORN, THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE TURNED, THE CALIPER AND BRAKE BOOSTER WERE BAD. THE CALIPER WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE BRAKE BOOSTER AS A WARRANTY ITEM AS WE WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD, THEY LUBED A BUSHING AND SAID IF WE HAVE ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS, THEN THEY WOULD REPLACE IT. BRAKE AND ROTORS WERE AT MY EXPENSE. I ALSO FOUND IT STRANGE THAT WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR ITS 30,000 MILE SERVICING, NO ONE NOTED ANY SIGNIFICANT WEAR IN THE BRAKES, BUT 5,000 MILES LATER ALL OF THIS FELL APART. AT 35,000 THERE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. CONSIDERING THERE IS ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON RECORD FOR THE SAME THING, THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME SORT OF PROBLEM WITH THESE COMPONENTS. *TR