MERCURY Complaints

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT 5:50 AM IN THE DARK WHEN ON COMING TRAFFIC BEGAN FLASHING THEIR HEADLIGHTS AT ME. I THEN NOTICED THAT MY HEADLIGHTS (WHICH I ALWAYS HAVE SET ON AUTOMATIC) HAD GONE OUT WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD TO DRIVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO COME ON WITH THE SWITCH IN EITHER THE AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL SETTINGS. I REPEATEDLY SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT WITHOUT ANY LUCK. I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE SUN CAME UP TO CONTINUE DRIVING TO WORK. I GOGGLED THIS HEADLIGHT PROBLEM AND FOUND IT IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE OF THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE IN THE 2003-2005 FORD CROWN VICTORIA AND MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THESE CARS WITH THIS COMMON AND VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT AND WAS DIRECTED TO TAKE MY CAR TO A FORD DEALER FOR SERVICE. I PERSONALLY THINK FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRING THIS DEFECT WITH NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY ENGINE STARTED REVVING AND IT WAS LIKE I WAS IN NEUTRAL. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING FINE, I JUST HAD NO DRIVE OR REVERSE. I ONLY HAVE 70,000 MILES ON IT. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A RECURRING ITEM WITH THE MERCURY MONTEREY MINIVANS. IT'S A GOOD THING I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A SHOP WHERE THEY TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT. I THEN TOWED IT TO A FORD DEALER AND AM WAITING FOR THE DAMAGE..... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD LIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TURN THEM BACK ON BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO SIT INOPERABLE FOR SEVERAL HOURS, IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS THEN BECAME OPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

PAINT IS PEELING, LIKE THERE WAS NEVER A PRIMER PUT ON THE VEHICLE. ALSO THE VEHICLE SURGES QUITE OFTEN. I HAVE REPLACED THE MANIFOLD SPARK PLUGS SEVERAL TIMES ALSO COILS. IS THERE A RECALL ON MERCURYS PAINT THAT I CAN GET SOME HELP WITH? *TR

STALL ENGINE WITH NO POWER FOR FORWARD OR REVERSE. MALFUNCTION INDICATOR COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START FOR MORE THAN COUPLE SECONDS. MULTIPLE ABS AND DRIVE CODES BASED ON THE EEC TEST. REPAIR SHOP INSPECTS THE VEHICLE AND FOUND WATER INTRUSION TO THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) AND THE CONNECTOR PINS WHERE SHORT OUT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2005,MERCURY,GRAND MARQUIS, AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS COMPLETELY WENT OUT ON ME...MAKING VISIBILITY IMPOSSIBLE...AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM,I FIND THAT ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING OF THE VERY SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR MERCURY, GRAND MARQUIS...AFTER READING OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM,I WONDER WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN ON THE RECALL LIST......THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. *TR *JS

DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPLAINT: LCM KNOWN DEFECT: BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED, IN BOTH DIM AND HIGH-BEAM POSITIONS. THEY WILL NOT COME ON IN EITHER THE AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL DASHBOARD SWITCH POSITIONS. (THE BULBS ARE STILL GOOD.) THE PARKING LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, TAIL LIGHTS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUED TO FUNCTION. THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT. IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT THIS FAILURE WILL *ALWAYS* OCCUR AT NIGHT, OR DURING STORMY WEATHER, THREATENING SAFETY, BECAUSE HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT NORMALLY USED DURING THE DAYTIME. LATER TESTING REVEALED THE PROBLEM TO BE INTERMITTENT. AT ONE POINT, THE AUTOMATIC DASHBOARD SWITCH POSITION WORKED FOR BOTH DIM AND HIGH-BEAMS, BUT THE MANUAL SWITCH POSITION DID NOT WORK. THE NEXT MORNING, BOTH THE AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL POSITIONS WORKED. WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED, NEITHER POSITION WOULD WORK. THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND REPORTS FOR THE 2003-2005 MODEL YEARS, AND THE PROBLEM IS THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE. THIS MODULE IS SO UNRELIABLE THAT IT HAS BEEN NAMED THE "LIGHTS OUT MODULE" ON THE INTERNET. A SAMPLING OF COMPLAINTS CAN BE FOUND AT THESE WEB SITES: HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2003/FORD/CROWN_VICTORIA/EXTERIOR_LIGHTING/PROBLEM.ASPX HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2004/FORD/CROWN_VICTORIA/EXTERIOR_LIGHTING/PROBLEM.ASPX HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2005/FORD/CROWN_VICTORIA/EXTERIOR_LIGHTING/PROBLEM.ASPX. THIS IS A *SAFETY* ISSUE. LIVES ARE AT STAKE. PLEASE FORCE A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE KILLED. ALTHOUGH THE PARKING LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS CONTINUED TO WORK, SO OTHER DRIVERS CAN SEE THE CAR WITH THE FAILED HEADLIGHTS, THE DRIVER OF THE CAR WITH THE FAILED HEADLIGHTS *CANNOT* SEE WHERE HE IS GOING!! HE COULD RUN INTO A PARKED CAR, HIT A PEDESTRIAN, HIT A BICYCLIST, HIT A TREE OR OTHER OBSTRUCTION, ETC. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION! *TR

CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL AFTER COMING TO A STOP WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN BUSY INTERSECTION. WITH THE CAR IDLING AT 1000 RPMS, IT WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. I HAD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE DOWN COMPLETELY, RESTART IT, AND THEN IT WOULD MOVE FORWARD ONLY IF I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR IMMEDIATELY AFTER RESTARTING. IF TRAFFIC DID NOT ALLOW IMMEDIATE TRAVEL, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED. IF YOU COULD NOT PROCEED IMMEDIATELY THIS CYCLE WOULD CONTINUE MULTIPLE TIMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON OVER 30 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM CAUSED MULTIPLE SAFETY RISKS FROM SIDE OR REAR END COLLISIONS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A STAIN ON THE DRIVEWAY AND TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED, PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,473.

2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER DEFECT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION ON MARCH 29, 2012. THE NOTICE STATED HE WOULD BE NOTIFIED AGAIN BY MAIL WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, ON JULY 23, 2012, THE CONSUMER SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE AN INSPECTION REVEALED WORN SPLINES IN THE TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER IT WOULD TAKE A WEEK TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS. HOWEVER, A WEEK TURNED INTO A MONTH. THE VEHICLE WAS FINALLY RETURNED TO THE CONSUMER ON AUGUST 24, 2012. *JB