MERCURY Complaints

2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER PREMIER, 45,049 MILES - REAR LIFTGATE HINGE BROKE RIGHT IN HALF & LIFTGATE FELL WHILE VEHICLE OWNER REACHING FOR BAG IN CARGO AREA. INJURIES TO BACK OF HEAD, NECK, RIGHT SHOULDER, ELBOW, WRIST, THORACIC SPINE, RIGHT SCAPULA, RIGHT HIP, KNEE & ANKLE. DEALER (WEST HERR) REMOVED & REPLACED BOTH LIFTGATE HINGES & REASSEMBLED LIFTGATE GLASS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MERCURY TOPAZ. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 25-30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. IT ONLY ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY WITH A MECHANIC. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30.

1. DRIVING 53 MPH ON 3 LANE FREEWAY, CHANGED INTO RIGHT LANE WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC. 2. TIRE BLOW OUT - HEARD LOAD 'POP' FROM BEHIND ME, CHECKED MIRRORS FOR OBJECT IN LANE - COULD NOT IDENTIFY ISSUE. MOVED TO FAR LEFT LANE IN ANTICIPATION OF NEED FOR BREAK-DOWN LANE. TRAVELED APPROX 1/4 MILE, COULD FEEL RIGHT REAL RUB OF TIRE. PULLED OF ROAD. 3. CONTACTED AAA, VAN SENT, TIRE CHANGED TO DONUT. NO VISIBLE SHREDDING. AAA DRIVERS STATED IT APPEARED TO BE SIDE WALL FAILURE. WE REPLACED BOTH REAR TIRES AND ARE MAINTAINING THIS 'BLOWN OUT' TIRE. *TR

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, PUT MY CAR INTO DRIVE TO GO FORWARD, AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD AND BACKWARD. MY CAR NEVER SHOWED ANY SIGNS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TOOK IT APART. THEY STATED THAT IT WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR

EARLIER THIS YEAR MY FRONT SPRING BROKE AND PUT A HOLE IN MY TIRE - THANK GOODNESS I WAS NOT DRIVING - I WAS JUST PULLING OUT OF MY PARKING PLACE AT WORK. WHEN WE TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE TO HAVE IT FIXED THEY MENTIONED THAT MY BACK ONES WERE ALSO BROKEN AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THIS IS COMMON IN THESE CARS AND THAT I SHOULD TRY TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL ON THESE PARTS FROM FORD. I OWN A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. BUT APPARENTLY DUE TO MOST OF THE READING I HAVE BEEN DOING THE RECALL ONLY WENT UNTIL 2001. BUT I SEE THAT MANY MANY PEOPLE WITH 2002 & 2003 CARS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

BOTH REAR SPRINGS ON MY CAR ARE BROKEN. ONE OF THE FRONT SPRINGS ALSO BROKE (AND HAS BEEN REPAIRED) AND MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THE OTHER IS ABOUT TO GO. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT FORD RECALLED THE FRONT SPRINGS DUE TO A SUBSTANDARD MATERIAL USED IN CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS PRONE TO ROAD SALT CORROSION. SINCE I LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST, ROAD SALT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. THE REAR SPRINGS ARE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL AND ARE ALSO CORRODING. IT'LL COST ME AROUND $1,600 TO COMPENSATE FOR A DESIGN FLAW THAT FORD IS WASHING IT'S HANDS OF (AT 100,000 MILES, MY FRONT SPRINGS AREN'T EVEN COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS THERE FROM DAY-1). ONE WOULD THINK FORD WOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE REAR SPRINGS AS WELL. I GUESS THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL DEATHS CAUSED BY A REAR BLOW-OUT IS BELOW THEIR THRESHOLD, SO THEY'LL TAKE THEIR CHANCES IN COURT. THIS IS WHY WE NEED NHTSA OVERSITE. HOWEVER, NHTSA HAS ONLY REQUIRED FORD TO RECALL THE FRONT SPRINGS TO DATE. FORD EXPECTS PEOPLE TO BUY THEIR CARS, BUT THEY DON'T STAND BEHIND THEM (EVEN WHEN IT IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT). THAT IS WHY MANY PEOPLE ARE BUYING JAPANESE CARS. I, FOR ONE, WILL NEVER BUY FORD AGAIN. *TR

VEHICLE HAS 75,000 MILES. FOR THE LAST 5,000 MILES OR SO, THE CAR WILL HAVE A COMPLETE POWER FAILURE AND TURN OFF. WE HAVE TO COAST TO A STOP, PUT IT IN PARK, AND THEN START THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED FIVE OR SIX TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

THIS VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE STORE/AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR EVALUATION OF EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR, AND SAGGING REAR SUSPENSION. MECHANIC FOUND BOTH REAR SPRINGS BROKEN IN ABOUT THE SAME SPOTS WHILE EXAMINING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED UNDER RECALL 3 YEARS AGO DUE TO BROKEN FRONT SPRINGS. OWNER ALREADY AWARE THAT REAR SPRINGS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL OR SUBJECT TO RECALL OF THEIR OWN. SPRINGS AND WORN STRUTS REPLACED, ALONG WITH NEW TIRES INSTALLED. COST OF NEW SPRINGS AND LABOR ALONE $250. OWNER INFORMED THAT PREMATURE TIRE WEAR (WEAR BARS SHOWING AND INNER SIDE WALL WEAR AT 26,000 MILES ON 40,000 MILE WARRANTY TIRES) WAS ATTRIBUTED TO BROKEN SPRINGS WHICH RENDERED VEHICLE OUT OF ALIGNMENT, THUS VOIDING WARRANTY ON TIRES. SPRINGS WERE NOT BROKEN WHEN THE TIRES WERE FIRST INSTALLED. THIS REQUIRED ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE TO REPLACE TIRES THAT SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN SO BADLY WORN IN 2 YEARS TIME. TOTAL EXPENDITURE TO REPLACE TIRES, STRUTS AND SPRINGS $900. *TR

I HAD BEEN HEARING A RUBBING SOUND COMING FROM REAR OF CAR FOR A FEW DAYS AND AFTER EXPERIENCING A FLAT TIRE ON THE SAME SIDE, FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. DRIVER SIDE REAR SPRING (SHARP EDGE)WAS SCRAPING THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE, WHICH CAUSED THE FLAT TIRE. BOTH REAR SPRINGS AND STRUTS PLUS NEW TIRES WERE REPLACED COSTING $1,200.00. *TR

ON AUGUST 29, 2008, AT ABOUT 9:30 P.M., I WAS GOING HOME FROM A VACATION. I WAS GOING 55 MILES PER HOUR AND THE VEHICLE POWER COMPLETELY STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY SAFELY AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE VEHICLE STARTED UP AGAIN. THIS WAS VERY FRIGHTENING BECAUSE WE TRY OUR BEST TO MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE TO ITS OPTIMAL I.E. OIL,TIRES. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER BY THIS AGENCY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU *TR