MERCURY Complaints

WHEN SWITCHING LANES ON A HIGHWAY AT 45 MPH, ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE BUT CAR WHICH IS AN AUTOMATIC WOULD NOT SHIFT. HAD TO GET TO SHOULDER TO GET CAR SLOWED DOWN AND GET IT TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. AFTER THAT INCIDENT IT WOULD ONLY DRIVE IN THE LOWER DRIVE GEAR NOT IN THE NORMAL DRIVE GEAR. AFTER CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 30 MINUTES, THE CAR WOULD WORK IN NORMAL DRIVE GEAR BUT STILL DID A HARD POP TO SHIFT GEARS WITH A HARD ACCELERATION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL AND THAN POP INTO GEAR. FORD IS AWARE OF ISSUE AS HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON CORRECTING THE ISSUE. A TRANSMISSION WITH ONLY 70000 MILES SHOULD NOT BE SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL BY ITSELF WHICH CREATES A POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT ESPECIALLY ON A HIGHWAY THAT MAY NOT HAVE SHOULDERS FOR THE DRIVER TO MOVE ITS NOW SLOW VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC. *TR

POWERTRAIN: FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WENT OUT (SQUEELING SOUND) IN 2006 WITH 8K MILES ON VEHICLE. A TSB WAS OUT FOR THAT ISSUE AND THE WHEEL BEARINGS(2) WERE REPLACED. THE FRONT BEARINGS WENT OUT AGAIN IN 2009 AT ABOUT 27K MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS COVERED BY A FORD ESP. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T HEAR THE NOISE - THE NOISE WOULD COME AND GO - SO NO REPAIR WAS DONE AT THAT TIME. I HAVE THE REPAIR ORDER STATING "NO PROBLEM FOUND". NOW AT 35K MILES THE BEARING NOISE HAS BECOME MUCH WORSE AND MUCH MORE FREQUENT BUT NOW THE WARRANTY IS OVER AND IT WILL COST ABOUT $700 TO REPAIR. WHAT KIND OF POORLY MADE BEARINGS ARE THESE? BODY: IN 2009 I NOTICED RUST AT THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL AREA AND IT IS NOW COMING THROUGH THE LEFT QUARTER PANEL. THERE IS ALSO RUST AT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL AREA ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT GONE THROUGH THE RIGHT QUARTER PANEL. LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT DOORS ALSO RUSTING AT THE BOTTOM FACING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A WATER HEATER IN THE CONTACT'S GARAGE. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES BUT THERE WERE MAJOR DAMAGES TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,100.

MY VEHICLE STARTED LEAKING FLUORESCENT OIL FROM BEHIND THE RADIATOR. APPARENTLY, IT'S THE CONDENSER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE RADIATOR LINES RUN THROUGH THE SAME SYSTEM, AND THAT IF IT IS NOT REPAIRED MY TRANSMISSION WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL. THIS FAILURE WAS EXPLAINED TO BE THE TRANSMISSION LOCKING UP, AND THEY SAID IF I'M GOING OVER ABOUT 30 MPH IT WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS. I AM ABOUT 2,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THE EMAILS I HAVE SENT TO FORD ONLY GET A RESPONSE THAT THEY WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE MY MONEY AND FIX IT. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF BUYING IT, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REMOVED TO REPAIR SOMETHING. THEN, A TRANSMISSION SOLENOID. THEN, IT WAS SHIFTING FUNNY -BECAUSE IT HAD VERY LITTLE FLUID-NOONE COULD EXPLAIN WHY. THE VIBRATION IN THE GAS PEDAL AT 42 MPH "COULD NOT BE VERIFIED. " THE MANUFACTURER WAS APPARENTLY OUT OF SATELLITE RECEIVERS, SO THEY JUST DIDN'T PUT ONE IN...THE LACK OF QUALITY OVERALL PROVES THAT THE LENGTH OF THE WARRANTY IS TO PREVENT THEM FROM COSTLY FIXES...AND MY "LONG TERM INVESTMENT " MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'M PUTTING MINE AND MY FAMILY'S HEALTH AT RISK BY DRIVING IT. I SPENT EVERY DIME I SAVED IN IRAQ ON THIS POS BECAUSE I KNEW I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD ANOTHER VEHICLE UNTIL I'M OUT OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. *TR

ON THREE OR FOUR OCCASIONS OVER A MONTH OR SO, MY HEADLIGHTS, WHICH I TURNED ON MANUALLY, WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE LAST TIME IT OCCURRED, I WAS ON A DARK, UNLIT, TWO-LANE ROAD AND THOUGHT I WOULD NOT GET HOME ALIVE. I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS SO THAT OTHER VEHICLES WOULD SEE ME. WHEN THE ROAD WAS CLEAR, I STARTED THE CAR AGAIN, TURNED ON THE HEADLAMPS AND PROCEEDED TO CONTINUE MY RIDE HOME. THE LIGHTS AGAIN WENT OUT AND I REPEATED THE PROCESS UNTIL I WAS HOME SAFELY. AFTER THAT, I DROVE ONLY DURING DAYLIGHT. I WENT TO A SPARTAN AUTO CARE CENTER AND AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC SCAN, WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE HEAD LIGHT CONTROL MODULE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE GRAND MARQUIS. I ELECTED TO TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER WHEN I FINALLY COULD AFFORD TO REPAIR IT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEAD LIGHT CONTROL MODULE ON MARCH 30, 2012 AT A COST OF $760.43. I HAVE SEEN A LITANY OF COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS, SO THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. I THINK THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT AND WE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE EXPENSE INVOLVED. *TR

WIRE HARNESS FAILURE IN RUBBER BOOTS FROM BODY OF CAR TO REAR LIFT GATE ON STATION WAGON MODEL. INSULATION CRACKING AND WIRE BREAKING COMPLETELY IN FLEXIBLE RUBBER BOOT CAUSES ERRATIC BEHAVIOR AND ULTIMATE FAILURE OF HIGH BRAKE LIGHT, BACK UP LIGHTS, LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS, REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER, REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER, OPEN LIFT GATE AND OPEN REAR WINDOW SAFETY SENSORS AND STEREO SPEAKERS. INSULATION AND WIRING WITHIN BOOT HAS BECOME BRITTLE AND FATIGUED. CLEAN BREAKS IN WIRES FROM OPENING AND CLOSING LIFT GATE ARE EVIDENT. WIRES WHERE INSULATION HAS BROKEN THROUGH ARE COMING IN CONTACT WITH OTHER CIRCUITS WHERE THAT INSULATION HAS BROKEN THROUGH AND RESULTS IN "CONFUSING" OPERATION OF LIGHTS. IE PUT CAR IN REVERSE AND HIGH BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON - PUT FOOT ON BRAKE AND HIGH BRAKE LIGHT GOES OUT. BACKUP LIGHTS DON'T COME ON AT ALL. IE TURN ON REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER AND LICENSE PLATE LIGHT COMES ON. WIRING DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF MULTIPLE INTERNAL COPPER STRANDS OR SUPPLE ENOUGH INSULATION TO PROVIDE NEEDED FLEXIBILITY DURING REGULAR OPENING AND CLOSING OF REAR LIFT GATE. BELIEVE THIS TO BE A LATENT SAFETY DEFECT. MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE KNOWN DURING DESIGN THAT WIRING IN BOOT TO STATION WAGON LIFT GATE WOULD BE PRONE TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH REGULAR USE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LIFT GATE EXHIBITED A QUARTER INCH CRACK FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE REAR WINDOW AND DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE REAR HATCHBACK DOOR. AS A RESULT, WATER WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE CRACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE HAD STRONG ODOR OF MOLD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,848.

LARGE SECTION OF DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL/UNDERBODY, BROKE OFF FROM VEHICLE INCLUDING AN ANCHOR FOR THE THIRD ROW SEAT. THIS LEFT THE THIRD ROW SEAT UNSAFE TO USE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS. PIECE WAS CLEARLY ROTTED THROUGH. WE ARE TOLD IT WILL COST $1200 TO REPAIR, PARTS ARE SCARCE AND DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN. UNABLE TO SAFELY UTILIZE THIRD ROW SEAT UNTIL REPAIRED. WATER IS TRAPPED IN THE UNDERBODY AND COULD BE DAMAGING TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. PICTURES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *JS

THE HEADLIGHT RELAY PORTION OF THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE INTERMITTENTLY FAILS CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS TO TURN OFF. THIS RESULTS IN LOSS OF VISIBILITY, AND COULD RESULT IN A COLLISION. THE LIGHTS REMAIN OFF FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN TURN BACK ON. I HAVE EXPERIENCED 1-2 MINUTE PERIODS WITHOUT LIGHT. THIS IS A WELL KNOW ISSUE WITH 2003-2004 FORD CROWN VICTORIA, MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS, AND MERCURY MARAUDER (LINCOLN TOWN CAR MAY ALSO BE INVOLVED). *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER DRIVING INTO A PARKING GARAGE, THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 150,000.