MERCURY Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON A LONG TRIP, WITHOUT WARNING, THE MEMORY SEATS CHANGE SEAT SETTING AND WENT BACK FULLY AS IF I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I WAS DRIVING WITHOUT MY ASSISTANCE. I FINALLY REALIZED THAT WHEN I TOUCHED THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION, THE SEAT WENT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL SETTING. WHEN THIS OCCURRED I WAS UNABLE TO REACH BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT TO OCCUR. IF THIS HAPPENED AT A TIME THAT I NEEDED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY FOR ME TO STOP. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION. ON 6/6/2012 THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN (MILEAGE 60774), THIS TIME I STRUCK THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, IT WAS A GOOD THING IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS IN TRAFFIC, AND NEITHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE SAME AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION AGAIN. THANK GOD ALL REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY TWICE. MY WARRANTY RUNS OUT AT 75000, WHAT IF IT HAPPENS A THIRD TIME, WHAT WILL MY COST THEN???? OR WHAT IF IT HAPPENS WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I NEED TO STOP?? *JS

I WAS FIRST IN LINE AT A RED LIGHT ON A 2-LANE HIGHWAY. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I ACCELERATED AND HALFWAY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION THE CAR "LURCHED" AND LOST POWER. THE CAR DIDN'T DIE BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE IN THE GAS PEDAL AND A WRENCH SYMBOL APPEARED IN THE DASH. I MADE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND TO THE SHOULDER AT IDLE SPEED (WITH A LINE OF CARS BEHIND ME). I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF FOR A MINUTE. IT RESTARTED OK, THE WRENCH WAS GONE AND THE CAR RAN FINE. I CONSIDERED IT A FLUKE UNTIL A WEEK LATER WHEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED, EXCEPT THAT I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH IN THE INSIDE LANE OF THE SAME HIGHWAY. LUCKILY THERE WAS ROOM TO CHANGE LANES WHILE DECELERATING AND I PULLED TO THE SHOULDER. AGAIN, IT RESTARTED FINE AFTER I TURNED IT OFF, AND THE WRENCH WAS GONE. I TOOK THE CAR FOR SERVICE AT A FORD DEALER BECAUSE LOSING POWER IN TRAFFIC IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND WHO KNOWS WHEN AND WHERE IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN. THE TECH FOUND A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BODY AND REPLACED IT AT A COST OF ABOUT $350 PARTS/LABOR. OF COURSE, WE ARE JUST OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD AT 41,000 MILES. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING, HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL INSTEAD. THE CONTACT CRASHED AGAINST ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A RESULT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO HOW CLOSE THE PEDALS WERE POSITIONED TO ONE ANOTHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 18,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING, HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL INSTEAD. THE CONTACT CRASHED AGAINST ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A RESULT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO HOW CLOSE THE PEDALS WERE POSITIONED TO ONE ANOTHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 18,000.

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE WE WENT BACK TO DEALER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT BOUNCY SUSPENSION THAT MADE THE CAR GO SIDEWAYS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS WHILE IN MILD TURNS (JUST HIGHWAY DIRECTION CHANGES NOT GETTING OFF/ON, ETC.). DEALER LOOKED INTO PROBLEM VIA FMC AND SAID THE 02 SUSPENSION HAD BEEN CHANGED TO IMPROVE ITS RIDE (HA). THE CHANGES WERE TOO GREAT TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE COMPONENTS TO GET THE RIDE BACK TO WHAT IT WAS IN EARLIER YEARS. ONLY CHANGES WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE IT WERE TO GET 4 NEW HIGH PRESSURE (FAST RESPONDING) KB SHOCKS AND GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TOURING (MORE FLEX IN SIDEWALL) TIRES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT. NOW THE CAR DOES NOT LATERALLY JUMP FEET BUT RATHER INCHES DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. ALSO: STARTING RELAY WAS REPLACED TWICE AND HARNESS CONTACTS IN LOWER STEERING COLUMN DEVELOPED POOR CONNECTIONS AND HAD TO BE SPRAYED WITH HIGH COST CAIG CONTACT IMPROVER TO GET CAR TO START CONSISTENTLY. ALSO: BRAKE PEDAL RAISE/LOWER MOTOR BURNED OUT DUE TO GEAR SEIZING UP IN THAT AREA AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY FINDING A REPLACEMENT ACROSS COUNTRY SINCE FMC DOESN'T MAKE PARTS ANYMORE (> 7 YRS I GUESS). ALSO: ALL 8 INDIVIDUAL CYLINDER SPARK COILS WERE REPLACED WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE AFTERMARKET ONES AFTER TWO OF FORDS COILS FAILED, ONE AT A TIME. ALL IN ALL NOT A GREAT CAR. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH ON 11/16/2011 WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, ENGINE STILL RUNNING BUT NO RESPONSE TO ACCELERATOR. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS MINIMAL TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST AND EXIT THE HIGHWAY INTO A TRUCK STOP. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A STATION THAT IDENTIFIED A THROTTLE ACTUATOR SHUTDOWN. SYSTEM WAS RESET BUT NO OTHER PROBLEM COULD BE IDENTIFIED AT THAT TIME. THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON 6/15/2012, TRAVELING AT APPROX. 40 MPH ON A BACK ROAD, NO OTHER TRAFFIC, WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO THE SIDE. VEHICLE MILEAGE AT TIME OF SECOND INCIDENT WAS APPROX 100,040. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE THE PART TO BE REPLACED WAS IDENTIFIED. MY CONCERN IS THIS REPRESENTS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD WERE THIS TO OCCUR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THERE IS ALSO A HARD JARRING OF THE TRANSMISSION WHEN THE THROTTLE SHUTDOWN OCCURS. *TR

I OWN A 2003 MERCURY SABLE, AND APPROXIMATELY BACK IN 2010 I EXPERIENCED MY FIRST FAILURE OF THE BLOWER RESISTOR MOTOR. THEN ONE MONTH LATER I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER FAILURE, BEING UNDER WARRANTY THEY REPLACED IT, ANOTHER MONTH GOES BY AND YET ANOTHER FAILURE, TAKE IT BACK AND WE TRIED TO FIGURE WHY IT WAS FAILING. WE THEN COME UP MY CAR WAS MAINLY GARAGED, AND I RARELY DRIVE IN THE RAIN. ON THE THREE DIFFERENT DATES OF FAILURE WE WERE EXPERIENCING HEAVY RAIN THAT I HAD DRIVEN IN AND UPON THE NEXT DAY OR TWO GOING OUT IT FAILED. THEY THEN PUT SILICONE AROUND AND NEAR EVERYTHING. NOW IT IS MAY OF 2012 AND I EXPERIENCE ANOTHER FAILURE, DOING SOME OF MY OWN INVESTIGATING I AM SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR 2001 - 2004 FORD TAURUS AND MERCURY SABLE CARS. AND THERE IS A TSB 04-15-3 ON HOW TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. TO ME THIS IS A VERY POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD SINCE WHEN THE WATER COMES INTO CONTACT WITH LIVE ELECTRICITY TO CAUSE THE BLOW OUT CAN INDEED CAUSE A SHOCK OR EVEN DAMAGE THE BLOWER MOTOR. AND IF A PERSON FOOT HAPPENS TO BE IN THE AREA WHEN THE SHORT HAPPENS THEY COULD GET AN UNEXPECTED JOLT AND GET HURT. THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATORY RECALL EVENT FOR THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE OPENED THE SUN ROOF AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THE SUN ROOF TO CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PERSONAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE SUN ROOF WAS CLOSED. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE MOTOR WAS FINE BUT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE SWITCH. THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND ONE WEEK AFTER HAVING IT REPAIRED, THE SUN ROOF WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000. UPDATED 8/24/12 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ACTIVATE THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS BY HOLDING THE TURN SIGNAL BAR. THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT CONTROL MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,800.