MERCURY Complaints

BACKING UP LESS THAN 5 MPH--ALL AT ONCE HEARD A POP, THE CAR STOPPED MOVING AND WHOOSHING AIR. GOT OUT OF CAR-- DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE SPRING HAD BROKEN AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. LUCKILY, IT HAPPENED AT HOME-- NOT WHEN MY STUDENT DRIVER WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH OR MORE. OVER 2,400 CASES REPORTED AS OF JUNE 30, 2011-- YET, NO ONE HAS DIED OR BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED YET-- SO NO RECALL. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD-- IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS. THE SPRING WEDGED INTO THE TIRE AND STOPPED THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR-- NO WAY WOULD I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STEER AND GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. I HOPE THEY REOPEN THIS INVESTIGATION. *TR

I NOTICED THAT THE CAR DID NOT DECELERATE WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN I BRAKED, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE RACE EVEN FASTER. AT THE LIGHT I KEPT IT IN NEUTRAL AND GAVE IT GAS WHILE BRAKED. THEN IT WENT BACK TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED. IT HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THAT FIRST INCIDENT. PREVIOUS TO THAT FIRST INCIDENT, I NOTICED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKED. *TR

THERE IS A SPEED CONTROL ISSUE. INTERMITTENTLY, THE CAR WILL BECOME LOCKED AT 2 RPM WHILE STILL ACCELERATING TO 65+ MPH. THE DRIVING IS NON-SPECIFIC; I COULD BE IDLING, ON THE FREEWAY OR ON SURFACE STREETS. ALTHOUGH I REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR CONTINUES TO SPEED UP. IMMEDIATELY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE ISSUE EITHER. ONCE THE CAR IS TURNED ON AGAIN, IT LOCKS AT 4 RPM WHILE IN PARK. THE ISSUE MAY TAKE UP TO 30MINS TO SUBSIDE. LUCKILY, THE BRAKES HAVE YET TO FAIL WHEN THE CAR VOLUNTARILY ACCELERATES (ALTHOUGH THIS DOES WEAR ON THE BRAKES LIKE CRAZY). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ABOVE 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXTREME PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE SHUT OFF IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 147,585.

L/H TONE RING ON AXEL CRACKED AND THREW AN ABS WARNING, BRAKE SERVICE WARNING AND 4WD LIGHT BLINKING. AT APPROX 65,000 THE R/H TONE RING CRACKED AS WELL BUT WAS SMALL ENOUGH THAT IT DID NOT TRIP THE SENSOR. I NOTICED A CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNING INTO PARKING SPACES. THIS WAS FIXED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. FROM SEARCHES ON THE INTERNET THIS SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW OF THIS WEAK PART. DEALERS TRY TO GET YOU TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE AXEL WHICH IS NOT NEEDED AS DID THE FORD DEALER IN MARGATE. FORD SHOULD BE REPLACING THESE TONE RINGS WITH A PART WITH STRONGER TENSILE STRENGTH SO IT DOES NOT CRACK. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS IT WILL STRAND MANY WHO SEE ALL THE LIGHTS AND WARNINGS GO OFF AND THINK THEY CANNOT CONTINUE DRIVING. THIS IS A POOR DESIGN, A POORLY MADE PART AND THROUGH IT'S DEALER NETWORK A RIP-OFF FOR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE TOLD THE ENTIRE AXEL NEEDS REPLACEMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCURY MONTEGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HIM ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE LOCATION OF IMPACT WAS THE FENDER AND DOORS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DOORS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WERE CAVED IN AS A RESULT. THE DRIVER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES DURING THE CRASH. THE POLICE STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,449 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000. UPDATED 04/10/12*LJ UPDATED 04/16/12 UPDATED 05/02/12. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INVOLUNTARILY ACCELERATE WHILE AT COMPLETE STOPS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A SENSOR THAT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 04/10/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED, IT WOULD RUN AT A HIGH RATE ABOVE IDLE. IT WOULD CONTINUE UNTIL THE ENGINE WARMED UP. THE CONSUMER STATED THE IDLE SPEED CAN NOT BE REGULATED. UPDATED 04/13/12

CRUISE CONTROL- THE OFF BUTTON ON THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS IN OPERATION PUSHING THE OFF BUTTON WILL NOT SHUT OFF THE CRUISE UNLESS YOU POUND ON THE BUTTON MULTIPLE TIMES OR PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE OFF BUTTON IS DEFECTIVE. *TR

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS I HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM OF WHEN BRAKING THE CAR SPEEDS UP AND I WOULD HAVE TO SLAME THE BRAKES ON SO I WOULD NOT REAR END THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME. I KEPT THINKING IT WAS SOMETHING I DID BUT AFTER SEEING REPORT TODAY I SURE IT WAS NOTHING I DID. GLAD TO SEE THAT THE 2004 SABLE WAS NOW ADDED. WILL BE CALLINF FORD TODAY.... *TR

WHENEVER I TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONER OR HEATER MY CAR ACCELERATES SUDDENLY IN A RANDOMLY MANNER FOR NO REASON BY ITSELF, WHEN HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER IS TURNED OFF THE PROBLEM STOPS, THERE'S NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND AN INSPECTION YIELDED NO PROBLEMS, I AM NOT SURE IF THE PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL OR ANYTHING ELSE AND A LOCAL FORD DEALER HAS REFUSED TO FIX THE ISSUE. *TR