MERCURY Complaints

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 25 MPH WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD, THEN BEGAN RAPIDLY DECELERATING. I HAD TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND COAST TO A STOP. I TURNED THE CAR OFF THEN RESTARTED IT AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE, BUT THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN LATER THAT DAY AND SEVERAL MORE TIMES IN THE COMING WEEKS. IT HAS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND UNDER DIVERSE CONDITIONS. IT IS INTERMITTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE. AFTER NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT ON THE INTERSTATE DUE TO THIS OCCURRENCE I AM NOW LIMITED TO SURFACE STREETS AND ONLY WHEN I HAVE NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO DRIVE MY CAR. AFTER DOING SOME READING IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE THROTTLE BODY AND I WORRY THAT EVEN IF I PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE IT REPAIRED I WILL ONLY BE BUYING ANOTHER PART WITH THE SAME DEFECT. MY HOPE IS THAT FORD WILL ISSUE A RECALL OF THE VEHICLES FOR WHICH THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE! *TR

ON TWO OCCASIONS ON THE SAME DAY (7/17/13), ONCE AT LOW SPEED (LESS THAN 15 MPH) AFTER TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT AND LATER THE SAME DAY AT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, MY 2011 MERCURY MILAN WENT INTO "LIMP" MODE WITH THE WRENCH LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CAR LOST ADEQUATE POWER OTHER THAN TO ESSENTIALLY COAST TO REST. ONCE AT REST, IT WOULD NOT MOVE AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHILE IDLING. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, THE WRENCH LIGHT WENT OFF ONLY TO COME BACK ON AGAIN AFTER ATTEMPTING TO MOVE THE CAR. AT THIS POINT, I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE OR DEFINITIVELY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BUT "SUSPECTED" IT MIGHT BE DUE TO THROTTLE BODY ISSUES (WHICH AS I UNDERSTAND IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION AS NOTED BELOW): INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTION DATE INVESTIGATION OPENED: FEB 21, 2013 DATE INVESTIGATION CLOSED: OPEN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE13003 COMPONENT(S): ENGINE AS THE LOCAL FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DEFINITIVELY DIAGNOSE OR REPLICATE THE ISSUE DURING IN-SHOP TESTING OR WHILE ROAD TEST DRIVING IT THEMSELVES FOR 9 MILES, THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THE ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN (LESS THAN 9 MILES AWAY).....THIS TIME AT FULL HIGHWAY SPEED (APPROX 65 MPH). ONCE AGAIN, THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" WITH THE WRENCH LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. UPON RE-STARTING THE CAR, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL ISSUES. WHILE IT HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN YET (I'VE ONLY DRIVEN TO WORK THE FOLLOWING DAY SINCE ALL THIS OCCURRED), THIS ISSUE IS MOST CERTAINLY AN UNPREDICTABLE, SERIOUS DANGER TO MYSELF AS WELL AS OTHER MOTORISTS. *TR

STALLING. AFTER DRIVING 60 MILES, SOME AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, WE STOPPED AT A CROSSROAD TO CROSS. UPON CROSSING IT RAN ROUGH AND STALLED JUST AS WE CROSSED THE STREET. WAITED TWO MINUTES, RESTARTED AND DROVE REST OF WAY HOME WITH NO PROBLEM. POSTED SPEED ON ROAD WE CROSSED IS 55 MPH. HAD IT STALLED IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. WE HAD OUR TWO GRANDCHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IN 5 WEEKS. HAD THE FUEL PUMP AND SPARK PLUGS CHANGED THE FIRST TIME. RAN FINE UNTIL YESTERDAY. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS COMING ON. TODAY I ORDERED AN THROTTLE BODY. *TR

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 70 MPH, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A COUPLE CLOSE CALLS SINCE IT WAS RUSH HOUR. THE ENGINE STUTTERED SOME BUT DID NOT DIE, EVEN THOUGH I COULD NOT ACCELERATE OR GO FASTER THAN 3MPH OR SO. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, WAITED ABOUT 20 SECONDS, THEN TURNED IT BACK ON. WHEN TURNING IT BACK ON, IT TOOK LONGER THAN USUAL TO TURN OVER, BUT STARTED, AND THE WRENCH LIGHT DID NOT COME BACK ON. I CONTINUED MY DRIVE HOME LIKE NORMAL AND THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. I WENT OUT THE SAME EVENING ON A 15 MINUTE DRIVE, AND THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED TWICE. ONCE WHEN STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT, ONCE GOING 30MPH. AFTER I MADE IT TO MY DESTINATION, AND TRIED GOING HOME ABOUT 1.5 HOURS LATER, ON THE SAME 15 MINUTE DRIVE, I HAD NO PROBLEMS. I'M TOLD ITS THROTTLE BODY ISSUE, WHICH IS VERY COMMON IN 2010 MERCURY MILANS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO LOSE POWER, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN AT RANDOM TIMES. I HOPE THERE IS A RECALL SOON SO I CAN GET MY MONEY BACK ON REPAIRS SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT. *TR

I WAS ON ONRAMP, VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN, WRENCH LIGHT LIT UP ON DASHBOARD. VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND RESTARTED VEHICLE. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DO THIS FOR THE DURATION OF OUR TRIP. *TR

THE VEHICLE HAS QUIT RUNNING SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING AT HIGHWAY SPEED TWO TIMES AND HAS QUIT RUNNING AT LOW SPEED OR AT STOP LIGHTS OR HAS WENT TO ROUGH IDLE IN LIMP HOME MODE WITH NO POWER AVAILABLE TO AVOID HEAVY TRAFFIC. TURNING OFF IGNITION AND WAITING 3 MINUTES AND RESTARTING YIELDS NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION UNTIL IT STALLS AGAIN. FORD SERVICE HAS DIAGNOSED DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY BUT WILL NOT WARRANTY THE DEFECTIVE PART EVEN THOUGH IT IS COVERED UNDER EMISSIONS CONTROLS. *TR

NO CRASH HAS OCCURRED SO FAR. DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD MATERIAL MAY CAUSE A CRASH IN THE FUTURE. CHEMICAL CHANGES INSIDE THE WINDSHIELD (OR POSSIBLE DELAMINATION OF INTERNAL PLASTIC MATERIAL) IS CAUSING A SPREADING AREA OF THE WINDSHIELD TO BE NOT CLEAR. THE PROBLEM IS ONLY NOTICEABLE IF I AM DRIVING INTO THE SUN. THE SUN SHINING ON THE DEFECTIVE AREA REDUCES THE VISIBILITY THROUGH THAT PORTION OF THE GLASS TO AN UNSAFE DEGREE. THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND AFFECTED ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE PROBLEM HAS STEADILY GROWN WORSE UNTIL ABOUT 15 TO 20% OF THE WINDSHIELD IS AFFECTED. THE PROBLEM WAS DISCUSSED WITH A FORD DEALER AND A FORD AREA REPRESENTATIVE. THEY ADVISED ME TO CHANGE THE WINDSHIELD AND SAVE THE RECEIPT IN THE EVENT A RECALL NOTICE IS ISSUED. I CURRENTLY HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH AN INDEPENDENT AUTO GLASS SUPPLIER TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING THE HIGHWAY RAMP AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION THEN THE MIL AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,926.

CAR WENT INTO 'LIMP MODE" AT ABOUT 25 MPH AND THE ORANGE WRENCH WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. HAD TO STOP, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN RESTARTED. WARNING LIGHT WENT OFF BUT IT OCCURRED AGAIN IN ABOUT 5 MILES. WENT TO FORD DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG NOR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN A COUPLE OF MILES AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THEY ONCE AGAIN COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. TWO DAYS LATER ON I-95 THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" THE ORANGE LIGHT CAME ON AND I DROVE TO THE SIDE. THE TRAFFIC WAS BACKED UP SO I WAS GOING ABOUT 25 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURRED. WHEN I RESTARTED THE ENGINE THIS TIME, THE "WRENCH" WARNING LIGHT WENT OFF BUT THE "CHECK THE ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. NEXT DAY RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THIS TIME THEY SAID THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY. IN RESEARCHING ON LINE I FOUND THAT THIS IS OCCURRING WITH SOME FREQUENCY AND WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE FORD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ISSUING A DEFECTIVE PART. AS OF NOW IT LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE BILL AND HOPE THAT THE NEW PART IS NOT DEFECTIVE ALSO. IT IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE RESOLVED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 55MPH ON THE PARKWAY WHEN MY VEHICLE GAVE ME A KICK BACK (SHOOK A LITTLE) AND BEGAN TO DECELERATE UNTIL IT COMPLETELY STOPPED. I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE AND HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, TURNED IT BACK ON, AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN. I DROVE APPROX. 3 MILES BEFORE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED A SECOND TIME, THIS TIME I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPPED SO I ENDED UP AT A DEAD STOP IN A TURN LANE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SHOP WITHOUT ANY ISSUES OCCURRING AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THE ISSUE WAS READING AS "P2112 THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL STUCK CLOSED" - THE ENTIRE PART NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WILL COST ME $400 AS IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I CALLED FOMOCO AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE DESPITE MANY COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN ONLINE THROUGH THE NHTSA. I AM HOPEFUL THAT FORD WILL COME THROUGH AND PAY FOR A PORTION (IF NOT ALL) OF THIS REPAIR AS THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS INCIDENT AND ONE THAT IS CLEARLY OCCURRING WITH MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES WITH THE DRIVE-BY-WIRE THROTTLE. IF FORD DOES NOT RECALL THIS, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY OR FATALLY INJURED. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING DOWN I-95 AT THE TIME MY THROTTLE FAILED. *TR