2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND HEARD AN ABNORMAL GRINDING SOUND FROM THE BRAKES. ALSO, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURES RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ABS UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

THE ABS TONE RINGS ON THE 2008 MODEL MERCURY MARINER AND FORD ESCAPE ARE DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN - THEY ARE THIN METAL, BUT PUT UNDER STRESS BY BEING FORCED ONTO THE HALF-SHAFT (DIFFERENT METAL, DIFFERENT EXPANSION RATE), AND THEREFORE PRONE TO CRACKING/BREAKING. WHEN CRACKED/BROKEN, THEY CAUSE THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM AND REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO FAULT OUT, SOMETIMES INTERMITTENTLY AND WITH NO WARNING. THE PART ITSELF IS CHEAP (~$10 EACH), AND APPARENTLY SHOULD BE, BUT THE DEALER WILL NOT SELL THEM SEPARATELY, AND INSTEAD REQUIRES THE OWNER TO REPLACE THE HALF-SHAFT, WITH ESTIMATES FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS OF BETWEEN $400 AND $1000 TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT HALF-SHAFTS. SIMPLY MAKING THE PART THICKER, OR OF THE SAME METAL AS THE HALF-SHAFT, WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM - INSTEAD, FORD FORCES OWNERS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN AN UNSAFE VEHICLE AND ROBBERY, WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PROBLEM WOULDN'T RECUR WITHIN A MONTH OF DRIVING (THE CRACKING SEEMS TO BE MORE RELATED TO TEMPERATURE THAN MILEAGE). THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO REPLACE THESE AT THEIR OWN COST - I BET THEY'D THEN "DISCOVER" A WAY TO PREVENT RECURRENCE IF THEY WERE PAYING OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET FOR ANY THAT FAILED BEFORE 100,000 MILES. A CURSORY SEARCH ON THE INTERNET WILL TURN UP THOUSANDS OF RESULTS FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM LIGHT APPEARED ON DASH, 2013. TOOK VEHICLE IN TO GET CHECKED. WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE MASTER CYLINDER. COST APPROX 1500.00. WENT ON LINE AND FOUND THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD SAME EXPERIENCE AND AFTER PAYING FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER THEY THEN HAD TO REPLACE THE AN ABS MODULE TO THE TUNE OF 4500.00. TOOK MY VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FEB OF 2014 AND WAS TOLD THE ABS MODULE NEEDED REPLACED FOR 4,724.00 AND THEN THE MASTER CYLINDER FOR 1360.00. THE MECHANIC DID NOT ADVISE DRIVING DUE TO THE POTENTIAL BRAKE FAILURE. I ONLY HAVE 18,600 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY PUTTING THAT MUCH MORE MONEY INTO IT. IT SEEMS TO A PROBLEM FORD NEEDS TO DEAL WITH. IT DOES INVOLVE A SAFETY ISSUE AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY ARE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL SOME ONE DIES BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO DO A RECALL. *TR

FROM DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH BOTH MERCURY MARINERS AND FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS. I WAS IN SHOCK WHEN THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WILL COST $4,800.00 TO REPAIR THE ABS BRAKES. THIS IS A SAFETY FLAW THAT SHOULD BE A RECALL. I ONLY HAVE 65,000 MILES AND HIGH PAYMENTS ON THIS VEHICLE. I TOLD THE DEALER I WOULD NOT PAY THIS. THEY FIXED THE SUV WITHOUT MY PERMISSION SAYING IT WAS FOR MY SAFETY. IS THIS LEGAL? I DIDN'T AGREE WITH PAYING ANY COST. *TR

DURING BRAKING TO STOP OR TURN, THE BRAKES ENGAGED AND RELEASED AT LOW SPEED THEN REENGAGED, CAUSING A LURCH. THIS PROBLEM WAS ONGOING BUT INTERMITTENT. UPON RESEARCHING THE ISSUE AND AFTER SEPARATE SERVICE VISITS TO TWO DIFFERENT FORD DEALERS, WITH MY INPUT FROM ONLINE FORUMS, THE TONE RINGS ON BOTH FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED, RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. THESE RINGS WERE CRACKED AND ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND I THINK THESE PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT AT 3 MPH, SHE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES BUT THEY FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ABS AND THE CHECK BRAKE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD TO CRASH INTO A TREE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000. *TR