MERCURY Complaints

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO DECELERATE AND I WAS NOT TO GIVE THE CAR GAS TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF MOVING TRAFFIC. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND TURNING THE CAR ON AGAIN, THE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE RESET ITSELF AND THE CAR STARTED WORKING PROPERLY AGAIN. A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER, NOW AT 41000 MILES, THE CAR IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM MORE FREQUENTLY AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR WHEN THEY STATED TO ME THAT THE THROTTLE BODY KEPT GETTING STUCK CLOSED. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER AS A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BODY SHOULD NOT BE GOING OUT FOR A CAR THAT IS STILL PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW. *TR

I REGISTERED THIS COMPLAINT BEFORE VIA TELEPHONE. NOW I SEE THAT THE NHTSA IS LOOKING INTO FORD TAURUS WITH THE SAME ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THE E-RING ON THE END OF THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT USING THE CRUISE CONTROL, IF THE E-RING FAILS THE CABLE GETS CAUGHT AND THE CAR ACCELERATES. THIS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES AND WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN, THE DEALER COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THERE'S A COVER OVER THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WHERE THE E-RING IS. I RIPPED OFF THE COVER AND WORKED THE ACCELERATOR BY HAND AND SAW THE PROBLEM. I NEVER REPLACED THE E-RING AND JUST TIED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE AND NOT USE THE CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE STOPPED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE KICK DOWN CABLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,020.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 SABLE (24V DOHC) AND THE CAR BEGAN ACTING LIKE THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK. I COULD LIFT THE PEDAL UP WITH MY TOE AND THAT DID NOT STOP THE ACCELERATION. I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE CAR OFF AND COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR THE ENGINE WAS RACING. I OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE "A BROKEN (PLASTIC) RETAINER RING AT THE END OF THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE BY THE THROTTLE BODY" AS SOMEONE ELSE DESCRIBED IT BETTER THAN I COULD IN TECHNICAL DETAILS. I COULD RESET THE CABLE AND SEEMED TO BE FINE UNLESS I ACCELERATED TOO QUICKLY, BECAUSE THAT SEEMED TO WHAT TRIGGERED IT TO GET STUCK. I COULD STILL GO FAST (INTERSTATE SPEED), BUT I COULD NOT GO FAST TOO QUICKLY. I TEMPORARILY FIXED THE PROBLEM BY TAPING THE BROKEN CABLE WITH DUCT TAPE OR ELECTRICAL TAPE WHICH SEEMED TO WORK FOR A COUPLE MONTHS. I EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM ABOUT 10 TIMES IN A FOUR MONTH PERIOD BEFORE TRADING THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. DUE TO THE RECENT RECALL OF THE LATER MODELS TAURUSES I THOUGHT I SHOULD REPORT THE ISSUES I HAD. I NEVER INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS AND I NEVER TOOK IT TO A PROFESSIONAL FOR DIAGNOSIS. *TR

CRUISE CONTROL CABLE BROKE OR CAME LOOSE CAUSING THROTTLE RETURN SPRING TO FALL OFF. I COULD NOT STOP CAR NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE ENGINE RAN AT FULL SPEED. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON. I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. I STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN AND IT REVVED UP TO FULL SPEED IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE THE CAR OFF THE MAIN ROAD WITHOUT STARTING THE ENGINE. WE WERE FORTUNATE THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF US WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WE WERE ABOUT 50 YARDS FROM HAVING TO MAKE A SHARP LEFT TURN TO GO ONTO THE MAIN HIGHWAY AND TRAFFIC. WE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN WITHOUT CRASHING OR THE CAR TURNING OVER. MY WIFE AND I HAD JUST PICKED UP TWO OF OUR DOGS AT THE VET AND WERE RETURNING HOME. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD GARAGE IN THE NEXT TOWN. I BELIEVE FORD HAS A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN THEY ARE ADMITTING. THE MERCURY'S SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THEIR PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE THROTTLE HAD BECOME STUCK CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE ABNORMALLY. IN ORDER TO STOP THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VIGOROUSLY 3-4 TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE TRAVELING @ 35 MPH, WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO NEXT GEAR. *TR

IN JULY 2009 AT 40000 MILES THE RADIATOR HAD A HAIRLINE FRACTURE AND THE RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, PAID OUT OF POCKET BY OWNER. IN MARCH 2010, AT 60000 MILES, ANOTHER RADIATOR IS BEING PUT IN THIS VEHICLE, AGAIN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE FOR OWNER. THERE SHOULD NOT BE A NEED FOR A VEHICLE TO HAVE HAD 3 RADIATORS AT 60000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL AND THAT THESE ARE POORLY PLACED AND MANUFACTURED RADIATORS. FORD/MERCURY SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REIMBURSE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES FOR ANYONE THAT HAS PROOF OF RADIATORS BEING REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR FRONT HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL SPORADICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO KEEP THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS ACTIVATED AT ALL TIMES IN ORDER TO SEE PROPERLY AT NIGHT. A LOCAL MECHANIC REPAIRED THE FAILURE NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR. THE DEALER WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE MANUAL LIGHT SWITCH AND THE FUSES. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 109,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

VEHICLE STEERING BEGAN TO GRIND AND MAKE NOISES DURING TURNING OF STEERING WHEEL. VERY LOOSE STEERING AS IF STEERING IS COMING APART. HAVE REPORTED TO FORD, BUT STATED THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS, EVEN THOUGH NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON HERE AND OVER 550 ON EDMUNDS.COM. VEHICLE SEEMS UNSAFE AND ONLY 68000 MILES. *TR