MERCURY Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH IN SLEETING CONDITIONS, COMING TO A STOP LIGHT THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEATER WAS GETTING COLDER. THE HEATER WAS SET AT 78 DEGREES AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE AND, AS A RESULT, THE FRONT AND REAR GLASS FOGGED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THROUGH THE GLASS AND THE DEFROSTER WOULD NOT CLEAR THE GLASS. THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE AND CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD WITH A CLOTH IN ORDER TO VIEW THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE COIL WAS FILLED WITH WATER, WHICH CAUSED THE HEATER TO FAIL. THEY FURTHER STATED THAT IT WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AT THE COST OF $500. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,175. UPDATED 12/17/08. *LJ

HAD NORMAL TIRE MAINTENANCE (ROTATION), WAS ADVISED BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS ON MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE WERE BROKEN AND WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT. MECHANIC INDICATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2002 SABLE AND TAURUS MODELS. WITH SPRING REPLACEMENT, ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE SHOCKS/STRUTS AND CONTROL BARS TO THE ANTI SWAY. TOTAL PRICE OF REPAIRS WAS $624.00 SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, FOUND THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON AMONG OTHER 2002 SABLE/TAURUS OWNERS. *TR

PURCHASED THE 2003 MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER, AWD VEHICLE NEW ON 6/17/03. ON 05/10/06 AT 50515, THE LEFT FRONT HUB BEARING HAD TO BE REPLACED. A VISUAL EXAM INDICATED WATER DAMAGE WITH BEARING SEIZURE. ON 11/24/08 AT 88826, THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE EARLIER HUB REPLACEMENT WAS DIAGNOSED. AT THIS TIME BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT BEARING HUBS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE RIGHT FRONT HUB WAS PRACTICALLY FROZEN AND SHOWED SIGNS OF HEAT FATIGUE TO THE OUTER CASING. BOTH HUBS SHOWED RUST AND PITTING. I MAINTAINED POSSESSION OF BOTH HUBS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT HAD THE HUB LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, (70MPH) A POTENTIAL FOR A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT EXISTED. ON 11/21/06, A REAR DIFFERENTIAL NOISE WAS DIAGNOSED. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS REBUILT. ON 11/24/08 THE NOISE WAS AGAIN HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR. APPARENTLY THE NOISE FROM THE FRONT BEARINGS DAMAGE SHIELDED THE REAR DIFF. NOISE. I NOTICE ONLY ONE OTHER COMPLAINT FOR THE PARTICULAR MODEL YEAR, HOWEVER THE BASIC DRIVE TRAIN DESIGN HAS NOT CHANGED FOR MERCURY OR FORD EXPLORER FOR SOME TIME AND OTHER MODEL YEARS MAY ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS NO REASON THAT A REAR DIFFERENTIAL SHOULD NOT GO 100000 PLUS MILES WITHOUT A PROBLEM AND LIKEWISE THERE IS NO REASON THAT THE FRONT HUBS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ROLL UP 100,000 MILES WITHOUT A PROBLEM. THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW. *TR

CRACK APPEARED IN BODY OF VEHICLE IN THE BACK ABOVE AND AROUND THE MERCURY EMBLEM. IT CONTRACTS AND EXPANDS DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE. THERE WAS NO CRASH, IMPACT OR ANYTHING THAT CAUSED THIS FAILURE. IT IS A DEFECT IN THE BODY. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ARE THE INABILITY TO USE THE HATCH, THE REPAIR BILL AND THE DEPRECIATION OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE "ACTUATOR" THAT ALLOW HOT AIR TO FLOW INTO THE CAR FOR HEAT MALFUNCTIONS AND WILL NOT MOVE. YOU CAN NOT DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD RESULTING IN ZERO VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING IN THE COLD. *TR

LEAKING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION FUEL TUBE, THAT RUNS ACROSS THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK, VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE VEHICLE HAS FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T TIRES. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE DRIVER PULLED ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,172 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,162.

I HAVEN'T HAD MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE FOR MORE THAN A YEAR A THE HEATER JUST SUDDENLY WENT OUT! I HAVE NO IDEA WHY BUT I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE THING IS THAT TRUE I M STILL PAYING ON THIS CAR ALSO! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY CABLES LEADING FROM THE BATTERY TO THE ALTERNATOR CAUSED SHORTAGES. ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FLICKERED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT SOMEWHERE IN THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, HE NOTICED A FAILURE WITHIN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE RPM'S WOULD REV TO A HIGH DEGREE AND THEN DECREASE VERY QUICKLY, WHICH OCCASIONALLY CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE RPM'S FLUCTUATED WHEN SHUTTING OFF THE VEHICLE OR REVVING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 01V031000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BATTERY:CABLES) AND 04V421000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 106,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON A TWO LANE ROAD, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT TIGHTEN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 17,000. REMAILED 12/10/08. *LJ