MERCURY Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING FORWARD, THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

MY CAR IS TRYING TO KILL ME! I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, WHEN I STARTED TO BRAKE FOR A STOP BEFORE TURNING . THE CAR SLOWED DOWN, AS I HELD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, BUT SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE. I ALREADY HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND THE BRAKE HELD, BUT I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR OUT OF GEAR, AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE ENGINE WAS RACING AT A SPEED I WOULD ESTIMATE AT 80 MPH. IT WAS A FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS EXPERIENCE. I CHECKED TO SEE IF A FLOOR MAT WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT WAS NOT. THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED ON TWO MORE OCCASIONS. MY MECHANIC HAS NOT FOUND THE PROBLEM. I NO LONGER DRIVE THE CAR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND THEN BACK HOME FROM WORK I CROSS OVER A COUPLE OF RAILROAD TRACKS. GOING OVER THEM RATHER ROUGH ONE TIME, I NOTICED MY ABS SYSTEM LIGHT ENGAGED AND CAME ON. EVERYTHING APPEARS OKAY, ABS LIGHT GOES BACK OFF SO WE CONTINUE DRIVING. HOWEVER, THE BRAKES ARE EXTREMELY SOFT AND OFTEN HAVE TO BE PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO ENGAGE ANY REAL ABILITY TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WE FOUND THAT PUMPING THE BRAKES SEEMS TO HELP THEIR SOFTNESS, BUT IT IS NOT A FIX FOR THE SITUATION AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL STILL RETURN TO THE FLOOR WHEN THE NEXT NEED FOR BRAKING ARISES. THEN WE WILL HAVE PERIODS OF DRIVING WITH NO ISSUES. BUT HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL RE-OCCUR WITH SOME MILD ROAD ABNORMALITIES. SINCE THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT WAS CONSTANT AT THE TIME, WE LEARNED A WAY TO GET AROUND IT BY PUMPING THE BRAKES TO PUT AIR BACK IN THE MECHANISM. BUT NOW IT IS HAPPENING EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS. MY HUSBAND WAS HIT ON OUR FRONT FENDER BY A GENTLEMAN DRIVING THE WRONG WAY AND THE SMALL 'TAP' FROM THE ACCIDENT SEEMED TO HAVE RETRIGGERED THE SOFT BRAKING ISSUE SO THE MECHANICS LOOKED INTO IT SINCE WE DESCRIBED OUR PROBLEMS. *TR

EXPERIENCED THE SECOND OF TWO IN-TRAFFIC DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS AS DANGEROUS AS THE G.M. IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS (SEE ODI#: 10683675) OUR INITIAL STOPPING PLACE - IN A "REVERSE GORE-POINT" BETWEEN THE N/B FREEWAY LANES OF THE I-405 FREEWAY IN SANTA ANA, CA AND AN OUTSIDE TRANSITION ROAD WAS UNSAFE IN THE FULL-DARKNESS OF A NON-ILLUMINATED HIGH-SPEED INTERSECTION; WITH TRAFFIC ZOOMING BY ON BOTH SIDES, WITH THE FLASHERS STILL ACTIVE, I RES-STARTED THE ENGINE -- ALL DASH WARNINGS CYCLED ON THEN OFF NORMALLY; ON A DISTINCT UP-GRADE, I REVV'D THE ENGINE AGAINST THE SERVICE BRAKES, AND WATCHED FOR A SUITABLE GAP IN TRAFFIC OVER-TAKING US ON OUR RIGHT SIDE. SEEING SUCH A GAP, I RELEASED THE SERVICE BRAKES AND ACCELERATED TO 30 MPH TOWARDS THE OUTER SHOULDER...BUT ONLY MADE IT PART-WAY ACROSS THE 2 LANES WHEN THE SECOND SHUT-DOWN OCCURRED...THE SAME "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT...THE SAME SQUEALING ENUNCIATOR TONE... THE SAME WORTHLESS "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE AND AGAIN, THANKS TO COURTEOUS AND ALERT OVER-TAKING DRIVERS, I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A RELATIVELY BROAD SHOULDER SECTION BESIDE A `DISAPPEARING' RIGHT TRAVEL LANE. IT WAS NOW 7:55PM. WE WERE ON OUR CELL PHONE TO THE AAA WHEN A HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER STOPPED BEHIND US TO CHECK OUR SITUATION, AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION UNTIL A TOW-TRUCK COULD ARRIVE ON-SCENE. THIS IS THE SECOND OF OUR FAMILY'S FOMOCO HYBRIDS TO EXPERIENCE SUCH IN-USE DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS THAT PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH NO USABLE WARNINGS OF IMPENDING DOOM - NOT EVEN "LIMP-AWAY POWER" ... THE "AFTER-IT'S-TOO-LATE" MESSAGE-PANEL MIGHT AS WELL DISPLAY "KISS YOUR A$$ GOODBYE". THE IDIOT FOMOCO ENGINEERS WHO DECIDED TO "PROTECT" THE HYBRID BATTERY BY "STALLING" THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY OBVIOUSLY NEVER CONSIDERED WHAT A FREEWAY-SPEED REAR-END IMPACT WOULD DO TO THEIR PRECIOUS BATTERY...OR TO THE "REPLACEABLE" LIVING OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

EXPERIENCED TWO IN-TRAFFIC DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS AS DANGEROUS AS THE G.M. IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS... TRAVELING IN 60MPH-70MPH NIGHT-TIME VALENTINE'S NIGHT FREEWAY TRAFFIC ON THE I-405 IN SANTA ANA, CA. IN THE #3 LANE OF 5 LANES, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY FLASHED ON - ACCOMPANIED BY THE `SCREECH' OF THE `CHECK GAUGES' TONE - AND THE DRIVE-TRAIN LOST ALL POWER -- ALONG WITH THE ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS TEXT "STOP SAFELY NOW". WITH NO POWER STEERING, AND LIMITED BRAKE BOOSTER RESERVES, I ACTIVATED THE HAZARD FLASHERS - AND THANKS TO ALERT AND COURTEOUS TRAFFIC, WAS ABLE TO STOP IN A "REVERSE GORE-POINT" BETWEEN THE FREEWAY LANES AND AN OUTSIDE TRANSITION ROAD. THINGS COULD HAVE COME OUT FAR-WORSE IF OVERTAKING DRIVERS HAD BEEN INATTENTIVE - OR WE HAD TO CROSS THE PATH OF A BIG-RIG WITH LIMITED BRAKING- OR STEERING CAPABILITIES. AS AN ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTIONIST, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS IS THE SECOND OF OUR FAMILY'S FOMOCO HYBRIDS TO EXPERIENCE SUCH IN-USE DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS THAT PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH NO USABLE WARNINGS OF IMPENDING DOOM - NOT EVEN "LIMP-AWAY POWER" ... THE "AFTER-IT'S-TOO-LATE" MESSAGE-PANEL MIGHT AS WELL DISPLAY "KISS YOUR A$$ GOODBYE". THE IDIOT FOMOCO ENGINEERS WHO DECIDED TO "PROTECT" THE HYBRID BATTERY BY "STALLING" THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY OBVIOUSLY NEVER CONSIDERED WHAT A FREEWAY-SPEED REAR-END IMPACT WOULD DO TO THEIR PRECIOUS BATTERY...OR TO THE "REPLACEABLE" LIVING OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 40-50MPH AND THEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO PASS OR GO UPHILL THE TRANSMISSION WOULD CLUCK OUT OF GEAR AND THEN SLAM BACK IN VIOLENTLY. IT WAS SO VIOLENT THAT IT SNAPPED THE TRANSMISSION TORQUE MOUNT. WHEN IT DOES THIS THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD WITH LOSS OF POWER AND THEN SNAPS BACK WHEN IT SLAMS BACK INTO GEAR. I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND AFTER CONSULTING WITH SONNAX TECHNICAL SUPPORT, THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE VALVE BODY AND UPDATE THE PCM/TCM WITH THE LATEST SOFTWARE. HOWEVER, THEY DID SAY THAT THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE AISIN/FORD HAVE NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE WITH THE VALVE BODY, THEY KEEP THROWING UPDATES AT THE PROBLEM BUT BUY THEN DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE AND FORD WONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS NOT JUST A CONSUMER COMPLAINING, THIS IS A CONSUMER THAT BELIEVES THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND AISIN/FORD SHOULD STEP UP AND RECALL THIS VALVE BODY AND FIX THE ISSUE AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT TRANSMISSION BUT IGNORED IT AND KEPT THROWING UPDATES AT IT INSTEAD OF DOING THE RIGHT THING AND RECALLING IT AND FIXING IT. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO FIX A FAULTY PART WITH SOMETHING THAT IS NOT GUARANTEED TO WORK. FORD STEP UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING. *TR

TRANSMISSION JERKS . HAVE THAT CRACK IN MIDDLE LIFT GATE AROUND EMBLEM LIKE I SEE EVERYBODY HAS . LIFT GATE WINDOW BOLTS RUSTED AND ONE BROKE IN HALF ON THE DRIVER SIDE BACK LIFT GATE AT TOP BACK WINDOW IT CRACKED IN HALF DIDN'T KNOW THAT WHEN I NOTICED MY WARNING LIGHT SAYING HATCH WAS OPEN I DIDN'T NOTICED ANYTHING WENT TOO OPEN AND TRY TO SHUT IT AND WHEN I LIFTED OPEN THE DOOR THE GLASS FELL OUT AND BENT THE HINGE THAT SUPPORTS THE WHOLE REAR GLASS I GRABBED GLASS HELD IT TILL OTHERS CAME TO HELP ME IN PARKING LOT GLASS WAS HEAVY IM TINY PETITE GIRL SO THANK GOODNESS FOR PEOPLE WHO CAME TO HELP ME AT STORE IT WAS JUST HANGING THERE AND THE OTHER SIDE WAS JUST AS BAD JUST DIDN'T BREAK IN HALF AT THAT POINT YET THANK GOODNESS OR I THINK THE WHOLE THING WOULD HAVE FELL TO GROUND AND SHATTERED .VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX AT A DEALER SO MY HUSBAND ORDER PARTS AT STORE AND ONLINE FOR A LOT LESS AND FIXED IT HIMSELF SO THAT'S ALL FIXED NOW. . RIGHT AFTER THAT WE NOTICED SAME KIND OF CAR AS OUR WITH SAME PROBLEM ONLY THEY HAD IT ALL DUCT TAPE AND STUFF TO KEEP IT TOGETHER (PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY FOUND OUT HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO FIX) I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS SAFE AT ALL EITHER. MY CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING HAD IT REPLACED DURING WARRANTY. MY AIR CONDITIONER SUCKS . JUST LAST WEEK THE NEWEST THING IS MY TRUNK LOCK WONT OPEN NO MATTER WHAT I DO . I CAN ONLY OPEN THE LIFT GATE WINDOW THAT'S IT. BUT THE WHOLE BACK DOOR WONT LIFT OPEN. LOCK WONT BUDGE TO OPEN DON'T KNOW WHY? *TR

THE GAS PEDAL STUCK WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR WOULD ONLY IDLE AND NOT MOVE. THE CAR WAS IN TRAFFIC AND ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. ON A PRIOR DATE THE GAS PEDAL STUCK AND WOULD NOT MOVE, CAR JUST IDLED IN A PARKING LOT FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. THIS WASN'T FIRST TIME IT STUCK, BUT PRIOR TIMES IT ALWAYS RELEASED RIGHT AWAY. *TR

THE LED ASSEMBLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS HAS FAILED PREMATURELY PRESENTING A POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERN. FORD CHARGES AN EXORBITANT FEE ($376) FOR THE HARDWARE ALONE, NOT INCLUDING THE PRICE FOR INSTALLATION. THIS COST IS UNREASONABLE TO REPLACE FAULTY COMPONENTS WHICH PROVIDE SAFETY FUNCTIONALITY. THIS HAS BEEN REFERRED TO BY THE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP AS A "COMMON" PROBLEM, SO SHOULD IT NOT BE WORTHY OF A SAFETY RECALL? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V106000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.