MERCURY Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SURGE BACK AND FORTH AND THEN THE SHUT OFF. HE HAD TO WAIT APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 25 MPH WITHOUT SHUTTING OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE FAILED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THE REPAIR COST WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $200. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V421000 COMPONENT: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE IS RELATED TO THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VEHICLES IDENTIFICATION NUMBER NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE PARKED IN THE RESIDENCE CARPORT, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE MASSIVE FIRE COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE VEHICLE AND CAUSED DAMAGES TO THE HOME. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. AT THIS TIME THE CAUSE OF FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND INSURANCE COMPANY WERE NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 96,000.

HEADLIGHTS TURN THEMSELVES OFF AND ON EVERY FEW MINUTES OR SO AT NIGHT OR ANYTIME... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT INTENTION THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. AFTER REPEATED BRAKE APPLICATION THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. SHE WAS ABLE TO DECELERATE BY DRIVING ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TOWING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

I ALSO HAVE A CRACK ON MY LIFT GATE AROUND THE EMBLEM AND EVERY MERCURY I SEE ON THE ROAD ALSO HAS IT. I ALSO BELIEVE THEY SHOULD DO A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. *TR

ON 09-24-2009 WHILE TRAVELING ON I-95 TOWARDS MAINE NEAR PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, OUR VEHICLE A 2008 MERCURY MARINER, WITH 15,682 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, LOST ALL BRAKING CAPABILITY AT 65 MPH. BEING A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER I WAS ABLE TO TALK MY WIFE, WHO WAS DRIVING, OVER INTO A BREAKDOWN LANE IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID COLLISION WITH TRACTOR TRAILERS, MOTOR VEHICLES AND FIXED OBJECTS. ULTIMATELY THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ONTO AN OFF RAMP AND ONTO A SIDEWALK AND GRASS AREA TO INCREASE FRICTION TO REDUCE SPEED. THIS WAS SEVERAL MILES IN THE MAKING AND WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO UNDER 40 MPH WE PLACED IT IN NEUTRAL AND WERE ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. WE NOTED THAT THE RPMS WERE IN THE 4,000 TO 5,000 RANGE AS THE THROTTLE APPEARED STUCK. AFTER TOWING TO PORTSMOUTH FORD, IN PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE; TECHNICIANS THERE DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A STRETCHED THROTTLE CONTROL & CABLE ASSEMBLY (PART #7L8Z*9!758*C CABLE ASS-THROTTLE CONTRO AND PART # 8L*Z*9725*A SHAFT MT79758A-ACCELERATOR CABLE). TECHICIANS STATED THAT THE STRETCH ACCELERATOR CABLE (WHICH THEY SAID WAS POORLY DESIGNED) CAUSED THE THROTTLE AND CRUISE CONTROL TO LOCK, WHICH OVER RODE THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WARRANTY REPAIRS WERE MADE INVOICE 497086 TAG CUSTOMER #8023451243. WE NARROWLY AVOIDED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT AND FEEL THIS SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION AS A DEFECT MAY EXIST IN OTHER SIMLLAR 2008 MERCURY MARINERS. *TR

THE CAR STARTED NORMAL AT WORK AND DROVE 20 MINUTES TO HOME. PLACED CAR IN PARK, AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN IGNITION TO OFF, BUT THE KEY SWITCH ROTATED FREELY WITH NO RESISTANCE. THE KEY SWITCH WAS TRIED AGAIN TO TURN OFF IGNITION BY TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION FULLY WITH NO AFFECT. KEY WAS REMOVED, SWITCH ROTATED FREELY. STEERING COULD NOT BE LOCKED. THEN ATTEMPTED TO STOP ENGINE BY ANOTHER METHOD. LIFTED HOOD AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY - ALTERNATOR KEEP IT RUNNING. OWNER MANUAL SHOWED IGNITION FUSE WHICH WAS PULLED TO STOP MOTOR. SWITCH WAS STILL IN ON POSITION WHEN BATTERY WAS RECONNECTED. THE CAR COULD NOT BE RESTARTED BY KEY SWITCH. BATTERY DISCONNECTED TO DISABLE AIRBAG UNTIL REPAIRS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. REPAIRS: I DID THIS MYSELF. THE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO COME COMPLETELY OFF. I DETERMINED IT WOULD TAKE 5 TO 6 HOURS OF WORK TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM AND FIX. A DEALER WOULD HAVE CHARGE FOR THIS. AFTER STEERING COLUMN WAS REMOVED THE SWITCH MECHANISM WAS EXAMINED FOR PROBLEM. THIS WAS A TILT TYPE COLUMN. A PLASTIC SHAFT EXTENDED FROM THE KEY SWITCH ACROSS THE TILT AREA TO A PLASTIC SWITCH ACTUATOR IN THE MAIN COLUMN SHAFT. A THIN 1 INCH LONG STEEL BEARING TYPE PIN WAS FOUND STUCK TO SOME GREASE. THE COLUMN WAS TAKEN APART AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE PIN FIT INTO A HOLE IN THE SWITCH ACTUATOR. THIS PIN WAS FORCED BACK INTO THE HOLE, SUPER GLUED, AND STEERING COLUMN WAS REASSEMBLED AND PLACED BACK IN THE CAR. LOOSE SHIFTER BOLT TIGHTENED. IGNITION SWITCH WAS CHECKED. SLIDER HAD RESISTANCE TO BEING MOVED AND SHOWED SOME CONTACT BURNS. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. STEERING COLUMN WITH FIXED SWITCH ACTUATOR WAS INSTALLED. CAR STARTED NORMAL WITH NO RESISTANCE TO IGNITION. TURNS ON AND OFF NORMAL. CONSEQUENCE OF IGNITION ACTUATOR LINK FAILURE IS HIGH DANGER WITH A STUCK ACCELERATOR OR PARKING IN A CONFINED SPACE (GARAGE). ENGINE CAN NOT BE TURNED OFF IN DANGEROUS THESE SITUATIONS OR AN AUTO ACCIDENT. SWITCH ACTUATOR IS POOR DESIGNED WITH PARTS THAT FALL OUT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS LS. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, SMOKE ENGULFED THE FRONT-END OF THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY AN UNDERHOOD FIRE THAT CAUSED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD TO BREAK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT AND THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE LEVEL OF SAFETY OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY, AND HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THEM ON MANUALLY. THE ONLY WAY TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON WAS TO ACTIVATE THE HIGH BEAMS, OR RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL .THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

WE PURCHASED A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER APPROX. 9 MONTHS AGO AND HAVE NOW DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL HAS GONE OUT. WHEN WE DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A MASSIVE RECALL BETWEEN 2002 - 2006 FOR THIS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT ON MOUNTAINEERS, EXPLORERS, EXPEDITIONS AND RANGE/LND ROVERS. WHEN WE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO; THEY SAID THAT OUR PARTICULAR VIN# DID NOT MAKE THE RECALL LIST. WHEN I ASKED HOW COME A MANUFACTURE'S DEFECT COULD NOT MAKE THE RECALL LIST THEY SAID IT COULD BE AN OVERSIGHT OR JUST MAYBE NOT FOR THAT MODEL. I THEN ASKED HOW COME THE RESEARCH PROVED TO SHOW THAT THESE WERE DEFECTIVE UPON MANUFACTURING AND SOME OF THEM NOT GET RECALLED THEY HAD NO ANSWER FOR ME. WE NOW HAVE A VEHICLE THAT IS INOPERATIVE AND NOBODY WANTS TO CLARIFY THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE HAD 2 ESTIMATES BOTH WITH USED PARTS FROM A WRECKING YARD. THE 1ST ESTIMATE WAS $1350 AND THE 2ND WAS $800 AND NO GUARANTEES SINCE THEY WOULD BE PULLING THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL OFF OF A WRECKED VEHICLE THE SAME YEAR AS OURS AND IT COULD ALSO POTENTIALLY BE DEFECTIVE. WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE REPAIRS AND NOW MY HUSBAND HAS NO TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO WORK. HE DOES DRIVE MY CAR AT THE MOMENT BUT CAN NOT CARRY ALL OF HIS TOOLS IN MY VEHICLE SINCE HIS IS AN SUV. WE DID SEEK LEGAL COUNCIL AND WERE INFORMED THAT WE NEED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT YOU COULD FORCE FORD TO RECALL OUR VEHICLE AND THEY SAID WE HAD A VERY GOOD LAW SUIT. IF MY HUSBAND DID NOT HAVE THIS CHECKED AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE GEARS LOCKING UP AND A CRASH WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURIES OR EVEN DEATHS. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE. *TR