MERCURY Complaints

I WENT TO LEAVE FROM A LOCAL PARK ON A SATURDAY EVENING, BUT MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SHOWED ME A TRICK HOW TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START, BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEY EVER SO SLIGHTLY AND THEN TRYING TO MOVE THE SHIFTER TO NEUTRAL. ONCE IN NEUTRAL I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE HOME. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ALMOST A WEEK BY STARTING IN NEUTRAL, I WAS STOPPED ON THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY BY POLICE. I WAS INFORMED THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY WORKING BRAKE LIGHTS. I DROVE HOME AND LOOKED ON THE INTERNET IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. WELL, THERE WAS A RECALL DONE IN 2004 (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: RQ03008), BUT I WAS INFORMED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY THAT MY VEHICLE BASED ON ITS VIN WAS NOT APART OF THE RECALL. I REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR AND WAS INSTRUCTED THAT SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT ME ON THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY. I WAS INDEED CONTACTED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND INFORMED AGAIN, THAT BASED ON MY VIN, THAT I DID NOT QUALIFY AS A PART OF THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD IF MORE COMPLAINTS WERE MADE, THEN SOMETHING COULD POSSIBLY BE DONE. I TOLD THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE THAT I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING MY VEHICLE REPAIRED AS I HAD THE REPAIR DONE BASED ON THE RECALL INFORMATION FOR APPROXIMATELY $50. THE ISSUE WAS EXACTLY AS IT WAS DESCRIBED ON THE NHTSA'S WEBSITE, MOTORTREND AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S. THE REPAIR TOOK APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE FUNCTIONING. MY CONCERN IS THAT FOR ALMOST A WEEK I DROVE WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS IN A VEHICLE WHERE I DRIVE AROUND WITH MY WIFE, A TODDLER, AND AN INFANT AND AT ANY POINT I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS 10 YEARS OLD, IT WILL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS. HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT DIMINISH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE FROM THIS DETECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED STALLING WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO GET THE LIGHTS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY BUT TO NO AVAIL. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE HIGH BEAMS TO WORK BY HOLDING THE WAND IN THE FLASH TO PASS MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PERSONAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 42,000. ....UPDATED 10/11/12 *BF UPDATED 10/15/2012 *JS

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 COUGAR AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE FUEL LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE VEHICLE SURGING WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY LOCAL DEALER AND THE ONLY RESOLUTION HE COULD PROVIDE ME WAS TO HAVE A TECHNICIAN DRIVE IT AND SEE IF IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. EVEN THOUGH I EXPLAINED THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ISSUE BY OTHER DRIVERS ON LINE, HE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL "BATCH" OF VEHICLES. I COULD PAY THE $100 DIAG FEE IN THE EVENT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT REPEAT THE COMPLAINT. EITHER WAY, I WOULD BE PAYING FOR THE REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET. *TR

I WAS PARKING THE CAR WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT STICK BROKE AND ENDED IN MY HAND THE WHOLE PART. *TR

DRIVING THE CAR IN COLD WEATHER THE THROTTLE WOULD STICK FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF MILES UNTIL THE CAR WAS WARMED UP. THIS IS A 4CYL.AUTO TRANS./ SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE AS FORD ESCAPE. *TR

TRUCK COOLING SYSTEM DIED WHICH CAUSED THE TRUCK TO CATCH FIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, SMOKE PORING OUT, STATE TROOPERS HAD TO ASSIST US. MY DAUGHTER WAS SCARED TO DEATH AND NOW REFUSES TO GET BACK IN THE TRUCK EVEN THOUGH WE GOT A NEW ENGINE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE WE SPENT 3000 ON AND ENGINE...500 ON COOLING SYSTEM AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPROGRAMMED. THE TRUCK IS STILL HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS AND NOW FOR SAYS IT NEEDS THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT OR REPLACED. ALL OF THIS IS OUT OF POCKET. WE CANT EVEN TRADE IT IN BC THEY WILL ONLY GIVE US 1/2 OF WHAT WE PAID FOR IT 2 YRS AGO. NIGHTMARE AND MAKES ME SICK THAT FORD DOESN'T CARE. *TR

CAR WAS COMPLETLY STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD 5 FEET WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS MAKES THE 3RD OR 4TH TIME IN THE PAST YEAR IT HAS HAPPENED. LUCKY NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY MYSTIQUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A LEAK UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE PRESSURE CONSCIOUS REGULATING VALVE ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V075000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS) AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 93,000. UPDATED 8/23/12 *CN

TRAVELING ON CRUISE CONTROL @ 70 MPH IN LEFT LANE OF 4 LANE DIVIDED HWY....VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND RPM INCREASED. COASTED TO A STOP TO THE SHOULDER ACROSS HEAVY TRAFFIC. ENGINE RAN NORMALLY BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR AFT ON ITS OWN POWER. DEALERSHIP IDEED PROBLEM AS SHEARED SHAFT IN TRANSMISSION. TRANNY WAS REPLACED AT MY COST WITH A FORD REBUILT (HAS SAME SHAFT PART THAT SHEARED IN THE ORIGINAL). HAVE RECEIVED INITIAL RECALL NOTIFICATION BUT NOTHING ELSE. BOTTOMLINE: NO LUCK TO DATE ON RECALL. *TR