MERCURY Complaints

ON THE EVENING MARCH 18,2010 I STARTED MY CAR..IT WAS DARK. I PROCEEDED FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE AT WHICH TIME I ENTERED THE INTERSTATE I87.II WAS DRIVING FOR 5-10 MINUTES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE,WITH CARS PASSING ON BOTH SIDES. I MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN AND MOVE TO THE SHOULDER.SCARY WASN'T THE WORD. I TRIED TURNING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF/ON. NOTHING HAPPENED WHILE II WAS WORKING THE SWITCH, THE LIGHTS CAME ON..LIGHTS ON, I STARTED DRIVING. WITHIN 10 MILES, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. ON OFF FOR THE NEXT 20 MILES..HOME>>>>II FIGURED OUT THAT I COULD HAVE LIGHTS IF I HELD THE FLASHER BAR ON BRIGHT. ONCOMING TRAFFIC DIDN'T LIKE THE BRIGHTS, BUT I HAD LIGHTS..TEMPORARY.. SO THE PROBLEM CONTINUES WHEN DRIVING IN THE DARK. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO PATTERN..THE LIGHTS WILL GO OUT..THEN, HOLD THE FLASHER BAR FOR LIGHTS..I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND 100'S OF OTHER S WITH THE SIMILAR PROBLEM. I CALLED FORD AND THEY ARE NOT DOING NOTHING. WHAT A SERIOUS INCIDENT LOOKING TO HAPPEN ... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCURY MILAN. THE CONTACT STATED HE NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS FLAT AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, FOUND THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS CRACKED. THE VALVE STEMS ON EACH TIRE WERE CRACKED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL TIRE FACILITY WHERE THE VALVE STEMS WERE REPLACED ACCORDINGLY. THE FAILURE WAS 35,801 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 65,000 UPDATED 08/11/10. *LJ UPDATED 08/17/10.*JB

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) PLEASE SEE YOUR REPORT PE09033. MY MERCURY SABLE USES THE SAME TRANSMISSION. AND THIS WEEK END ME AND MY FAMILY ALMOST GOT KILLED WHEN ON I-75 IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONSTRUCTION ZONE WITH CONCRETE BARRIERS ON BOTH SIDES MY TRANSMISSION DIED WITH NO WARNING. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 40000 MILES ON IT AND I CHANGED THE FLUID AS RECOMMENDED AT 30000 MILES. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THIS WAS A CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT 40000 MILES! THE MECHANIC SAID TO ME YOU HAD NO WARNING DID YOU! I AGREED. HE SAID THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD PROBABLY FAILED! THE HE TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ABOUT $2200 FOR PARTS AND ABOUT $1100 FOR LABOR A GRAND TOTAL OF $3300. I AM AN ENGINEER SO I KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT ENGINES AND MECHANICAL APPLICATIONS. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. I BELIEVE AFTER SOME RESEARCH THAT THESE TRANSMISSIONS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT DESIGN FAULT IN THEM PARTLY FROM TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE AND PARTLY FROM OVER HEATING BECAUSE OF POOR CIRCULATION AND HEAT DISSIPATION DESIGN. I WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA ABOUT THE ABOVE AND JOIN OR START A CAMPAIGN FOR A RECALL ABOUT THE ABOVE STATED PROBLEM. I HOPE THAT AT SOME POINT I WILL HAVE SOME RECOURSE WITH FORD. SO WITH SOME ANTICIPATION I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST SOME HELP OR A RESPONSE WITH TO MY REQUEST. [XXX] *TR

I HAD THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK REPLACED AT SEPARATE TIMES DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD ON MY 2006 MERCURY MARINER. THIS WAS BETWEEN JANUARY 2008 AND DECEMBER 2008. NOW THEY ARE FAILING ONCE AGAIN. SHOULD THERE BE A RECALL ON THESE ITEMS? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH IN A PARKING LOT, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF ANTI-FREEZE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION AT ANY GIVEN SPEED BEING TRAVELED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR WHICH CAUSED EXCESSIVE ANTI-FREEZE LEAKAGE. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE ANTI-FREEZE LEAKAGE WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLIANT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,244.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MERCURY MILAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS DIFFICULT TO READ DURING THE DAY AND HE DID NOT KNOW HIS SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. HE WAS AWAITING A CALL BACK FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 300.

TL*THE CONTACT LEASED A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH UP A HILL, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT IT AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE RELATED TO THE ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOUR TIMES BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT DUPLICATED. THE ODOR SEEMED BE INSIDE OF THE VENTS WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO USE THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 231. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 18,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR COIL SPRINGS FAILED IN MARCH 2010 WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING. ON MAY 23, 2010, WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO ADVISED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIRS AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 102,000.

GLASS LIFT GATE STRUT FROZE WHEN IT WAS OPENED WHEN I TRIED TO CLOSE IT, THE FORCE BROKE THE HINGE AT THE TOP. IF I HAD NOT IMMEDIATELY SUPPORTED THE LIFT GATE IT WOULD HAVE FALLEN. THE HINGE ON THE OTHER SIDE WAS CRACKED AND BENT AND ABOUT TO GIVE. THE EMBLEM ON THE GATE HAS ALSO BEEN CRACKED FOR QUITE AWHILE. I DID HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ISSUE ADDRESSED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT STILL EXPERIENCE TRANSMISSION SLAMMING INTO GEAR IN REVERSE AT VARIOUS TIMES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRE WAS WORN PREMATURELY AND WAS CAUSING THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE TO VEER ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL TIRE SPECIALIST WHO ADVISED THAT THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING HAD FAILED CAUSING THE TIRE TO WEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 134,000.