MERCURY Complaints

TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN RIGHT FRONT TIRE NEAR INSTANTLY DEFLATED CAUSING TOTAL TIRE FAILURE BEFORE THE VEHICLE COULD BE PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD. TIRE SIDEWALL WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. SPARE INSTALLED. VISITED THE TIRE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE FOUR NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE INSTALLED 2 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AND 23,911 MILES PRIOR. NO PUNCTURES, TEARS OR CUTS WERE FOUND ANYWHERE ON THE TIRE TREAD OR SIDEWALL. THE ONLY KNOWN CAUSE OF THE TIRE FAILURE WAS A CRACKED (CUT) VALVE STEM (AS DOCUMENTED BY DEALERSHIP) IN THE AREA WHERE THE STEM SEATS AGAINST THE ALUMINUM WHEEL ALLOWING AIR TO EXHAUST QUICKLY FROM THE TIRE ONCE THE CRACK PROPAGATED TO INSIDE. A NEW TIRE WAS INSTALLED ALONG WITH A NEW VALVE STEM. CRACKED VALVE STEM INFORMATION; TR 413, EHA GERMANY. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME (WITHIN 900 MILES) THAT A TIRE BLOWOUT OCCURRED DUE TO WHAT APPEARS TO BE A BAD VALVE STEM. CRACKED VALVE STEM WAS SAVED FOR REFERENCE. *TR

TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH WHEN LEFT FRONT TIRE NEAR INSTANTLY DEFLATED CAUSING TOTAL TIRE FAILURE BEFORE THE VEHICLE COULD BE PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD. TIRE SIDEWALL WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. SPARE INSTALLED. VISITED THE TIRE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE FOUR NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE INSTALLED 2 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AND 23,032 MILES PRIOR. NO PUNCTURES, TEARS OR CUTS WERE FOUND ANYWHERE ON THE TIRE TREAD OR SIDEWALL. THE ONLY KNOWN CAUSE OF THE TIRE FAILURE WAS A CRACKED VALVE STEM IN THE AREA WHERE THE STEM SEATS AGAINST THE ALUMINUM WHEEL ALLOWING AIR TO EXHAUST QUICKLY FROM THE TIRE ONCE THE CRACK PROPAGATED TO INSIDE. A NEW TIRE WAS INSTALLED ALONG WITH A NEW VALVE STEM. CRACKED VALVE STEM INFORMATION; TR 413, EHA GERMANY. *TR

DAY 1 - FAILURE OR LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING - SPEED APPROX. 30MPH SPRING JUST POPPED WITH A LOUD JARRING BANG. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY - REPAIRED AND REPLACED LEFT FRONT SPRING ASSEMBLY. NEXT MORNING - FAILURE - LEFT REAR COIL SPRING. RESULTING IN TIRE BLOW OUT SPEED 5 MPH. CURRENTLY BACK AT REPAIR FACILITY. FORD/MERCURY ARE KNOWN TO HAVE SPRING PROBLEMS BUT EVIDENTLY UNLESS SOMEONE DIES NOTHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT IT. CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM THE SAID NO RECALL NOTHING WE CAN DO. JUST LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS - OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT A FREAK OCCURRENCE. *TR

INVOLVED IN MVC. PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED ALTHOUGH NO PASSENGER IN VEHICLE. DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE CHANGING THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE, THE CONTACT DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE COIL SPRING FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE TIRE WITH A SPARE AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE TIRE CHANGED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TWO FRONT COIL SPRINGS FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE FRONT TIRE AND FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $735. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HE WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,773 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,793. UPDATED 01-26-09 *BF UPDATED 01/26/09.*JB

DROVE 10 HOURS FROM LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY TO CARLISLE PENNSYLVANIA. STOPPED AT A HOLIDAY INN FOR THE NIGHT. NO PROBLEMS NOTED WITH THE CAR DURING THE DRIVE. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP 2001 MERCURY SABLE IN HOTEL PARKING LOT, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. TIRE WAS REMOVED BY AAA AND THE RIGHT REAR SUSPENSION SPRING COIL WAS FOUND TO BE FAILED WITH A PORTION MISSING. THE REMAINING END OF THE COIL HAD EMBEDDED ITSELF INTO THE INNER WALL OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE CREATING A GOUGE. THE TIRE DID NOT RUPTURE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO L.B. SMITH FORD LINCOLN MERCURY LOCATED AT 1100 MARKET ST. LEMOYNE, PA 17043 (717) 697-2273 BY AAA. THE RIGHT REAR COIL SPRING WAS FOUND TO BE BROKEN. ONE (1) PART NO. 4F1Z*5560 WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED. ONE AST*52* SHOCK ABSORBER ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED. ONE REAR TIRE WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A 9007*1004552* P215/60R6 TIRE. THE TIRE WAS MOUNTED AND BALANCED. ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE ALIGNED. TOTAL CHARGE FOR THE REPAIR BY THE DEALERSHIP WAS $504.47. *TR

AIR BAGS ARE RENDERED INOPERATIVE BY FAILURE OF A SENSOR IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER. FLASHES CODE 3-4. PART IN QUESTION IS OEM NUMBER 2W7Z54611B09AAA. FORD ADVISES THAT PART IS DISCONTINUED, NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE. NO OTHER EXPLANATION. THIS LEAVES TWO CHOICES: DRIVE WITHOUT AIRBAG PROTECTION OR REPLACE VEHICLE. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 16,000 MILES ON IT AND NEED NOT BE REPLACED. HOW CAN A SAFETY CRITICAL ITEM BE DISCONTINUED IN LESS THAN 6 YEARS. THIS PART IS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED IN THE EVENT OF AN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AND, AS IN MY CASE, WHEN THE SENSOR FAILED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHEN THE TRUNK LID UNDER THE WINDOW WAS OPENED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK IN THE TRUNK LID. THE TRUNK LID WAS REPAIRED TWO YEARS AGO BY THE DEALER AND NOW A CRACK HAS REAPPEARED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AFTER THE CONTACT TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A SECOND REPAIR. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $85; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WANTS A FREE REPAIR BECAUSE IT IS A DEFECT AND WILL PROBABLY CRACK AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000. UPDATED 02/05/09. *LJ UPDATED 02/10/09. *JB

MY HUSBAND AND I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC FROM AN APPOINTMENT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTS SMOKING WITHIN A QUICK SECOND THE FRONT LEFT SIDE BURST INTO FLAMES, ELECTRICAL WINDOWS WOULDN'T WORK AND THE BRAKES FAILED, THE WE HAD TO RIDE TRAFFIC UNTIL WE COULD MOVE OVER TO THE CURVE AT THIS TIME THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE USED IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR AND I HAD TO MOVE MYSELF OUT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VARIOUS SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THEY REPLACED THE FIVE RETRACTORS FOR DIFFERENT SEATS IN THE VEHICLE. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED AGAIN SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE ORIGINAL REPAIR. CURRENTLY, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,403 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,900. UPDATED 02-23-09 *BF UPDATED 02/24/09. *JB