MERCURY Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 55 MPH. I HIT A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROAD. THE DOME LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE SEAT MOVED BACKWARDS, AS IF I HAD JUST REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. I THANKFULLY THOUGHT QUICKLY AND PUSHED ON THE KEY, WHICH MADE THE SEAT MOVE BACK INTO POSITION. IT WAS JUST A MIRACLE THAT THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT TO DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY DID. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS INCIDENT, AS MY FEET WERE TOO FAR FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND I COULD HARDLY REACH IT. I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP IF I NEEDED TO STOP QUICKLY. THAT WAS THE FIRST OF MANY OCCURRENCES. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME TURNING CORNERS, DRIVING ON BUMPY ROADS, HAVING TO BRAKE SUDDENLY (I JUST BARELY MISSED HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME), AND EVEN PULLING IN AND OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. *TR

INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ALL LIGHT UP AND ALL THE DIALS DROP TO ZERO, TRACTION CONTROL GOES OUT WHICH CAUSES A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE IN WINTER DRIVING. SPEEDOMETER, TACK, FUEL GAUGE, AND ENGINE TEMP ALL SET TO ZERO. AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS INOP, LIGHTS ON INTERIOR GEAR SHIFT GO OUT. AT FIRST THIS WOULD HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY - APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 TIMES A MONTH FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE WITH TIME TO TOTAL FAILURE. EVERY TIME I TRIED TO BRING IT INTO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD "ACT FINE" FOR THEM. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE I FIND OUT FORD KNOWS ITS A PROBLEM AND ISSUED A TSB 06-17-9 ON IT BUT IS FAILING TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND ISSUE A RECALL. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE A FEW DEATHS? I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT DUE TO THEIR LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CONCERNS WITH THE SAFETY OF THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, PREPARING TO TURN LEFT ONTO A FREEWAY ONRAMP. AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL, THE SPEED SUDDENLY INCREASED AND THE ENGINE REVVED. I APPLIED THE BRAKE, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV, AS THE THROTTLE WAS NOW STUCK. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED FORWARD AND I HAD TO THROW IT INTO PARK TO STOP THE FORWARD MOTION. THE ENGINE EVEN REVVED FASTER AND I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND ENGINE STOPPED. WHEN I RE-STARTED THE ENGINE, IT IMMEDIATELY CONTINUED TO REV OVER 4300 RPM AS THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC SAID THE THROTTLE CONTROL CABLE HAD BECOME STUCK AGAINST THE COLLAR SHOULDER, RESULTING IN THE THROTTLE BECOMING STUCK AND UNABLE TO DISENGAGE. *TR UPDATE BY SMCH: IT WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE NOT THE THROTTLE CABLE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PUSHED THE OVERDRIVE BUTTON TO DEACTIVATE THE SYSTEM BUT THE LIGHT DID NOT DEACTIVATE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AND THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST RESULTS SHOWED A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER STATED THE ENTIRE POWER TRAIN SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN DECREASING IN SPEED, IT APPEARED MY GAS PEDAL HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED. THE CAR WAS STILL ON SO I TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AND IT WORKED FINE. FOR A MONTH BEFORE HAND MY CAR WOULD MAKE A LOUD BANG AND JOLT WHEN EVER I SWITCHED BETWEEN DRIVE, REVERSE, PARK ETC. WHEN PRESENTING THE PROBLEM TO FORD THEY WERE VERY RUDE BUT EXPLAINED I HAD HEARD ABOUT THIS ISSUE ONLINE. THEY FINALLY LOOKED AT THE CAR FOR ME AND WERE GIVEN AN ERROR CODE (OF P101 I BELIEVE). *TR

HAD A FLAT TIRE AND HAD TO INSTALL THE SPARE TIRE THAT CAME WITH VEHICLE. AS SOON AS I GOT BACK ON THE ROAD , THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT, THE ABS LIGHT AND THE I-P BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WOULD GET ONLY 35 MPH. FOR ABOUT 7 TO 8 MILES, THEN PICKED UP SPEED SO I COULD RUN 50 MPH. UNTIL I HAD THE TIRE REPLACED. AFTER I HAD THE TIRE REPLACED I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE THE SYSTEM RESET SO THE LIGHTS WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL. THE UNIT THAT CONTROLS THIS HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCE IN TIRE SIZE HAD DESTROYED THE CONTROL UNIT. IT COST ME $313.50 TO HAVE A USED UNIT INSTALLED, IF IT HAD BEEN A NEW UNIT, IT WOULD HAVE COST OVER $600. FORD MOTOR CO. SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THE COST OF THIS REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY EQUIPMENT THAT WAS SUPPLIED WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN NEW. *TR

STOPPED AT A LIGHT MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. PROCEEDED OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND CAR WOULD NOT SPEED UP, THEN MADE A JERKING MOVEMENT LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN GEAR. ALMOST REAR-ENDED. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHERE I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. WHEN DRIVING TIRES ALWAYS SEEM LIKE IT IS ALWAYS ROCKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. TIRES WERE ROTATED DURING REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND BALANCED BUT NOTHING SEEM TO HELP WHAT DO I DO. I LIKE THE CAR BUT WOULD LIKE TO LIVE TO. *TR

MY WIFE WAS LEAVING WORK, WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE HER VAN HOME THE VAN WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AND KEPT STALLING. I JUST THANK GOD THAT THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE SHE WAS ON THE INTERSTATE. SHE WORKS PART TIME FOR A FORD DEALER AND WE WERE ABLE TO ROLL THE VAN AROUND TO THE SERVICE AREA. THREE DAYS LATER THE SERVICE WRITER NOTIFIED US THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE PCM MODULE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT BECAUSE OF A DESIGN FLAW WATER IS ABLE TO DRIP ONTO THE CONTROL MODULE THUS SHORTING IT OUT AND RENDERING THE CAR USELESS. I READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON LINE AS WELL AS DISCOVERING THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS CONDITION AND EVEN HAS A TSB OUT CONCERNING THIS SITUATION. I CALLED FORD AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AND EVEN MENTIONED THE KNOWN TSB. THEY WERE NOT VERY SYMPATHETIC AND WOULD DO NOTHING TO HELP ME OUT. WHEN I SAID I WAS GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA THEY INVITED ME TO DO SO. THE NEEDED REPAIR IS GOING TO RUN ME ROUGHLY 800.00 DOLLARS TO FIX. I HAVE TO PUT OUT MY HARD EARNED MONEY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT FORD IS AWARE OF BY THE EXISTENCE OF THEIR OWN TSB. I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR FORD'S MISTAKE, THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE OFFERED TO FIX IT FOR FREE REGARDLESS OF BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. WE HAVE BEEN VERY INCONVENIENCED BY THIS BEING ONE CAR DOWN. THERE ARE SEVEN FORDS IN OUR FAMILY AND I HAVE OWNED FORDS ALL MY LIFE. I PREVIOUSLY LOST A LOT OF MONEY ON A 99 WINDSTAR THAT LOST IT'S TRANSMISSION AT 80K. I WILL MORE THEN LIKELY BUY ANOTHER FORD BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF SWITCHING TO ANOTHER BRAND, ONE THAT STANDS BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT INSTEAD OF TURNING THEIR BACKS ON A LOYAL CUSTOMER. OTHER MANUFACTURES OFFER 100K OR TEN YEAR WARRANTIES, WHY CAN'T FORD? I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT MYSELF ALONG WITH OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM SHOULD BE COMPENSATED BY FORD, THEY ARE CLEARLY NEGLIGENT IN THIS SITUATION. *TR

DRIVER SIDE DOOR LATCH BROKE. DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE. THIS WOULD BE A GREAT ISSUE IF IT HAPPENED DURING A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE HANDLE ASSEMBLY. $65 FOR THE NEW PART. *TR

VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND LOST ALL SPEED WITH NO ACCELERATOR RESPONSE. GREEN WRENCH COMES ON. AFTER PULLING OVER AND RESTARTING CAR WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP PULLED P1144A TROUBLE CODE AND REPLACED THE PURGE VALVE. ONE DAY LATER, EXACT SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AND NOW THEY ARE REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY. *TR