MERCURY Complaints

THE CAR MAKE A LOUD CRACKLE SOUND WHEN I MAKE A LEFT TURN, AND ALSO MY TRANSMISSION STARTING ACTING UP. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASE IT FROM AND THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG, AND I HAD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF AND TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. SO THE DEALER LIED TO ME AND NOW MY WARRANTY RAN OUT AND THEY WON'T FIXED IT. WHAT CAN I DO. I ALSO SEE ALOT OF RECALL FOR MY CAR THAT NO ONE NEVER SENT ME INFO ABOUT. *TR

HIGH SPEED TIRE FAILURE - JUNE 7 AND JUNE 28 - 2007 MERCURY LS - 21000 MILES JUNE 7, 2009 DRIVING I-49 SOUTH, LAFAYETTE PARISH, LA, TEMPERATURE ABOUT 95. WIFE ONLY PASSENGER. ROADWAY CLEAR, NO DEBRIS OR THRASH, TRAFFIC LIGHT, WITHOUT WARNING, RIGHT FRONT DEFLATES. DROVE ABOUT 1/2 MILE TO EXIT BEFORE STOPPING. SIDES OF TIRES STILL FIRMLY ATTACHED TO RIM. ROADSIDE OF TIRE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM SIDES. THERE WAS NO NOISE SUCH AS A BLOWOUT. ON REMOVING TIRE TO CHANGE NO EVIDENCE OF A PUNCTURE, OUTSIDE OR INSIDE WAS SEEN. NEW TIRE PURCHASED JUNE 8, 2009. DEALER WOULD NOT GIVE CONSIDERATION TO PRO RATE . JUNE 28, 2009, 2 PASSENGERS, DRIVING RIGHT LANE I-12 EAST, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH,LA,, 73MPH, TEMPERATURE ABOUT 97 DEGREES. TRAFFIC HEAVY. RIGHT REAR TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATES (NO BLOWOUT NOISE) , CAR SWERVES SLIGHTLY INTO LEFT LANE NEARLY COLLIDING INTO LEFT LANE CAR. SWERVE CONTROLLED AND CAR DRIVEN TO LEFT SHOULDER. TOO FAR FRONT EXIT TO DRIVE OFF. REMOVED WHEEL, SIDEWALLS STILL FIRMLY ATTACHED TO RIM. ROADSIDE OF TIRE INTACT. NO SIGN OR EVIDENCE OF PUNCTURE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. TIRE IN EACH INSTANCE HAD LITTLE TREADWEAR. CONTACTED MICHELIN CUSTOMER SERVICE VIA PHONE. ADVISED TO HAVE DEALER EXAMINE TIRE AND CONTACT THEM. BILL AT DELTA WORLD TIRE, 203 GUILBEAU RD, LAFAYETTE, LA, ON THURSDAY JULY 3 LOOKED OVER TIRE STATED SEVERAL POSSIBILITIES BUT COULD GIVE A DEFINITE CAUSE OF DEFLATION, SAME AS OTHER (JUNE 8) DEALER. NO PRO RATE OR FREE REPLACEMENT. THAT DID NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE AS MY REPORTING THE INCIDENTS. I AM SCARED WITH MY REMAINING ORIGINAL TIRES. TIRE: MICHELIN LX4 WW --225/60R16. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE COIL SPRING FAILED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST HAS NOT BEEN DISCLOSED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CAR SUDDENLY WENT INTO NEUTRAL, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE HIT FROM BEHIND BY PASSING VEHICLES. GOOGLING THE PROBLEM SHOWS MANY OTHER CONSUMERS WITH MONTEREYS AND FREESTARS (TWIN OF THE MONTEREY) WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

HEADLIGHTS IN 2004 MERCURY MARAUDER BEGAN GOING OUT INTERMITTENTLY AT ABOUT 60K MILES, ALSO INTERMITTENTLY NOT COMING ON WHEN TURNED ON BY SWITCH. THEY NOW RARELY STAY ON FOR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES AT A TIME. THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY RELATED TO THE WIDELY REPORTED FAILURE OF MOTOROLA-MANUFACTURED FORD LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE (LCM, FORD P/N 4W7Z13C788BB) UNITS IN MANY FORD 'PANTHER' PLATFORM MODELS (CROWN VIC, GRAND MARQUIS, MARAUDER) THROUGH MODEL YEAR 2004. NHTSA ACTION PE08066 ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. THE FORD/MERCURY DEALER I SOUGHT SERVICE FOR THIS ISSUE FROM RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF THE LCM AT A COST OF $700 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THE PART IS AVAILABLE THROUGH INTERNET SOURCES FROM $300 TO $500. THE DEALER WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THIS PART REPLACEMENT WOULD FIX THE INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT PROBLEM, SO I HAVE DECIDED TO PURCHASE AND REPLACE THE UNIT MYSELF AND RETURN THE PART IF THIS DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF PUBLIC SAFETY THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY A RECALL -- CARS TRAVELING AT NIGHT WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS ARE A DANGER TO THE DRIVING AND PEDESTRIAN PUBLIC. IT IS HARD TO FATHOM WHY THE NHTSA WOULD DISAGREE WITH THIS LOGIC AND CLOSE THIS INVESTIGATION. SINCE MANY OWNERS AND THIRD-PARTIES ARE NOW SHARING STORIES AND HOME-GROWN SOLUTIONS ON THE INTERNET (REPLACING/RE-SOLDERING THE DEFECTIVE NEC RELAY P/N EQ1-11111S, WHICH IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM), THE NHTSA IS PASSING OWNERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY OF FORD'S BAD MANUFACTURING DECISION ON TO VEHICLE OWNERS. THIS IS A TERRIBLE MESSAGE TO GIVE THE PUBLIC, IT FURTHER ERODES ANY TRUST A CONSUMER COULD POSSIBLY HAVE IN FORD PRODUCTS. THE HUGE VOLUME OF FLEET VEHICLES (TAXI, POLICE, MUNICIPAL) THAT ARE AFFECTED MAKES THIS AN EVEN MORE CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE. THE NHTSA SHOULD HAVE ITS LEGAL POSITION PREPARED FOR A WORST-CASE SCENARIO IN WHICH AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DEATH IS LINKED TO THIS DEFECT. *TR

BACK IN 2004 A SAFETY RECALL (04S71) WAS ISSUED FOR IN CERTAIN 1999-2001TAURUS AND SABLES. THE ISSUE WAS THAT THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS COULD POTENTIALLY FRACTURE WHEN OPERATED IN HIGH CORROSION AREAS WHERE SALT IS USED ON THE ROADWAYS DURING WINTER MONTHS. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A FRACTURED SPRING TO MOVE PAST THE SPRING SEAT AND CONTACT A FRONT TIRE. IF A SPRING SHOULD FRACTURE AND COME IN CONTACT WITH A TIRE, THE TIRE MAY RUPTURE RESULTING IN A RAPID AIR LOSS, WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. WITH THAT SAID, ON JUNE 16, 2009, THIS EXACT SCENARIO HAPPENED TO MY BACK COIL SPRING ON MY 2001 MERCURY SABLE. FORTUNATELY, A CRASH DID NOT RESULT IN MY CASE. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE SAME PROTECTIVE SPRING SHIELDS THAT WERE PLACED ON THE FRONT TIRES TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING SHOULD ALSO HAD BEEN AND STILL SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE BACK TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO AVOID A POTENTIAL UNSAFE SITUATION. *TR

2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER 4.6L-V8: WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER ACCELERATION [STOP SIGN/SIGNAL, EXITING AN EXPRESSWAY TO A SURFACE STREET, COASTING] THE ENGINE WILL NOT HOLD IDLE, THEN STALL. THE STEERING & BRAKES ARE COMPROMISED WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS. TO RESTART THE ENGINE, THE HEADLIGHTS GO DARK FOR A MOMENT...THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER. DECELERATING FROM AN EXPRESSWAY TO A SURFACE STREET, ON A CURVED EXIT RAMP , AT NIGHT MAKES FOR AN OUT OF CONTROL SITUATION WHERE THE DRIVER CAN NOT SEE BECAUSE OF ENGINE FAILURE! I'VE REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION CENSOR [TPS] WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. THE DEALER OFFERS REPLACEMENT OF PARTS $1500, AND NO GUARANTEE OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS USELESS TO ME FORE IT IS A HAZARD TO BE ON THE ROAD...FOR ME AND ANYONE ELSE DRIVING NEAR ME. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW MERCURY 2007 GRAND MARQUIS LS. I HAVE MICHELIN LX4 ENERGY TIRES. I HAD A BLOW OUT ON FRONT LEFT TIRE AT 4700 MILES, THE SIDE WALL CAME APART. I HAD A SECOND BLOW OUT ON FRONT RIGHT TIRE AT 5840 MILES AGAIN SIDE WALL CAME APART. I HAD THIRD BLOW OUT AT 6000 MILES ON LEFT REAR SAME SIDE WALL DAMAGE, AT THIS TIME I REPLACED RIGHT REAR TIRE BECAUSE I WAS TRAVELING OUT OF MY AREA. I TRIED TO GET DEALER TO REPLACE TIRES UNDER WARRANTY BUT THEY REFUSED AND SAID IT WAS A MICHELIN PROBLEM. I REPLACED TIRES WITH MICHELINS WHICH I AM SORRY I DID THIS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCURY TRACER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT GASOLINE WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE FOUND A FRACTURE IN THE FUEL TANK. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 97V145000 AND 97V144000, ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 116,000.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG, AND WITH NO WARNING, NO NOISE NO SQUEAK TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 34,000 MILES, ALSO MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE. LAST MONTH. *TR