MERCURY Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE 1 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED THAT THE COIL SPRING PUNCTURED THE TIRE CAUSING IT TO BURST. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE COIL SPRING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE GS . WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AND IT PULLED TO THE LEFT. ALSO THERE WAS A BURNING RUBBER ODOR. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT COIL SPRING ON THE DRIVER SIDE WAS BROKEN. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION FOR THAT FAILURE (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA08018). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT HIS OWN EXPENSE AND SAVE RECEIPTS IF IN THE FUTURE THERE WAS RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,409. UPDATED 03/29/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE STRUTS, BEARING PLATES AND LEFT LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 08/22/11

THE BACK LIFT GATE IS CRACKED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW, AROUND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MERCURY EMBLEM, AND ALL THE WAY DOWN. I'VE NOTICED THE SAME CRACKING ON ALMOST EVERY OTHER MOUNTAINEER ON THE ROADS, AND I SEE A HUGE NUMBER OF THE SAME COMPLAINT ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DEFECT AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE EXPRESSWAY THE DOME LIGHT WENT ON, THE DRIVER SEAT WENT FULLY BACK AND RECLINED A LITTLE, AND THE PEDALS MOVED. THIS ACTION WOULD BE CONSISTENT AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE DRIVER WAS EXITING THE VEHICLE. THIS WOULD NOT BE A CONCERN FOR A TALLER DRIVER BUT FOR MY WIFE WHO IS CONSIDERABLY SHORTER COULD NOT TOUCH THE PEDALS WHICH COULD LEAD INTO AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE THAT HAPPENS AT LEAST TWICE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DAILY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ATTEMPTING A TURN WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SLIGHTLY COLLAPSED IN A TILED POSITION TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AT AN EXTREMELY LOW SPEED RATE TO THE NEAREST DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING FRACTURED, AND WAS REPLACED. MOST RECENTLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING COMPLETELY FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE TIRE TO EXPLODE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. UPDATED 3/14/11 *CN UPDATED 12/14/11 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIATOR CONTINUED TO LEAK COOLANT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIATOR WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED TWICE FOR THE EXACT SAME FAILURE. THE LEAKING HAD NOT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT BUT THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COOLANT ODOR WAS OVERWHELMING FROM THE VEHICLE INTERIOR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

I AM WRITING THE NHTSA IN ORDER TO WARN OF A DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY FATAL, HAZARDOUS CONDITION ON A MERCURY AUTOMOBILE. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THIS CONDITION HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY A PREVIOUS RECALL NOTICE ON EARLIER YEAR MODELS OF THE MERCURY SABLE BUT NOT ON THE YEAR MODEL THAT I OWN. I OWN A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. IN FEBRUARY OF 2010 I HAD A FLAT TIRE ON MY DRIVER'S REAR SIDE WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. WHEN I REMOVED THE TIRE I FOUND THAT A SPRING HAD BROKEN AND PUNCTURED THE SIDE OF THE TIRE AND HAD CUT THE TIRE IN A CIRCULAR MOTION CAUSING A RAPID EXPULSION OF AIR. ON JANUARY 1 OF 2011 THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE FLATTENED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED AGAIN. THE SPRING HAD BROKEN AND PUNCTURED THE SIDE OF THE TIRE. AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION TO SEE IF OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AND FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V332000. CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V332000 EXACTLY DESCRIBES THE CONDITIONS THAT I HAVE ON MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE AND THE RECALL COVERS 1999-2001 AND DOES NOT ADDRESS THE REAR SPRINGS. WERE THESE TO OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THIS CONDITION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL TO THE VEHICLE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY IMMEDIATELY IN ORDER TO WARN THE PUBLIC OF THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. EXPANSION OF THE RECALL SHOULD INCLUDE THE LATER YEAR MODELS AND THE REAR SPRINGS OF ALL VEHICLES THAT UTILIZE THESE SPRINGS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED AT A FORD/MERCURY DEALERSHIP AND HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE, RECALL OR OTHERWISE, CONCERNING THIS CONDITION. *TR

SUBFRAME OF VEHICLE IS SEVERELY RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND. MOST OF THE BODY ROT IS COVERED BY THE PLASTIC MOLDING UNDER THE DOORS, AND IS NOT VISIBLE UNTIL THE MOLDING IS REMOVED. IT SEEMS THAT WATER AND ROAD SALT MUST GET TRAPPED BETWEEN THE MOLDING AND METAL LEADING TO THE EXTENSIVE RUST. THE FRAME BREAKING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WOULD LEAD TO A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHICH COULD CAUSE A POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON I-81 AT NIGHT, I OPERATED MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL WHILE ACCELERATING TO ABOUT 75 MPH TO PASS A TRUCK AND MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I ACCIDENTLY FORCED THE HIGH BEAM ON BY FLIPPING THE TURN/HIGH BEAM LEVER AND I HELD THE LEVER IN THAT POSITION UNTIL I COULD RETURN TO THE RIGHT LANE BEHIND THE TRUCK AND STOP ON THE ROADSIDE. TO SAY I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE IS NOT SIMPLY DRAMA. THE WORST PART WAS NOT KNOWING IF MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE WORKING. WHILE OFF THE ROAD, I COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. I PUT ON THE LOW BEAM AND PROCEEDED ON I-81. AFTER SOME MILES, I AGAIN TRIED THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL AND AGAIN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. THIS TIME I WAS READY, AND USED THE HIGH BEAM LEVER TO GET TO THE ROADSIDE. AGAIN I COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. I EXITED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, RUNNING ON LOW BEAM, AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN ON THE RAMP WHEN I OPERATED THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL. I CONTINUED TO OCALA BY WAY OF ATLANTA, RUNNING IN DAYLIGHT ONLY. I TOOK THE CAR TO OCALA FORD AS SOON AS I ARRIVED IN OCALA. THE DEALER HAD THE CAR SEVERAL DAYS AND FINALLY DUPLICATED THE FAILURE. THEY REPLACED A MODULE AT THE COST OF $786.00 AND SAID THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. NO REPAIR WAS DONE TO THE TURN SIGNAL. I GOT THE MODULE FROM THE DEALER AND SENT IT TO NHTSA FOR TESTING TO DETERMINE IF IT ACTUALLY WAS DEFECTIVE. IF NOT, THEN MY CAR PRESENTS A RISK TO EVERYONE SHARING THE HIGHWAY WITH ME AT NIGHT, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WOULD STILL BE THERE. IN MY OPINION, SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE SUCH AS THIS PRESENTS FATAL RISK TO ANYONE INVOLVED IN A CRASH, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THIS FAILURE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH REASONABLE WEAR AND TEAR, IT IS A DESIGN/MANUFACTURING DEFECT, WORSENED BY A FAILURE BY FORD TO PROVIDE A DIAGNOSTIC PROGRAM. SINCE THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, PEOPLE MAY HAVE ALREADY DIED AND NO TRACE OF THE FAILURE WOULD BE FOUND BY EXAMINING THE WRECK. UPDATED 01/19/11/*JB UPDATED 01/20/11 *BF

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY AROUND THE PERIMETER OF OUR LOCAL MALL. SUDDENLY THE VAN SLOWED, AND SHE NOTICED THE TACHOMETER SHOWED THE RPMS INCREASING AS THE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. THE VAN STOPPED DEAD. SHE HAD TO CALL ME TO PUSH THE VAN INTO A PARKING SPACE UNTIL WE COULD HAVE IT TOWED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE A HANDICAPPED 19 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, AND RELY ON THIS VAN FOR HER TRANSPORTATION, SO ON TOP OF THE SAFETY ISSUE, THIS IS A TREMENDOUS INCONVENIENCE FOR US. *TR