MERCURY Complaints

I HAVE A 2009 MERC SABLE PREMIERE, WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD THE STRUTS BOTTOM OUT, AND THE CAR LIKE SLIDES SIDE WAYS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT FORD SAYS WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS THE CAR WILL BOTTOM OUT AND THIS IS NORMAL. I TOLD THE SERVICE MAN THAT THIS WAS [XXX] AND HE SAID HE COULD NOT REPLACE THE STRUTS UNTIL THEY RECALL THEM. I ASKED HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPLACE THEM MYSELF AND HE SAID IT WOULD RUN $1000. TO HAVE ALL 4 REPLACED. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO GET KILLED BEFORE THEY WILL COVER THIS? I STILL HAVE WARRANTY LEFT ON MY CAR AND I WANT IT FIXED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FAILURE OF ABS BRAKES ON 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR TWICE. SUMMER OF 2009 AND THE SUMMER OF 2010. BOTH TIMES I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE INCONSISTENT BRAKING RESPONSE AND LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. DRIVER EXPERIENCES OVERLY SHARP BRAKING AND A "GRABBING" SENSATION AS WELL AS VERY SOFT BRAKING AND "COASTING" SENSATION ALMOST AS IF THERE ARE NO BRAKES OR VERY LITTLE BRAKING. IT IS VERY HARD TO DRIVE SAFELY IN THIS CONDITION. BOTH TIMES, REPAIR INCLUDED REPLACING THE MASTER CYLINDER WITH A $1500 BILL. THIS RESULTED IN $3000 IN REPAIR COSTS TO AVOID CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED ONCE ON A 2008 CAR MUCH LESS TWICE AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS AS MUCH TOLD ME THEY FEEL THIS MAY BE A SYSTEM DESIGN FLAW THAT NEEDS CORRECTING THROUGH RECALL. *TR

HELLO, WE HAVE A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD LIGHTS SHUTTING OFF AT RANDOM TIMES. NOTHING GAVE WARNING TO THIS PROBLEM HAPPENING, WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED, AND WAS JUST FINE FOR A YEAR, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE DAY THE HEADLIGHTS JUST GO OUT. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO(3-1-10). NOW EVERYTIME IT IS DRIVEN WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON, IT IS GUARANTEED TO HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE AND SOMETIMES UP TO 5 TIMES JUST IN 3 MILES OF DRIVING ON MY WIFE'S WAY HOME FROM WORK. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON AFTER THEY GO OUT IS TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT THE CAR OFF, LET SIT FOR A FEW MIN, THEN START AND THEY WORK AGAIN FOR A BIT. THIS IS OVERALL VERY DANGEROUS AND SURPRISING THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR RECEIVED A TICKET YET! I AM A ACTIVE MEMBER ON A CROWN VICTORIA FORUM, AND WITH LITTLE SEARCHING ON THAT SITE OR GOOGLE YOU WILL SEE TONS OF REPORTS OF THIS BEING A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THE 2003-2005 CROWN VICTORIA, GRAND MARQUIS, AND MERCURY MARAUDER. WITH THE HELP OF OTHER MEMBERS ON THAT FORUM IT WAS FOUND TO BE A FAULTY LCM(LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE) WHICH HAS A PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING LIGHTING RELAYS. THE ONLY WAY TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM IS TO PURCHASE A NEW LCM FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN $250 AND $600 WITH NO GUARANTEE HOW LONG THAT PART WILL LAST. I ACTUALLY PURCHASED A NEW ONE TODAY. VERY EXPENSIVE FIX JUST FOR THE USE OF HEADLIGHTS, BUT I VALUE MY FAMILIES SAFETY MORE. I WILL BE KEEPING MY OLD LCM TO POSSIBLY HAVE IT REPAIRED FOR WHEN MY NEW PART FAILS AGAIN. THANKS SO MUCH. *TR

REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES, 2000 MERCURY SABLE. WAS DRIVING THE CAR, TURNED INTO A DRIVEWAY AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE, LIKE A JOINT POPPING. REAR END OF VEHICLE SAGS ON BOTH SIDES AND POPPING NOISE OCCURS EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE MAKES A TURN. GOING TO MECHANIC FOR REPLACEMENT OF COIL SPRINGS AND STRUTS, ESTIMATED COST WITH LABOR $400+. *TR

FAILURE OF REAR STRUTS, BROKEN SPRINGS ON A 2001 SABLE WITH 32,000 MILES. ADVISED BY GARAGE AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT ALL TAURUS AND SABLE MODELS BREAK. SPRINGS CAN BREAK AND PUNCTURE REAR TIRES CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY. REPLACED BOTH SIDES ONE SIDE BROKEN IN TWO PLACES. LABOR WAS INTENSIVE DUE TO STRIPPED AND BROKEN PINCH BOLTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH IN REVERSE THE CONTACT SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE,. AFTER EXAMINING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING HAD PUNCTURED THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TIRE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR AND THE PASSENGERS SIDE FRONT DOOR WOULD OPEN WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. WHEN SHE CLOSED THE DOORS THEY COULD BE PUSHED OPEN WITH LITTLE EFFORT. FORD WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 96V070000, LATCHES, LOCKS, LINKAGES, AND DOOR LATCH WAS, ISSUED FOR HER YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED OF THE 10 YEAR EXPIRATION PERIOD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 114,000.

WE HAD TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO GET IT CHECKED BY A COMPUTER AT A LOCAL SERVICE PARTS SHOP. WHEN WE CAME BACK WE STOPPED MY CAR AND IT WAS NOT RUNNING, IGNITION OFF. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND ITS AIR BAGS HAD GONE OFF, BREAKING MY CAR'S WINDSHIELD AND OBVIOUSLY MAKING A MESS IN MY CAR. THIS CONCERNS ME SINCE MY HUSBAND AND I HAD JUST BEEN IN THE CAR A WHILE AGO AND COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURY TO US WITHOUT CAUSE. *TR

MY GRAND MARQUIS LS 2008 PAINT HAVE CRACKED AND FALLING OFF THE HOOD, TOP, AND BACK. IT IS RUSTED ON TOP WERE THE PAINT HAVE PEEL OFF AND NOW ITS STARTING ON THE HOOD. TOOK BACK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PAINT ON CAR WAS NOT COVER. IT START PEELING TWO MONTH AFTER WE GOT THE CAR DIDN'T HAVE THEM MANY MILES. SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT MY CAR PEELING PAINT. EVERY TIME YOU WASH THE CAR MORE PAINT COMING OFF. AFTER THAT THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM WENT OUT AND THEY TOLD ME THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE. *TR

THE AIR BAG ON MY 2008 (PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST 2009) MERCURY MARINER DEPLOYED (NO ACCIDENT) FORD, IN EFFECT CALLED ME A LIAR BUT FARMERS INSURANCE FIXED THE PROBLEM AND DID NOT CHARGE THE INCIDENT AS AN ACCIDENT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE BUT AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE FORD WHILE BEING VERY POLITE SAID THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED. THAT HAS THE EFFECT OF CALLING ME A LIAR BUT, THERE ARE ARTICLES THAT SHOW THAT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT DOES HAPPEN. *TR