MERCURY Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 MERCURY MARQUIS ONE EVENING, MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I TRIED TURNING THE SWITCH ON THE DASHBOARD TO THE HEADLIGHT POSITION BECAUSE ORIGINALLY IT WAS ON THE SENSOR POSITION, BUT THEY DIDN'T COME BACK ON. NO MATTER WHAT I DID, THEY REMAINED OFF. FROM THAT NIGHT ON, MY HEADLIGHTS WORK SPORADICALLY. SOMETIMES THEY'LL COME ON RIGHT AWAY AND THEN GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES THEY'LL COME ON IN THE DAYLIGHT WITH THE SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION. IT'S VERY SCARY WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN A BACK COUNTRY ROAD WHERE THERE'S NO STREET LIGHTS AND YOUR HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET LIGHT WAS TO HOLD BACK ON THE HIGH BEAM LEVER. THAT WAS WEIRD TOO BECAUSE THE HIGH BEAMS WOULDN'T WORK WHEN I PUT THE LEVER IN THE ON POSITION, ONLY WHEN I PULLED BACK ON THE LEVER WHICH PUTS THE HIGH BEAMS ON FOR AS LONG AS YOU HOLD THE LEVER. ONE NIGHT I DROVE FOR ABOUT 5 MILES AND THE HEADLIGHTS STAYED ON THE WHOLE TIME. THERE'S JUST NO KNOWING WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO WORK, AND IF THEY DO, HOW LONG THEY'LL STAY ON. I UNDERSTAND IT'S GOING TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT I DON'T HAVE $800 SO HAVEN'T HAD IT REPAIRED YET. I JUST DON'T DRIVE AFTER DARK, WHICH IS VERY INCONVENIENT! *TR

2000 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS - HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND THE ENGINE IS OFF. *TR

OWN A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY WITH A REBUILT TRANNY WHEN BOUGHT. 3 YOUNG KIDS UNDER AGE 3. TRANSMISSION JUST WENT WHILE DRIVING WITH ALL 3 KIDS. THANK GOD NO-ONE WAS HURT! THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL???? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS ADVISED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC THAT THE LIGHT CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,500.

IN DECEMBER OF 2009 I REPORTED AN INCIDENCE OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. SINCE THEN WE HAVE NOT BEEN USING THE CRUISE CONTROL MUCH. YESTERDAY I ACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL AT 60MPH ON A LONG FLAT AREA. THERE IS A MOUNTAIN PASS AND CURVES BETWEEN THAT AREA AND OUR HOME. I HIT THE BRAKE AND SLOWED DOWN AROUND THE 35 MPH CURVES. ON THE DOWN GRADE I TOOK IT OUT OF OVER DRIVE AND DROPPED DOWN A GEAR. THE ROAD FLATTENS OUT AGAIN AT THE BOTTOM BUT I DID NOT REENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. AT ONE POINT AT AN INTERSECTION I HAD TO BRAKE TO TEN MILES PER HOUR OR LESS FOR AN ONCOMING CAR. JUST AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO OUR STREET THE CAR BEGAN RAPIDLY ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. I DIDN'T HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. SINCE THE ROAD IS STRAIGHT I ALLOWED IT TO ACCELERATE TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD DO. IT WENT FROM 10 MPH TO 50 MPH BEFORE MY WIFE ASKED, "WHY ARE YOU ACCELERATING? I REPLIED, " I'M NOT. IT'S DOING IT ON ITS OWN." IT DISENGAGED AS SOON AS I HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL. THERE IS NO WAY THIS WAS CAUSED BY A FLOOR MAT. I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 10MPH WHEN IT BEGAN ACCELERATING AND I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL. THE LAST TIME I COMPLAINED TO FORD THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD LESS THAN 36,000 MILES ON IT. FORD SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SINCE IT WAS INTERMITTENT AND THEY HADN'T EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. ANOTHER SAFETY PROBLEM WE HAVE HAD WITH THE CAR: WHEN IT HAD 26,000 MILES ON IT THE FRONT END BEGAN SHAKING WHEN BRAKING. FORD SAID THE FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED AND RESURFACED THEM UNDER THE WARRANTY. THEY REFUSED TO CHANGE THE PADS OR INSTALL NEW ROTORS. ABOUT 15,000 MILES LATER IT BEGAN VIBRATING AGAIN AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50MPH. NOW THE VIBRATION IS SEVERE. WE ARE LOOKING AT A COMPLETE BRAKE OVERHAUL. WE HAVE NEVER DETECTED THE BRAKES BEING OVERHEATED WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAD WAS THAT THE TRANS COOLER WENT OUT AT 26,000 MILES. FORD INSTALLED A NEW ONE UNDER WARRANTY BUT REFUSED TO DRAIN AND REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. *TR

2002 MERCURY SABLE WITH 60,000 MILES AND ALWAYS GARAGED. REAR SPRING BROKE ON SMOOTH CITY STREET PUNCTURING AND SHREDDING TIRE CAUSING VIOLENT JERK AND SLIDING OF REAR OF VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND FRONT SPRINGS ARE COVERED UNDER RECALL 04V332000 BUT FORD CLAIMS THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE REAR. IF IT IS ESTABLISHED THAT SPRINGS ARE DEFECTIVE WHY DOES FRONT VERSUS REAR MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE? *TR

1997 FORD GRAND MARQUIS - OCCASIONAL INTERRUPTIONS IN ELECTRICAL POWER WERE OCCURRING WITH THE RADIO GOING OFF, THE LOW FUEL LEVEL LIGHT GOING ON, AND THE BATTERY METER DROPPING. AFTER REPLACING THE BATTERY THE INTERRUPTIONS CONTINUED UNTIL FINALLY THE BATTERY CABLES CAUGHT ON FIRE. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND BY THIS TIME THE INSULATION ON BOTH THE POSITIVE AND GROUND CABLES HAD COMPLETELY BURNED OFF AND THE BATTERY CONTINUED TO SUPPLY CURRENT. I KNOCKED OFF THE GROUND TERMINAL AND DOSED THE FIRE WITH WATER. *TR

2000 MERCURY COUGAR, EXPERIENCED EQUIPMENT FAILURE WITH HER LEFT TIRE THAT ALSO DAMAGED TO THE VEHICLE. *BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0338-90)*JB UPDATED 08/05/10 *BF

2001 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. CONSUMER STATED FAULTY THERMOSTAT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT, PROBLEMS WERE ENCOUNTERED. THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING BOLTS WOULD NOT READILY UNSCREW. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT IF MORE FORCE WAS EXERTED, THE PLASTIC-LIKE INTAKE MANIFOLD THROUGH WHICH THE BOLTS FASTENED, WOULD CRACK/BREAK AND REQUIRE A VERY EXPENSIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACEMENT. THE CONSUMER DECIDED TO WAIT ON THE REPAIR AND CONTACTED THREE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIPS FOR SECOND OPINIONS. ALL THREE INFORMED THE CONSUMER THEY WOULD BE CAREFUL, BUT THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE HIM THAT THEY WOULD NOT CRACK THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IN ATTEMPTING TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT. *JB UPDATED 08/10/10.*JB

WE HAVE A 2005 MERCURY MONTEREY VAN. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS REGARDING TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN WHICH THE US GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED TO REACT TO. IT HAPPENED TO MY WIFE AND I ON SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 9PM WHILE TRAVELING ON A BUSY 4 LANE ROAD. WE WERE PROCEEDING HOME AND THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY DIS-ENGAGED LEAVING US POWERLESS IN THE LEFT LANE OF THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO AVOID TRAFFIC AND SAFELY GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THE NEGLECT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DEFECT AS I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FAMILIES PUT IN HARM'S WAY WITH THE ASSOCIATED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT THE NHTSA AND FORD ARE AWARE OF. HAVE EYES BEEN TURNED BECAUSE THIS IS AN AMERICAN COMPANY? YOU GUYS JUMPED ALL OVER TOYOTA FOR PROBLEMS. I EXPECT AN ANSWER! *TR