2008 Mercury Grand Marquis

VEHICLE SERVICED AT FRAMINGHAM FORD 12/19/13 INV 331045 3/17/14 INV 333649 REGARDING FORD SAFETY RECALL 13S08/NHTSA RECALL 13V385 STEERING COLUMN SHAFT. IN MAY 2016 I EXPERIENCED OCCASIONAL BUT UNUSUAL STEERING STIFFNESS WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN. CONTACTED FRAMINGHAM FORD AND FMC TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN FOR STEERING SAFETY AS RELATED TO THE SAFETY RECALL REPAIRS. FRAMINGHAM FORD RESPONDED THE RECALL & REPAIR WARRANTYY HAD EXPIRED AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT FMC FOR AUTHORIZATION TO INSPECT/REPAIR THE STEERING ASSEMBLY. CAS 104 76461 D4Y3V8 DOCUMENTS MY 2 PHONE CONTACTS DATED 9/ 2 & 11/ 23,16 WITH FMC CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER TO EXPRESS MY STEERING SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING THE RECALL 13S08 REPAIRS. EACH TIME THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE STATED 1) REPAIR WARRANTY FOR RECALL 13S08 HAD EXPIRED 2))FORD MOTOR CO UNABLE TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE FOR CURRENT STEERING INSPECTION/REPAIRS 3) THERE ARE NO ACTIVE RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE 4) I SHOULD SAVE "OUT OF POCKET REPAIR EXPENSES" IN THE EVENT THAT NEW RECALL IS ISSUED NOV 22, 2016 VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION OF CEMETERY ST & POND ST NATICK, MA 01760. I TURN RIGHT ONTO POND ST TRAVEL 25 YARDS @20MPH WHEN I LOST COMPLETE STEERING CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL SPUN FREELY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WITH NO RESPONSE TO CHANGE VEHICLE DIRECTION. I APPLIED BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE, PLACED IT INTO PARK, TURNED ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS, AND CALLED NATICK POLICE DEPARTMENT NPG LOG DOCUMENT 16-2154 MARBADY GULF SERVICE CALLED BY NPD TO TOW THE DISABLED VEHICLE LOSS OF STEERING WAS DUE TO UPPER STEERING SHAFT COMPLETELY SEPARATING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO FORD MOTOR CO (SEE ABOVE NOV23,16). WHO CONTINUES NOT TO ACCEPT MY SAFETY CONCERN OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE STEERING SAFETY DEFECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE HAD A ROUTINE INSPECTION BY THE DEALER AND CORROSION WAS FOUND. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND A MECHANIC WAS TO FURTHER INSPECT AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER CONCERNING THE REPAIR SOLUTION FROM THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V704000 (STEERING) AND 13V385000 (STEERING). THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

THE VEHICLE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED TWO SUDDEN ACCELERATION EVENTS IN TWO DAYS 15 MILES APART WHILE DECELERATING AND USING THE BRAKE IN WHAT COULD ONLY BE RELATED TO AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL. WHILE ON VACATION DURING A 75 DEG EVENING WITH THE CAR AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE I WAS NAVIGATING SOME S TURNS HIGH ON A BLUFF AT 30MPH. WHILE COMING INTO A CORNER WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND SLOWING TO AROUND 20MPH THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I HIT THE BRAKES HARD, TURNED AWAY FROM THE CORNER TO AVOID GOING OVER THE CLIFF AND TURNED OFF THE KEY. ALL THIS HAPPENED IN LESS THEN 5 SECONDS. THE NEXT DAY MID AFTERNOON AFTER DRIVING 20 MILES I WAS LEAVING A PARK AND TRAVELING ON A LEVEL STRAIGHT ROAD AT AROUND 25MPH. COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN I LET OFF THE GAS AND STARTED APPLYING THE BRAKE (LIKE THE DAY BEFORE) AT ABOUT 15MPH THE CAR VIOLENTLY ACCELERATED. I HIT THE BRAKES HARD AGAIN, THE REAR TIRE STARTED SPINNING AND IT PUSHED THE CAR THROUGH THE CROSSWALK PAST THE STOP SIGN AND INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC BY ABOUT 4FT BEFORE I GOT THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. ONCE AGAIN THIS ALL HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. AFTER A RESTART EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AGAIN. I DROVE AROUND 250 MI TO GET HOME WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THESE EVENTS I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALER TO PROGRAM A NEW TRANSPONDER KEY, RESET THE KEYLESS ENTRY AND TEST THE THROTTLE TO SEE IF THE INITIAL DEADBAND COULD BE ADJUSTED (NO ADJUSTMENT WAS DONE). AFTER THE INCIDENT I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR TSBS, AND THE ECM WOULD NOT DATALOG ANYTHING SINCE THERE WAS NO TROUBLE LIGHT. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I CONSIDER THIS UNSATISFACTORY, DEEM IT A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT AND FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS IMMEDIATELY. A QUICK SEARCH REVEALS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCE THIS.

2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HEADLIGHT ELECTRONIC MODULE RECALL REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE MODULE WAS REPLACED ON NOVEMBER 13, 2014 PRIOR TO RECEIVING NOTIFICATION. THE CONSUMER CALLED FORD TO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. HOWEVER, SHE WAS INFORMED THE TIME FRAME FOR REIMBURSEMENT HAD EXPIRED. *JB

AFTER EXPERIENCING A STRANGE SIREN-LIKE SOUND INTERMITTENTLY FOR A FEW DAYS, ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING A TURN, I NOTICED ON SUNDAY THAT THIS NOISE WAS BECOMING LOUDER AND MORE FREQUENT. AFTER DRIVING ONLY ABOUT TWO MILES I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING FELT ODD IN THE STEERING, SO I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED HOME. ON MONDAY AUGUST 24, 2015 I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; SINCE THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM I AGREED TO HAVE THE WORK DONE IMMEDIATELY WHICH ENTAILED LEAVING IT OVERNIGHT FOR COMPLETION. LATER IN THE EVENING I HAD A NAGGING FEELING THAT I HAD HEARD ABOUT A SIMILAR ISSUE, SO I CHECKED MY CAR RECORDS AND CONFIRMED THAT I HAD TAKEN MY CAR TO MY CLOSEST MERCURY DEALER IN RESPONSE TO A RECALL #13S08 FROM FORD MOTOR CORP. ON NOV. 13, 2013; THE GARAGE "INSPECTED THE STEERING SHAFT" AND DECLARED "NO REPAIRS NEEDED AT THIS TIME". I WAS TOLD, HOWEVER, THAT I WOULD BE ASKED TO RETURN IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN THEY HAD SUFFICIENT PARTS TO ADDRESS THE RECALL FULLY.IN MARCH 2014 FORD NOTIFIED ME TO AGAIN CONTACT THE DEALER IN REGARD TO SAFETY RECALL 13S08/NHTSA RECALL13V385. THE DEALERSHIP DID THE RECALL REPAIR ON APRIL 22, 2014 WHICH INVOLVED "REPLACING THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT". UPON INVESTIGATION I LEARNED THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY IN THE AREA OF MY NOW FAILED RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY. WHAT MAKES THIS FRIGHTENING TO ME IS THAT THE REPAIR WAS DONE AT A MILEAGE OF 39923 AND THE PART FAILED AT A MILEAGE OF 44,725. WHEN I CALLED FORD THIS MORNING TO ASK ABOUT ANY HELP THEY MIGHT GIVE ME WITH THIS OR WHETHER OR NOT THIS HAD BEEN A PROBLEM TO OTHER DRIVERS I WAS POLITELY TOLD THAT A RECALL REPAIR IS A ONE TIME FIX. SINCE THE FAILED PART OCCURRED ONLY 4800 MILES AFTER THE REPAIR, I THINK THAT PERHAPS THE "FIX" WAS NOT ENOUGH; THIS SEEMS UNFAIR, ESPECIALLY IF IT EFFECTS MANY DRIVERS. HELP?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V385000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT MADE THE PARTS AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.