2004 MERCURY MONTEREY Complaints

SPOUSE [XXX] WAS DRIVING THE FAMILY AND ME OUT TO DINNER ON MAY 9, 2014 FOR MOTHER'S DAY.THE GAS TANK WAS ON ONE-FOURTH A TANK SO BEFORE ON TO THE EXPRESSWAY WE STOP TO GET SOME GAS. [XXX] MADE A STATEMENT HE SAID, "HE SAID THE GAS HAND STILL HASN'T MOVED MUCH AFTER WE PUT $40.00 TOGETHER OF GAS IN THE VAN. WE PUT GAS IN THE VAN AT THE GAS STATION AT 63RD AND CALIFORNIA. AFTER GETTING GAS WE PROCEED TOWARD WESTERN AVE. ON WESTER AVE. [XXX] DROVE FROM71ST AND WESTERN TO 111 & WESTERN WHEN WE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. WE THOUGHT THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM A VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF US. WE MADE NO BIG DEAL ABOUT IT UNTIL THE VAN BEGIN TO SMOKE TREMENDOUS. [XXX] STOP THE CAR AN PULLED OVER. THE SMOKE INCREASED IN FRONT OF THE CAR ON THE DRIVERS AS [XXX] STOOD THERE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON, I SAW A BLAZE OF FIRE. I BEGIN SCREAMING THE VAN IS ON FIRE, THE VAN IS ON FIRE. I JUMP OUT OF THE VEHICLE THE BLAZE GOT LARGER. MY DAUGHTER AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO IS MENTALLY CHALLENGED WAS IN THE SECOND ROW OF SEATS BUCKLED UP. I GOT BACK IN THE CAR TO TURN ON THE EMERGENCY SIGNAL TO LET THE OTHER DRIVERS KNOW THAT WE NEEDED HELP. I YELLED AT MY FAMILY ON THE SECOND ROW AGAIN, GET OUT THE VAN THE VAN IS ON FIRE. THEY BEHAVE AS IF THEY COULD NOT HEAR ME OR UNDERSTAND WHAT I WA SAYING. SO, I BEGIN TO BANG ON THE WINDOW GET OUT GET OUT THE VAN IS ON FIRE.AFTER THE VAN WAS FULL BLAZED AND THE EMERGENCY WAS ON THE BANGING GOT THEM OUT. THERE WAS REDDISH BROWN LIQUID ALL IN THE SURROUNDING AREA WHERE THE VAN WAS PARK. MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH CALLED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME WITH TWO TOW TRUCKS. I GOT MY FAMILY TO SAFETY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRAIN TRACKS BY 111 & MARSHFIELD WHILE [XXX] TALKED TO FIRE FIGHTERS AND THE TOW MEN. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE SHIFTER COULD NOT BE ENGAGED IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE ENGINE THEN EXHIBITED A LOUD NOISE AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

THE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS WELDED IMPROPERLY AND THE WEATHER STRIPPING WAS FAULTY ALLOWING WATER TO POUR DOWN INTO THE CAR AND ONTO THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) AT ANY TIME AFTER IT RAINS CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE POWER AND THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THIS IS A KNOWN AND COMMON PROBLEM AMONG '04 MONTEREY AND FORD FREESTARS. WHEN THE PCM IS WET IT SHORTS OUT ALL TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AND ENGINE REGULATION. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED THE CAR WOULD NOT START OR RUN PROPERLY, HAD IRREGULAR ENGINE POWER, AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. THE ENGINE WAS TRYING ACCELERATE EVEN IN PARK. THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED OVERNIGHT AND RAN FINE THE DAY BEFORE, BUT CAUSED TROUBLE THE NEXT DAY. IT HAD RAINED DURING THE NIGHT. WHEN THE PCM DRIED OUT THE CAR RAN NORMALLY AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME HOWEVER, THE PCM COMPLETELY SHORTED OUT AND IS IRREPARABLE. THE ENGINE RUNS SPORADICALLY AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR CREATING A DRIVING HAZARD. THE CAR SEEMED ALRIGHT UNTIL I WAS ON THE ROAD TEST DRIVING AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, CAUSING ME TO BE STUCK GOING A MAX OF 15 MPH IN TRAFFIC. THE CAR THEN LOST POWER, FORCING ME TO PULL OF TO THE SIDE. *TR

BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH TRIGGERS TRACTION CONTROL OFF LIGHT, AND CRUISE CONTROL WILL NO LONGER WORK. *TR

TL-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 12V006000 (POWER TRAIN) WAS PERFORMED HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED WHILE THE CONTACT DROVE UP HILL THE RPM RAVED THE VEHICLE LOSE ACCELERATION AND TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHOM PERFORMED AND INSPECTION AND ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000. LI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL HAD ENGAGED IMPROPERLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,200.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VAN SIMPLY TURNED OFF. LOST POWER STEERING AND THE BRAKES BARELY RESPONDED WHEN COMPRESSED. HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. FOUND THE FOLLOWING P CODES (P-0715 AND P-0340). TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TURBINE SPEED AND CAM SENSORS. DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR 1 WEEK AND THE SAME EVENT HAPPENED AGAIN. I LOST POWER STEERING, BREAKS AND REQUIRED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. THE P CODES WERE P-0715 AND P-0340. ALSO, DURING THE SECOND EVENT I NEEDED TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE REAR SEAT AND REAR TIRES MADE A LOUD NOISE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NHTSA CAMPAIGN RECALL ID NUMBER:13V081000 FOR THE SEATS AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE CORRECTLY OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED MULTIPLE TIMES OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. RK UPDATED 5/28/14*CN

VEHICLE LOST POWER FORWARD AND REVERSE. THIS VEHICLE IS ON THE SECOND TORQUE CONVERTER DUE TO TORQUE CONVERTER MALFUNCTION. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT OCCURRED APRIL 2009 AND THE SECOND OCCUR DECEMBER 2013. BOTH TIMES THE MERCURY/FORD REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER, FIRST TIME UNDER RECALL THE SECOND TIME THE OWNER PAID FOR REPAIR. IN ADDITION TO THE DANGER AND COST THIS DEFECT CAUSED ME, I AM UNSURE IF THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER IS ANY BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER, SINCE FORD STATES IN THE SAFETY RECALL NOTICE THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND THE FIRST REPLACEMENT APRIL 2009 WAS COMPLETED MANY YEARS BEFORE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE WITH THE RECALL NOTICE OF JANUARY 4,2012. AS A RESULT THESE CONVERTERS HAVE EXPERIENCED WORN PUMP DRIVE SPLINES CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. SEE FORD RECALL # 11S25 OR NHTSA #EA09016. *TR

10 MONTHS AGO, IN DECEMBER OR 2012, WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE (11S25) FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO BE REPLACED ON OUR 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. WE WERE TORN AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED, AS WE HAD NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT IN 88,000 MILES. BUT THE RECALL NOTICE MADE IT SOUND LIKE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WITH MY WIFE DRIVING OUR 3 KIDS AROUND WE RELUCTANTLY DECIDED TO HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED. SO AFTER 10 MONTHS, LAST WEEK SHE WENT TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND CLANK CLANK - NO POWER, FORWARD OR REVERSE. I HAD IT TOWED TO OUR DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER - THE SAME ONE THEY REPLACED UNDER THIS RECALL 10 MONTHS AGO. HOWEVER THE CAR HAD SURPASSED THE 12,000 "WARRANTY" OF THE RECALLED/REPLACED PART BY 889 MILES! I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY, I ESCALATED IT TO MANAGEMENT AT FORD MOTORS AND ALL ARE BASICALLY TELLING US THAT TOO BAD, THE REPAIR COST IS $1800 AND THEY WILL OFFER NOTHING. IF WE HAD NEVER HAD THE RECALL DONE, WE WOULD NOT BE IN THIS SITUATION. WE HAD NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE RECALL AND I FEEL FORD HAS SIMPLY REPLACED A FAULTY PART (OR NON-FAULTY AS WAS WITH OUR CASE PRIOR TO THE RECALL) WITH A FAULTY PART. A TORQUE CONVERTER SHOULD LAST 100,000+ MILES. NOT 12,889 MILES. EVEN IF WE COULD AFFORD IT, WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND $1800 TO HAVE SOMETHING "FIXED" AGAIN THAT WILL JUST LEAVE US STRANDED WITH ANOTHER $1800 BILL IN A YEAR WITH ANOTHER FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR