MERCURY Complaints

THE REAR SPRINGS ON MY 2001 MERCURY SABLE HAVE BOTH FRACTURED. THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW BEING REPAIRED AND NO ONE IN THE SHOP CAN BELIEVE THAT BOTH OF THE SPRINGS HAVE FRACTURED. THEY ARE AMAZED!! THIS IS A VERY BIG JOB TO FIX AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE REPAIR TECH COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CAR WAS EVEN DRIVABLE. I WOULD LIKE FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO CONTACT ME WITH A RESPONSE. I SEE ON THE INTERNET THAT MANY 2000-2001 SABLES ARE EFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM AND YET FORD DID NOTHING, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO DRIVE UNSAFE CARS. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND CORRECTED. IF I DO NOT HEAR BACK, THIS WILL BE MY VERY LAST FORD CAR. I WOULD LIKE A REPLY FROM FORD MOTOR CO. I AM JUST GLAD NO ONE WAS HURT. THANK GOD!! PLEASE SEE : EA06002 AND PE05-054. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE WAS INFORMED BY A FORD REPRESENTATIVE THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V097000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE CONTACT STILL HAS THE VEHICLE, BUT IS AFRAID TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 37,840. UPDATED 12/30/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER ALSO DISCOVERED OIL LEAKING IN THE TRANSAXLE AREA. UPDATED 01/05/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY MARQUIS. WHILE SHIFTING INTO PARK, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SOUND THE HORN, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. A CRASH OCCURRED, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HORN IN THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO BE DIFFICULT TO FIND. THE CONTACT WANTS TO KNOW IF THE HORN IS LOCATED UNDER THE HORN SYMBOL OR UNDER THE AIR BAG. HE HAS TO REMOVE HIS HANDS FROM THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO BLOW THE HORN, WHICH TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT. HE FEELS THAT IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT THE HORN DOES NOT WORK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,414.

WHEN I STOP MY TRANNY KICKS AND IT FEELS LIKE I GOT HIT IN THE REAR. I TOOK IT TOO FM DEALER AND THEY ADJUSTED THE COMP, BUT DIDN'T FIX THE PROB. IT GOT WORSE. *TR

WHEN APPROACHING MY VEHICLE (2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER) FROM BEHIND, I NOTICED A CRACK IN THE CENTER OF THE LIFTGATE PANEL, BEGINNING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW AND EXTENDING TO THE HANDLE. I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IT IS A PROBLEM WHICH HAS OCCURRED IN FORD-MANUFACTURED SUVS, INCLUDING THE MOUNTAINEER AND EXPLORER. I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM AND STATED THAT THE PANEL WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED, THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. I THEN CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE TO A PERSON WHO TOLD ME THAT FORD COULD NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. SINCE THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT, I BELIEVE THAT FORD SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND COVER THE REPAIR COST. FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THE QUALITY OF ITS VEHICLES AND IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, THEN IT SHOULD PROVIDE THE CUSTOMER WITH A SATISFACTORY REMEDY. *TR

FULL TRANSMISSION FAILURE COAST TO STOP ON MAJOR HIGHWAY NO NOTICE WARNING OR LIGHTS. *TR

MY WIFE ASKED ME TO CHECK THE STRANGE NOISE IN HER CAR WHEN SHE STARTED TO BACK OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 8, 2008. I REMOVED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL EXPECTING TO SEE WORN OUT BRAKE PADS. INSTEAD, THE WHEEL STARTED TO MOVE TOWARD ME WHEN I BEGAN REMOVING THE LUG NUTS. THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN INTO TWO PARTS. FORTUNATELY, IT BROKE OVERNIGHT AND DOESN'T APPEAR TO HAVE DAMAGED THE TIRE. TIME WILL TELL WHETHER OR NOT IT WEAKENED THE INNER SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. FAILURE ANALYSIS OF THE 28 CM LENGTH OF SPRING BROKEN OFF FROM THE LOWER END OF THE SPRING IS AS FOLLOWS: THE BROKEN CROSS-SECTION OF THE SPRING HAS A DARK RUST SECTION, ABOUT 15 MM CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND 2 MM RADIAL FROM THE EXTERIOR SURFACE. THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE SPRING IS RUSTED WHERE THERE IS NO LONGER ANY PROTECTIVE BLACK COATING NEAR THE DEFECTIVE CROSS SECTION. THIS SURFACE AREA IS ABOUT 25 MM CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND 15 MM LONG FROM THE FRACTURED CROSS SECTION. THERE ARE ABOUT 4 RADIAL FRACTURE LINES EMANATING FROM THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE SPRING STARTING AT THE 15 MM X 2MM RUSTED AREA. THERE APPEARS TO BE PINPOINT RUST AREAS THROUGHOUT ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF THE REMAINING CROSS SECTION, BY MY NAKED EYE. I WILL BE REPLACING THE COIL SPRING TODAY OR TOMORROW, EITHER MYSELF OR AT A GARAGE. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE AS RECALL NUMBER 04N-332. THIS DEFECT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I AM LAID OFF. I HAVE BEEN A FRICTION MATERIAL ENGINEER FOR OVER 25 YEARS. NO WONDER AMERICANS HAVE STOPPED BUYING AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES. THIS MERCURY VEHICLE HAS BEEN MUCH BETTER THAN MY DODGE VEHICLES UP UNTIL NOW. *TR

VEHICLE PAINT PEELING FROM FRONT HOOD. MERCURY DEALER (NORTHGATE LINCOLN MERCURY, TAMPA, FLORIDA) AT FIRST SAID A ROCK HIT IT. ANOTHER SERVICE PERSON SAID ITS A DEFECT. THEY ONLY WANT TO COVER HALF THE COST OF GETTING HOOD PAINTED. VEHICLE BOUGHT NEW FROM THE DEALER. TSB ISSUED BY FORD CONCERNING THE ISSUE. DEALER OVERESTIMATED ESTIMATE TO REPAINT HOOD ($1000 DOLLARS) WANTS ME TO PAY A LOST $500 DOLLARS FOR A DEFECT THEY KNOW ABOUT.*TR

DRIVING ALONG AND TIRE BLEW OUT. COIL SPRING PUT HOLE IN TIRE PER MECHANIC. NEW TIRE,SPRING,ALIGNMENT-TOTAL BILL $439. *TR

2001 MERCURY SABLE WITH 50,000 MILES. PURCHASED IN CALIFORNIA, MOVED TO OHIO IN 2005. ON DEC. 6, 2008, WHILE BACKING OUT OF GARAGE THE FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE AND IMPALED THE TIRE. VIN# , FORD SITE SHOWS NO RECALL IN EFFECT. I'M GUESSING IT'S BECAUSE WE BOUGHT OUTSIDE OF THE "SALT BELT". DID THEY FORGET THAT PEOPLE MOVE? I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM AND WAS UNAWARE OF THE LIMITED RECALL UNTIL THIS HAPPENED. COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE HAD THIS HAPPENED WHILE ON THE ROAD. WILL HAVE IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP TOMORROW TO SEE HOW WELL THEY'LL STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR