MERCURY Complaints

WAS COMING HOME IN PITCH DARK AND THE HEADLIGHTS JUST WENT AND I RUN OFF THE ROAD, A GOOD THING THERE WAS NOT TREE THERE. THEN ON THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE, I DO NOT KNOW WHY SOMETHING HAS NOT BEEN DONE ABOUT IT. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 MERCURY MILAN AND I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE TWICE. ONCE WAS UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE "CHROME" PEELING OFF. THE SECOND TIME IT WAS REPLACED THE DOOR HANDLE BROKE AND I ENDED UP PAYING $54 FOR A NEW PLASTIC HANDLE. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE TO BREAK IN THE SAME SPOT AND HAD TO REPLACE IT AND THAT COST ME $35 AT THE TIME DUE TO ME WORKING FOR A LOCAL FORD COMPANY. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE OR YOU HAD AN ACCIDENT AND THE HANDLE HAPPENS TO BREAK AT THE SAME TIME YOU WOULD HAVE TO ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN TO OPEN THE HANDLE FROM THE OUTSIDE OR CRAWL TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET OUT. ANYONE OF LARGER SIZE WOULD HAVE TROUBLE CRAWLING TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I ALSO FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE TO RECALL THESE HANDLES AND PUT SOMETHING WITH HIGHER QUALITY IN THAT WILL NOT BREAK. I PERSONALLY FORESEE THIS BEING A LAWSUIT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ILLUMINATED SPORADICALLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN AND DISPLAYED A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE ON THE LCD AND A WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH. THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF COMPLETELY, NO ELECTRIC DRIVE EITHER. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. VEHICLE RESTARTED WITHIN A MINUTE AND OPERATED NORMALLY FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MERCURY MARINER AND FORD ESCAPE VERSIONS OF THIS VEHICLE. THERE IS EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION OF THIS ISSUE HERE: HTTP://WWW.GREENHYBRID.COM/DISCUSS/F26/STOP-SAFELY-NOW-11900/ APPARENTLY, MOST OF THESE CASES ARE CAUSED BY FAILING COOLING PUMPS. I JUST DON'T SEE HOW FORD COULD THINK TO PROGRAM A VEHICLE TO JUST SHUT DOWN BECAUSE A COMPONENT WAS OVERHEATING? HOW ABOUT A WARNING LIGHT AND TONE? *TR

REAR HATCH BACK GLASS BODY-SIDE HINGE BROKE ON RIGHT SIDE IN NORMAL OPENING OF GLASS. HINGE IS COMPOSED OF A BLACK PLASTIC OR NYLON RETAINING CLIP WITH A METAL PIN. THE PLASTIC APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED FROM FATIGUE. RECENT HIGH HEAT (100+ DEGREES FOR SEVERAL DAYS) MAY BE A FACTOR. PLASTIC BROKE THROUGH OVER THE PIN CHANNEL, ALLOWING THE PIN TO POP OUT. THE GLASS IS HEAVY AND TORQUED BY THE REMAINING HINGE AND TWO HYDRAULIC LIFTS. NO INJURIES, BUT EASILY COULD HAVE FALLEN, BROKE OR SHATTERED ON THE OPERATOR. THE HEAVY GLASS IS A DANGER ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN OR SMALLER ADULTS. THE OPERATOR FORTUNATELY HAD A WOOD SLAT IN THE BACK BIG ENOUGH TO PROP UP THE GLASS AND SUPPORT IT UNTIL HELP ARRIVED. EVEN WITH TWO ADULTS IT WAS HARD TO HOLD AND CONTROL THE GLASS TO CLOSE IT AND TAKE TO THE DEALER. RETENTION CLIP REALLY SHOULD HAVE EMBEDDED METAL REINFORCEMENT AROUND THE PIN.(THE LARGER EXPEDITION APPEARS TO HAVE JUST THAT IN THE EQUIVALENT PART.) READING ONLINE THERE ARE MANY CASES OF SIMILAR FAILURE THAT INCLUDED DAMAGE AND OR AT LEAST MINOR INJURIES. REPAIR WAS $270 AT A FORD DEALER. APPEARS TO BE COMMON ENOUGH FAILURE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW NOT TO BE REPEATED. ADMITTEDLY THIS APPEARED ON A HIGH MILEAGE NINE YEAR-OLD VEHICLE WHICH HAS OTHERWISE PROVIDED VERY GOOD SERVICE, BUT THE WEIGHT OF THE FALLING GLASS AND TORQUE INVOLVED WERE BOTH DANGEROUS AND COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY. OPERATOR FELT LUCKY TO CATCH AND CONTROL IT WITHOUT BREAKING THE GLASS OR GETTING HURT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MILAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON A WET ROAD AND ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE SLID IN THE ROAD UNTIL IT CAME TO A REST. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHERE THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS FOUND DEFECTIVE A SECOND TIME. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,600.

VEHICLE IS STUTTERING, DOES NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY. STALLS. RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE TORQUE CONVERTER RECALL NOTICE 3 MONTHS AGO CALLED FORD THE PARTS ARE NOT IN FOR REPAIR. PARTS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME -TOOK IT TO 3 SHOPS INCLUDING LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP $1500 LATER NOT FIXED.???? HELP!!!! UNEMPLOYED IN OHIO. *TR

DRIVING ON I-25 NORTHBOUND, AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE, WITH MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. WENT FROM 50 TO 65...STEPPED ON BRAKE, BRAKES SLOWED/STOPPED THE ACCELERATION...PULLED OFF AT THE FIRST EXIT RAMP. LOOKED UNDER HOOD, FOR ANYTHING NOT CORRECT...NOTHING VISUALLY DETECTED. DID THIS ONE MORE TIME...3 DAYS LATER. HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED SINCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, HE HEARD A BEEPING SOUND. A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO PULL OVER FOR SAFETY. HE WAS ABLE TO STOP AND RESET THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPAIR THE POWER TRAIN AXLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

I WENT TO LEAVE FROM A LOCAL PARK ON A SATURDAY EVENING, BUT MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SHOWED ME A TRICK HOW TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START, BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEY EVER SO SLIGHTLY AND THEN TRYING TO MOVE THE SHIFTER TO NEUTRAL. ONCE IN NEUTRAL I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE HOME. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ALMOST A WEEK BY STARTING IN NEUTRAL, I WAS STOPPED ON THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY BY POLICE. I WAS INFORMED THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY WORKING BRAKE LIGHTS. I DROVE HOME AND LOOKED ON THE INTERNET IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. WELL, THERE WAS A RECALL DONE IN 2004 (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: RQ03008), BUT I WAS INFORMED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY THAT MY VEHICLE BASED ON ITS VIN WAS NOT APART OF THE RECALL. I REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR AND WAS INSTRUCTED THAT SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT ME ON THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY. I WAS INDEED CONTACTED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND INFORMED AGAIN, THAT BASED ON MY VIN, THAT I DID NOT QUALIFY AS A PART OF THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD IF MORE COMPLAINTS WERE MADE, THEN SOMETHING COULD POSSIBLY BE DONE. I TOLD THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE THAT I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING MY VEHICLE REPAIRED AS I HAD THE REPAIR DONE BASED ON THE RECALL INFORMATION FOR APPROXIMATELY $50. THE ISSUE WAS EXACTLY AS IT WAS DESCRIBED ON THE NHTSA'S WEBSITE, MOTORTREND AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S. THE REPAIR TOOK APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE FUNCTIONING. MY CONCERN IS THAT FOR ALMOST A WEEK I DROVE WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS IN A VEHICLE WHERE I DRIVE AROUND WITH MY WIFE, A TODDLER, AND AN INFANT AND AT ANY POINT I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS 10 YEARS OLD, IT WILL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS. HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT DIMINISH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE FROM THIS DETECT. *TR