2004 Mercury Marauder

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING FOG LIGHTS STAYED ON,JUST GOT HARD TO SEE,HAD TO HOLD THE SIGNAL LEVER IN THE ''FLASH TO PASS'' TO SEE THE ROAD. AFTER WORK I PRAY THAT MY HEADLIGHTS WILL COME ON.NOW IF I STOP FOR A COFFEE AND SHUT THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES THE HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT COME BACK ON. I THEN NEED TO LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING SO THEY STAY ON. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON 20/59 NORTH PAST THE COALING EXIT, I HIT A POT HOLE. THE POT HOLE WAS SO BIG THAT IT BURST MY TIRE AND BENT MY RIM. SINCE IT WAS AROUND 7:45 PM, I COULDN'T SEE IT. THANK GOD IT ONLY BURST ONE OF MY TIRES ON THE REAR OF MY CAR. THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. IT ALSO TOOK AN HOUR AT LEAST FOR A TROOPER TO COME. THIS IS GOING TO COST ME AT LEAST $450. I EXPECT TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE WITH FIXING MY CAR. THE POT HOLE NEEDS TO BE FILLED ASAP! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MARAUDER. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER WITH CAUTION TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AFTER WAITING TEN MINUTES, THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION AT NIGHT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 117,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

HEADLIGHTS IN 2004 MERCURY MARAUDER BEGAN GOING OUT INTERMITTENTLY AT ABOUT 60K MILES, ALSO INTERMITTENTLY NOT COMING ON WHEN TURNED ON BY SWITCH. THEY NOW RARELY STAY ON FOR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES AT A TIME. THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY RELATED TO THE WIDELY REPORTED FAILURE OF MOTOROLA-MANUFACTURED FORD LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE (LCM, FORD P/N 4W7Z13C788BB) UNITS IN MANY FORD 'PANTHER' PLATFORM MODELS (CROWN VIC, GRAND MARQUIS, MARAUDER) THROUGH MODEL YEAR 2004. NHTSA ACTION PE08066 ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. THE FORD/MERCURY DEALER I SOUGHT SERVICE FOR THIS ISSUE FROM RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF THE LCM AT A COST OF $700 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THE PART IS AVAILABLE THROUGH INTERNET SOURCES FROM $300 TO $500. THE DEALER WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THIS PART REPLACEMENT WOULD FIX THE INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT PROBLEM, SO I HAVE DECIDED TO PURCHASE AND REPLACE THE UNIT MYSELF AND RETURN THE PART IF THIS DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF PUBLIC SAFETY THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY A RECALL -- CARS TRAVELING AT NIGHT WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS ARE A DANGER TO THE DRIVING AND PEDESTRIAN PUBLIC. IT IS HARD TO FATHOM WHY THE NHTSA WOULD DISAGREE WITH THIS LOGIC AND CLOSE THIS INVESTIGATION. SINCE MANY OWNERS AND THIRD-PARTIES ARE NOW SHARING STORIES AND HOME-GROWN SOLUTIONS ON THE INTERNET (REPLACING/RE-SOLDERING THE DEFECTIVE NEC RELAY P/N EQ1-11111S, WHICH IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM), THE NHTSA IS PASSING OWNERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY OF FORD'S BAD MANUFACTURING DECISION ON TO VEHICLE OWNERS. THIS IS A TERRIBLE MESSAGE TO GIVE THE PUBLIC, IT FURTHER ERODES ANY TRUST A CONSUMER COULD POSSIBLY HAVE IN FORD PRODUCTS. THE HUGE VOLUME OF FLEET VEHICLES (TAXI, POLICE, MUNICIPAL) THAT ARE AFFECTED MAKES THIS AN EVEN MORE CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE. THE NHTSA SHOULD HAVE ITS LEGAL POSITION PREPARED FOR A WORST-CASE SCENARIO IN WHICH AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DEATH IS LINKED TO THIS DEFECT. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 MERCURY MARAUDER AND HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PAINT SPLITTING AND BLISTERING ON THE FRONT HOOD, ROOF AND REAR TRUNK. I CONTACTED BOTH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND FORD AND THEY BOTH SAY I'M JUST OUTSIDE OF MY WARRANTY (WITHIN A YEAR) AND THEREFORE NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED AT THE ISSUE AND STATED IT WAS POSSIBLY MISSING SOME PROTECTIVE UNDERCOATING AND IS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. I DID FILE A COMPLAINT WITH FORD. *TR

NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON REAR BFGOODRICH TIRES. REPLACEMENT TIRES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE OEM MANUFACTURER. UNIQUE TIRE SIZE FOR THE REAR TIRES ON MY CAR. ONLY ONE COMPANY (BFGOODRICH) MAKES THIS SIZE. HAVE NOT BEEN AVAILABLE FOR SOME TIME. RECEIVED VIOLATION FOR BALD REAR TIRES AND NO REPLACEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE. WAS TOLD BY MANUFACTURER, THEY WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL JUNE 2009, MAYBE ????? *TR

BF GOODRICH IS THE ONLY MANUFACTURER OF TIRES IN THE SIZE MY CAR REQUIRES (2004 MERCURY MARAUDER). THEY ARE ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER UNTIL MAY/JUNE 2009. THIS LEADS TO TWO DANGEROUS OPTIONS: RUNNING ON TIRES THAT ARE BALD OR REPLACING WITH INCORRECT SIZE. BOTH CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES. PLEASE REQUIRE THEM TO START PRODUCTION IMMEDIATELY. MANY OTHER DRIVES OF THIS CAR HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. *TR