MERCURY Complaints

I OWN A 2008 MERCURY MARINER AND I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED WITH ITS SAFETY. ON 03/15/13 I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. I PROCEEDED TO PUT IN REVERSE TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD AND BACKED INTO THE DRIVE. I TURNED ALL POWER DOWN THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE WITH NO PROBLEMS IN THE STEERING. I WENT TO PICK UP MY KIDS AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO PULSATE AND I COULD HEAR A CLUNKING NOISE WHILE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN. EVERYTIME I CAME TO A STOP IT WOULD DO IT. ON SAT. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL SHOP. WE COULDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN. THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON LINE TO SEE IF THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE OR IF A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN PLACED AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I SET UP AN APPT WITH THE DEALER FOR TUES. I WAS WORKING ON MON. AND LEFT TO RUN AN ERRAND FOR WORK AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITH OUT WARNING I LOST ALL POWER IN THE DRIVING AND HEARD A LOUD GRINDING AND THEN CLUNK. I THOUGHT THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT! I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON MY HAZARDS TO TRY AND GET OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD CAUSE I WAS SLOWING DOWN EXTREMELY FAST. I WAS ALMOST IN A 3 CAR ACCIDENT AND LUCKILY EVERYBODY IS OK, BUT IT COULD OF BEEN A LOT WORSE! I WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THEY CONFIRMED MY FEARS. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. THEY TOLD ME THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO CAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS! WHEN I ASKED AS TO WHY, THE SAID NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE! WOW, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!? HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THESE ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED? VERY UNHAPPY BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO COST $5200 TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN! HOLD FORD ACCOUNTABLE! *TR

TRANSMISSION ISSUES: PROBLEM MAINLY OCCURS WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR WHILE IN "DRIVE" OR AUTOMATIC MODE. UNDER SLOW TO MODERATE ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE RPMS GO UP TO APPROXIMATELY 3,500 PROCEEDING TO SHIFT ABRUPTLY INTO 3RD GEAR. THIS ISSUE CAN BE REPLICATED WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMP OR BELOW. THIS HAS CAUSED WHEEL SPIN WITH WET AND SNOW COVERED ROADS RESULTING LOSS OF CONTROL/ SKIDDING WHILE TURNING UNDER THE ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE HARD SHIFTING WAS NOTICED THE DAY I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND MORE SO DURING THE LAST SNOW FALL WHEN IT BECAME A CONCERN! *TR

THE TRUNK REFLECTOR PLASTIC PEGS BROKE AND I'VE SEEN THIS ON OTHER TRACERS AS WELL. WE ARE UNABLE TO FIND ANOTHER. IF WE WERE TO GO TO A USED CAR PARTS LOT, MOST LIKELY, THEY WOULD BREAK BEFORE WE COULD POP ONE OFF. WE ARE FORCED TO USE TAPE TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT PART COULDN'T BE ORDERED ANYMORE. YES, THIS IS AN OLD CAR, BUT STILL, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY WITHOUT OUR TRUNK REFLECTOR BLOWING OFF AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER REAR TAIL LIGHT IS DOING THE SAME THING TOO. THE LIGHT WORKS, BUT THE PLASTIC FITTINGS BREAK AND THE LIGHT COULD BLOW OFF AS WELL--BUT IT IS MOSTLY INTACT AT THIS TIME AND I'M PRETTY SURE I CAN BUY ANOTHER, HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME OUR TAPE DOES RUN FROM MOST OF THE REFLECTOR TO THE LIGHT AS WELL. I JUST THINK THEY SHOULD MAKE A TRUNK REFLECTOR THAT DOESN'T BLOW OFF. I DON'T CARE HOW OLD THE CAR IS. *TR

WHILE ENTERING INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, ENGINE BALKED LIKE BAD GAS. AFTER TWO OR THREE TANKFULS AND THE VEHICLE DYING IN TRAFFIC, I LEFT IT WITH MY DEALER TO FIND THE PROBLEM. AFTER A WEEK, THE VEHICLE HAD NOT DIED FOR THEM SO I BROUGHT IT HOME, ONLY TO CONTINUE WITH THE SAME DYING AND HESITATING WHEN ACCELERATED. A MONTH OR SO LATER THE DEALER KEPT IT AGAIN FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS AND IT STILL DID OKAY FOR THEM. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE "PROBLEM" IS. WE HAVE PARKED THE CAR IN OUR GARAGE BECAUSE SEVERAL TIMES WE HAVE NARROWLY ESCAPED BEING REAR-ENDED, WHEN TURNING CORNERS, CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS, ETC. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. IN MICHIGAN AND THEY DO NOT "HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER VEHICLES" AND DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. MECHANICS IN TWO OTHER GARAGES HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND HAVE NOT LOCATED THE PROBLEM. HELP!! *TR

WHEN TRAVELING IN "OVERDRIVE", UPON ACCELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BUCK, VIOLENTLY DEPENDING HOW HARD YOU PRESS ON THE PEDAL. THE ONLY TIME THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN IS IF YOU CONTROL THE VEHICLE SPEED WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVEN,T HAD IT GO TO THE DEALER AS OF YET FOR INSPECTION, SO THERE ARE NO CONCLUSIONS AS OF YET AS TO WHAT MAY BE WRONG. *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, ENGINE IDLES BUT NO PROPULSION, SPEEDOMETER INSTANTLY DROPS TO ZERO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE REAR AXLE SHAFT, BEARINGS AND, SEALS PREMATURELY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 52,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000. *TR...UPDATED 04/25/13 *BF THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THERE IS A REPLACEMENT PART BUT IT WILL ALSO FAIL IN DUE TIME. UPDATED 05/17/2013*JS

IN JULY OF 2011 I NOTICED A SMALL PIECE OF METAL, LOOKED LIKE A PIECE OF THE SPRING TO MY CAR. IT WAS ON THE GROUND NEXT TO THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE. AT THE TIME I LOOKED AT THE SPRING ( NOT ON JACK STANDS NOR DID I JACK THE CAR UP) NOT KNOWING IF IT CAME FROM MY CAR. I THOUGHT IT WAS ODD THAT A PIECE WAS ON THE GROUND AND MY CAR DIDN'T SEEM TO DRIVE ANY DIFFERENT NOR DID I HEAR ANYTHING. THEN MARCH OF 2013 I HAD TO CHANGE MY BACK BRAKES, I JACKED UP THE REAR DRIVER SIDE AND THE SPRING JUST FELL OFF INTO PIECES. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WASN'T ON THE ROADWAYS DRIVING. A NEIGHBOR WHO IS A MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING HE HAS SAW. I MEAN THIS SPRING WAS IN PIECES AND THE PIECES JUST BROKE OFF FROM ONE ANOTHER. THERE WAS NO CRACKS, THE ENDS OF THE PIECES DID NOT HAVE RUST ON THEM. IT WAS LIKE IT JUST CRUMBLED. I HAVE SAW A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET AND I COULD IMAGINE ALL THE ONES THAT AREN'T ON THE INTERNET. LIKE MY SELF IF I DIDN'T SEE THIS SITE IN ANOTHER WEBSITE THAT I READ, I WOULDN'T OF KNOWN THAT I COULD WRITE TO SOMEONE ABOUT THE REAR SPRINGS TO MY CAR WHEN I SAW THERE WASN'T A RECALL FOR THIS. I APPRECIATE IF YOU LOOK INTO THIS KNOWING THAT THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS MATTER ONE OF THESE TIMES, IF IT HASN'T BEEN ALREADY. I THINK FORD SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FAULTY REAR SPRINGS ON THIS VEHICLE AND NOT JUST THE FRONT. HOPE THIS MATTER CAN BE RESOLVED APPROPRIATELY WITH FORD TAKING TIME TO LOOK INTO IT FOR THERE LOYAL CUSTOMERS! *TR

WITHIN THE LAST WEEK MY 2001 MERCURY SABLE REACHED THE 60,000 MILE MARK. ONCE OVER THAT MARK THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEGAN TO STICK EACH TIME I WOULD ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE TOO MUCH. FOR EXAMPLE, MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND NEEDING TO SPEED UP THE CAR WOULD REV THE ENGINE AS WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL. THIS WOULD CONTINUE AS IF I WAS PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FLOOR EVEN IF MY FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. THE ONLY RESOLUTION TO THIS SUDDEN EXTREME ACCELERATION WOULD BE TO STOMP ON THE ACCELERATOR OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IN ONE INSTANCE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP EVEN AFTER IT WAS PUT INTO PARK, IT WASN'T UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF WHEN IT STOPPED. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES BEFORE I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO BE REPAIRED. *TR