2008 Mercury Mariner

2008 MERCURY MARINER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE MANUFACTURER REFUSAL TO PAY RECALL REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, HE LOST POWER STEERING. THE CONSUMER LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN, A MONTH LATER. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE MODULES TO PREVENT SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. FIVE DAYS LATER, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TORQUE SENSOR. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. RECALL # 14V284000. *JB

MY PARENTS PURCHASED A 2008 MERCURY MARINER THIS LAST SPRING, AND JUST STARTED TO NOTICE THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING IS CUTTING IN AND OUT. WE TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL GARAGE WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM (ERROR CODE THAT CAME UP WAS B1342-2F) AND RECOMMENDED WE REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN. SINCE THAT IS A LARGE EXPENSE ($800) I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER. THEY LOOKED UP OUR VIN AND TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING AND THAT THE WORK FOR THE RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING WAS ALREADY DONE. (FORD'S RECALL NUMBER FOR THIS IS 14S05) MY QUESTION IS SINCE WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE (MEANING THE FIX DIDN'T SEEM TO LAST) IS THERE ANY RECOURSE FOR US TO HAVE FORD FIX THE PROBLEM NOW? ALSO, HOW LONG ARE THESE 'FIXES' SUPPOSED TO LAST? THE DATE THE RECALL WAS PUBLISHED BY NHTSA IS 2014-06-05, AND WE ARE ONLY IN SEPTEMBER OF 2015. I WAS THINKING THAT A RECALL FIX SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. IS NHTSA IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THIS ISSUE?

I HAD THE LETTER FOR THE RECALL # 14S05 AFTER HAVING TROUBLE WITH POWER STEERING JUST GOING OUT WITHOUT WARNING AND HAVING CLOSE CALLS OF HITTING ON COMING TRAFFIC. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THE RECALL LETTER AND THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN AND THEY UPGRADED THE SOFTWARE AND CLUSTER PANEL TO WARN ME WHEN IT WOULD HAPPEN. IT DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE WITH IT STILL GOING OUT! I CALLED A FEW TIMES ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID THAT WAS WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. IT WOULD HAPPEN RANDOMLY SITTING AT A LIGHT AND BEEP BUT NO MESSAGE ON PANEL AND THEN BE OK. RECENTLY WENT ON A TRIP AND WAS GETTING GAS AND MESSAGE POWER STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION CAME ON. COMPUTER HOOKED UP AT LOCAL REPAIR SHOP (WAS WEEKEND) STATED "TORQUE SENSOR MALFUNCTION" HE HIT OPTION FOR AUTO CONFIG AND HELPED TEMPORARILY. I NOTIFIED FORD THAT MONDAY SET APPOINTMENT AND CAR WAS DOING IT OFF AND ON ALL WEEKEND AND HAD A NEAR MISS WITH A HEAD ON COLLISION AS I COULD NOT EVEN STEER MANUALLY. THE DEALER STATED IT WAS THE TORQUE SENSOR AND NEEDED THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED. FORD SAID NO IT WAS MY PROBLEM TO PAY TO FIX BUT DEALER SAID WAS RELATED TO RECALL. THEY ONLY UPDATED SOFTWARE BECAUSE OF THE CODE AT TIME BUT STILL HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE, AND NOW MUCH WORSE AND MORE OFTEN. I CAN NOT AFFORD $1,500 FOR THIS AND DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO AS WAS A DEFECT WITH FORD AND 1.1 MILLION OTHERS HAD THIS. MY WIFE IS DISABLED AND NOW SHE CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE LOCAL GROCERY OR DR BECAUSE SHE CAN NOT STEER CAR WHEN POWER STEERING GOES OUT. THE UPDATED SOFTWARE JUST WARNS ME BY MESSAGE AND ALARM BUT DOESN'T FIX THE ISSUE AND I CAN NOT DRIVE WITHOUT WONDERING WHEN NEXT NEAR MISS IS AN ACCIDENT!! I KNOW THIS RECALL IS CLOSED BUT HAD BEEN GIVEN A CASE # BY FORD 07/24/15 #7564118 AND SPOKE TO MAUREEN AT 800-392-3673...UPDATED 11/04/15 *BF UPDATED 12/13/2017*CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO TURN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 7/21/15*CN

I TOOK MY 2008 MERCURY MARINER IN FOR SERVICE RECALL 14S05 FOR THE TORQUE SENSOR THAT CAN CAUSE THE POWER STEERING TO REVERT TO MANUAL. WITHIN THE LAST WEEK THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST HAD QUIT AT LEAST 4 TIMES. AT THE SAME TIME, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED OR IDLING. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE RECALL ISSUE, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THEY VIBRATION/SHAKING IS DUE TO THE STEERING GEAR THAT IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED ONLY AFTER THE RECALL ISSUE AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS A MERE COINCIDENCE THAT THIS HAPPENED SIMULTANEOUSLY AND IS NOT AS A RESULT OF THE BAD TORQUE SENSOR. FORD STATES THAT THERE IS NO OTHER DOCUMENTED PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND THAT I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS FOR THE STEERING GEAR. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY KNOWN ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE INCLUDING A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LEAK AND DEFECTIVE TONE RINGS IN THE ABS (I'VE REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE ONCE AND THE DRIVER SIDE TWICE IN A SIX MONTH PERIOD WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL REPAIR COSTING ON AVERAGE $350). *TR

I HAD TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE RECALL #14S05, IN 2014; IT WAS FIXED IN A MATTER OF 2 HOURS. AFTER THAT MY STEERING WAS VERY FLEXIBLE AND VERY LOOSE, WHICH I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO GET USED TO. THEN WITHIN A FEW MONTHS THE STEERING COLUMN STARTED TO TREMBLE WHILE IN PARK OR WITH APPLIED BRAKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS FRONT END ISSUES, WHICH I TOOK TO THE SHOP AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. A MONTH WENT BY AND WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON MARCH 9, 2015 GOING ABOUT 60MPH WITH MY 5 YEAR OLD GREAT NIECE IN THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO KEEP IT FROM CRASHING. I NOTICED ON THE DASHBOARD THAT IT READ ?POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT?. IMMEDIATELY I THOUGHT TO MYSELF; I TOOK THIS IN FOR THE RECALL, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING. I MADE IT TO A SAFE PLACE AND CALLED THE FORD DEALER AND EXPLAIN EVERYTHING TO THEM. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULDN'T KNOW IF IT IS RELATED OR NOT UNTIL THEY RUN A DIAGNOSTIC. LATER THAT NEXT DAY THEY CALL AND SAID THAT IT IS NOT RELATED TO THE SOFTWARE THAT WAS REPLACE, WHICH I DISAGREE, AND THEY QUOTED ME A LARGE AMOUNT TO FIX. I TOLD THEM THAT IT IS FORD RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE I FEEL THAT IT WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL. I COULD HAD DIED AND MY GREAT NIECE AS WELL. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I HAD TO PAY FOR TOW AND DIAGNOSTIC AND THE PROBLEM STILL NOT FIX AND I STILL FEEL STRONGLY THAT ITS FORD RESPONSIBILITY. WHEN A RECALL IS PERFORMED AND THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENED THEN IT'S NO ACCUSE OR DENYING THAT IT IS INDEED A RECALL ISSUE. THIS HAS CAUSE MENTAL STRESS, LOSS OF WAGES, MENTAL STRESS DUE TO AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT AND KEEPING ME AND MY GREAT NIECE OUT OF DANGER. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS AND FIXED, BEFORE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE. WHETHER OR NOT THE RECALL WAS DONE IT DID NOT PERFORM LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE AND IT CAUSED A DANGER.THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE SENSOR AND THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

WE BOUGHT OUR 2008 MARINER IN JANUARY 2013 AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT UNTIL NOW. WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT THE STEERING AND HAD IT FIXED. WE STILL NEVER HAVE HAD ANY PROBLEMS. LAST WEEK, ABOUT FEBRUARY 18TH, 2015, I NOTICED THAT WHILE IN PARK WITH VEHICLE RUNNING, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE/PULSATE WITHOUT ME EVEN TOUCHING IT. SINCE THEN, IT HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE, AND I CAN SOMEWHAT FEEL THIS PULSATION EVEN WHILE DRIVING. IT IS NOT ONLY PULSATING NOW, BUT ALSO MAKING A CLICKING OR CLUNKING NOISE WHEN IT PULSES/VIBRATES. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE RUN ACROSS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM, AND PEOPLE LOSING POWER STEERING BECAUSE OF THIS, AND WHEN THEY HAVE CALLED FORD WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I AM REALLY SCARED TO DRIVE IT NOW, BUT DON'T HAVE A CHOICE BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE WE OWN. *JS

NEVER HAD A PROBLEM TILL I RECEIVED A PAPER BACK IN NOV.2014 FOR A RECALL ON POWER STEERING SO I TOOK IT IN THEY SAID IT CHECKED OUT THEY UPDATED IT AND EVER SINCE THERE JUST WASN'T SOMETHING RIGHT ABOUT OUR STEERING. AT RED LIGHTS THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIBRATE AND JERK BACK AND FORTH WITHOUT ME TOUCHING IT AND THEN TODAY I HEARD 3 CHIMES AND SEEN NOTHING POP UP ON DASH THEN BAM THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND SAID POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE AND I HAD TO USE EVERYTHING I HAD TO STEER IT HOME. *TR