MERCURY Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN TRAFFIC AND HAD A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING, MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PULL OVER OR GET OFF THE HIGHWAY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO TURN RIGHT AND LEFT INDEPENDENTLY. ALSO, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS POWERED OFF AND WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAMELBACK FORD (1330 E CAMELBACK RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85014, (605) 635-7551) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DISENGAGES WHILE DRIVING, ON ITS OWN, WITHOUT ANY UNDUE INFLUENCE OR STRAIN. THE PREVIOUS OWNER INFORMED ME OF THE SAME PROBLEM THAT GOES BACL TO WHEN THEY PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2003(?).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MERCURY MILAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK FRACTURED AND LEAKED FUEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR FOUR WEEKS NOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEGACY FORD (413 INDUSTRIAL BLVD, MCDONOUGH, GA 30253, (770) 914-2800) ONE YEAR AGO TO BE REPAIRED PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTING DID NOT REVEAL A CODE REGARDING A VAPOR LOCK FAILURE THAT MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SMELL A FUEL ODOR ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 AND SHE NOTICED A HUGE PUDDLE OF FUEL ON THE DRIVEWAY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS SHOWN THE STRESS CRACK ON THE FUEL TANK. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE FAILURE WAS FROM THE RECALL REPAIR A YEAR EARLIER; HOWEVER, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE THE CONTACT FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE DEALER AND CONTACT HAD NOT HEARD BACK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

AFTER LEAVING A STOP, THE CAR WAS ABLE TO MOVE, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS AND STAYED IN A NUETRAL POSITION. AFTER SAFELY PARKING THE CAR, IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. LOOKING ONLINE I SEE NUMEROUS CONSUMER WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND THE COST IS MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH, BUT IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT TAKE THE BLAME ON.

THE OWNER OF THIS CAR IS NOT GETTING ANY NOTICES OF RECALLS. I HAVEN'T OWNED THIS CAR SINCE FIRST QUARTER OF 2014. PLEASE NOTIFY FORD THAT THEY NEED TO FIND OUT WHO OWNS THIS CAR NOW. NOTE: I LEASED THIS CAR FROM BLOOMINGTON, MN LINCOLN IN OCT. 2010.

I HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND SOME OTHER RELATED PARTS IN MY VEHICLE AND I WAS INFORMED BY A DEALERSHIP THAT THERE WAS A "SILENT RECALL" ON THIS TRANSMISSION AND THAT EVEN THOUGH FORD MOTOR COMPANY WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUES AS EARLY AS 2000 THEY CONTINUE TO INSTALL THEM IN VEHICLES. IF YOU LOOK ONLINE YOU WILL SEE QUITE A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS TRANSMISSION. I FEEL SINCE FORD KNOWINGLY KEPT USING THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND WAS WELL AWARE OF THEIR POSSIBLE FAILURE WHEN THEY REACHED 130,000 MILES THAT THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AT LEAST A PORTION OF HE COSTS IF INDEED, NOT ALL OF THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CAR COMPANY PUTS OUT A SILENT RECALL? DO I HAVE ANY RIGHTS? I HAVE ALREADY SENT A CERTIFIED LETTER TO FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER RELATIONS IN DEARBORN, MI AND I HAVE A SIGNED RECEIPT THAT THEY ACCEPTED MY LETTER BUT THEY HAVE NOT BOTHERED TO CONTACT ME AT ALL. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS AND IS THIS SOMETHING YOU CAN HELP ME WITH? THE FIRST TIME THIS TRANSMISSION CAUSED A PROBLEM WAS WHEN WE WERE IN 5 PM TRAFFIC ON A ROAD WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 55 MILES AN HOUR AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED LEAVING MY FAMILY IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY TWO LANE ROAD WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS. WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER. I CAN FORWARD MY BILLS AND COPIES OF ONLINE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THE FAILURE OF THESE TRANSMISSIONS.

FORD PANTHER VEHICLES HAD RECIRCULATING BALL STEERING UNTIL 2002, REDESIGNED TO RACK AND PINION STEERING IN 2003. FORD ISSUED RECALL 13S08 FOR SEVERE CORROSION THAT CAN SEIZE THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WHICH MAY CAUSE THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT TO COLLAPSE AND THE STEERING COLUMN LOWER BEARING TO SEPARATE, COVERING 2005-2012 VEHICLES BUT NOT 2003 AND 2004 VEHICLES HAVING SAME PARTS AND SYMPTOMS. STEERING HAS BECOME EXTREMELY STIFF, STEERING WHEEL NOT RETURNING TO STRAIGHT AHEAD ON ITS OWN, AND DIFFICULT TO STEER AT ALL SPEEDS. FORD DEALER LUBRICATED LOWER STEERING SHAFT 2 MONTHS AGO, BUT SYMPTOMS RETURNED IN 2,000 MILES. THESE SYMPTOMS ARE CONCERN FOR REAL DANGER OF COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO HIS PATH WITH THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE OTHER VEHICLE, THE CONTACT MOVED OVER INTO THE RIGHT LANE. THE VEHICLE STRUCK A DITCH AND ROLL OVERED FOUR TIMES. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED ARM, NECK, AND BODY INJURIES. HE AND THE PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL ATTEINTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 191,000.

TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER OF A 2010 MERCURY MILAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SHIFTING THE VEHICLE FROM PARK INTO DRIVE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT A BI-DIRECTIONAL SCAN TOOL WAS NEEDED TO BLEED THE BRAKING SYSTEM. ADDITIONALLY, THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND ABS CONTROL MODULE WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE REPAIRS DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. LAKELAND FORD (1430 W MEMORIAL BLVD, LAKELAND, FL 33815, (863) 682-1100) WAS CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNCOOPERATIVE IN GETTING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.