MERCURY Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN CAUTIOUSLY WITH THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V861000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY INVOLVED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE AND NOT THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

FAILURE OF FRONT DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT CARRIER BUSHINGS FAILURE LEADING TO TWO TRANSMISSION REBUILTS,TRANSFER CASE REBUILD, AND OVER $5000.00 IN REPAIRS. FAILURE OF CARRIER BUSHINGS WOULD LEAD TO FRONT END LOCKING UP. CAUSING A JACKHAMMER AFFECT ON THE DRIVETRAIN OF THE VEHICLE. TO CLOSE CALLS DUE TO FRONT END LOCKING UP. ACCIDENTS WERE AVOIDED DUE TO DRIVER VIGILANCE. HAVE PICTURES OF BUSHINGS AND WHAT'S LEFT OF THE BUSHINGS.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN GA HIGHWAY 16 FROM DUBLIN, GA TO WARNER ROBINS, GA THE CAR STARTED SWAYING AND BECOME VERY HARD TO CONTROLL. NEARLY MISSED GOING UNDER A SEMI.EXTREMELY SCAREY. HAD TO PULL OFF ROAD FORCIBLY. TURN VEHICLE OFF WAITED FOR A WHILE THEN PROCEEDED HOME VERY CATIOUSLY.

POWER STEERING LOST. VEHICLE VERY HARD TO STEER AROUND CORNERS. ADDED POWER STEERING FLUID TO MIN/MAX LINE. THOUGHT PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BUT STEERING VERY TIGHT AND HARD TO STEER WITHIN 5 MILES. STEERING ODD, NOT NORMAL. GROANING NOISE ACCOMPANIED STEERING ISSUE. WAS DRIVING ON STREET, MEDIUM TRAFFIC.

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE IN MOTION. SAFETY RECALL 14S05. FAILURE REQUIRED STEERING COLUMN AND MOTOR REPLACEMENT. FLASH MEMORY HAD BEEN RE-PROGRAMMED 2 YEARS EARLIER AND THAT DID NOT PREVENT THE FAILURE. FORD WOULD NOT PAY FOR REPAIR OR DISCOUNT THE REPAIR. YOUNG ADULT DRIVER TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE ON A BUSY CITY STREET WHILE TURNING. $1,223.00 REPAIR ESTIMATE IS ATTACHED.

I GOT A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL FOR THE POWER STEERING THAT IT COULD GO OUT. TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP - AUTONATION IN WHITE BEAR LAKE MN_ AND THEY DID A SOFTWARE UPDATE AND CLOSED THE RECALL OUT AS COMPLETE. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN SHAKING INTERMITTENTLY AND RANDOMLY. IT GOT TO THE POINT IT WAS SHAKING VIOLENTLY SO I TOOK IT BACK IN AND WAS TOLD THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED REPLACED. EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS ONE OF THE OPTIONS TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE ON THE RECALL THEY SAID IT WAS NO LONGER COVERED AND WOULD COST $1300.00. I CALLED FORD AND THEY REFUSED TO COVER IT AS WELL BECAUSE THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS DONE. NOW IT IS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN SAFELY UNTIL I CAN AFFORD THE REPAIRS. IT CLEARLY IS RELATED TO THE RECALL AS I KNOW THE 3 OPTIONS WERE TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE, REPLACE TORQUE SENSOR OR REPLACE STEERING COLUMN. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE - YET AUTONATION NOR FORD WILL FIX THE CAR.

THE STEERING IS HORIBLE, ABOUT 3YEARS AGO CHANGED RACK APPION STEERING, AND JUST A WEEK AGO, PUT NEW STEERING PUMP ON, STILL.

THE VEHICLES STOCK JACKING LOCATIONS ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERED AS SAFE. THEY HAVE DETERIORATED DUE TO CORROSION AND RUSTING AWAY. SHOULD SOMEONE DECIDE TO TRUST ANY ONE OF THE AFFECTED JACKING LOCATIONS, THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME MAY CRUMPLE AND BREAK CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DROP ONTO ANYONE PERFORMING WORK UNDERNEATH, WHICH MAY RESULT IN SEVERE INJURY, OR EVEN DEATH.

A SPRING IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED, CAUSING THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO ILLUMINATE AND DEACTIVATE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT IMPACT REQUIRING AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE SEAT BELT AND BUCKLE WAS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED EVERY TIME THE DRIVER FASTENS THE SEAT BELT. THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF WHEN THE DRIVER FASTENS THE SEAT BELT. THE DEALER TRACED THIS TO A FAULTY SEAT BELT LATCH. FROM READING ON OWNERS' BLOGS OF THIS MODEL, OVER SEVERAL YEARS INCLUDING MY MODEL YEAR, MY PROBLEM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A UNIQUE OR RARE OCCURRENCE. THE MOST COMMON CAUSES ARE WORN OR BROKEN SPRINGS ON THE SWITCH IN THE SEAT BELT LATCH. THE SWITCH IN THE SEAT BELT LATCH NOT RECOGNIZING THE DRIVER IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT WITH THE SEAT BELT FASTENED CAUSES THE LIGHT TO GO ON AND DEACTIVATE THE AIRBAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM FOR THE DRIVER. THIS SAFETY ITEM SHOULD BE A MODEL RECALL.

PASSENGER FLOOR RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY IN TWO SPOTS ON THE FRONT RIGHT OF FLOOR. TWO MAJOR HOLES. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLOOR IS SHOWING SIGNS THAT IT TOO IS DETERIORATING. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE FLOOR HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND CAN ALLOW SOMEONE TO FALL THROUGH SHOULD EXCESS WEIGHT BE PLACED IN ANY OF THESE WEAK PLACES AND OR HOLES.