1996 Mercury Villager

THE CAR CONTINUALLY LOCKS ITSELF (POWER LOCKS). IF I'M OUTSIDE THE CAR I HAVE TO REPEATEDLY TRY TO UNLOCK IT WHILE AT THE SAME TIME IT RELOCKS ITSELF. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS IT WILL STOP AND LET ME IN. SAME IS TRUE IF I'M IN THE CAR EXCEPT NOW I CAN'T GET OUT. IT'S USUALLY MUCH WORSE DURING THE DAY THAN AT NIGHT. DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE IN THE CAR, TRYING TO GET IN OR NEARBY (I DON'T HAVE A REMOTE NOR IS IT AN OPTION). THE CAR CAN BE SITTING IDLE FOR HOURS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING ITSELF IN RAPID SUCCESSION. RARELY IF EVER DOES IT END UP UNLOCKED. WILL OCCASIONALLY GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCEDURE WHILE DRIVING. IT DOESN'T EFFECT ANYTHING BUT ALL THE DOOR LOCKS (AT LEAST THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASCERTAIN). IF IT MATTERS I COULD SEND A VIDEO OF THIS PROBLEM. THE QUESTION BELOW OF WHEN DOES THIS HAPPEN IS MOOT. IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY AT ANYTIME. I'VE TRIED NUMEROUS WORKAROUNDS WITH LITTLE SUCCESS BECAUSE THE CAR SEEMS TO ADAPT AND THEN BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT. ( BELIEVE ME, I KNOW WHAT THIS SOUNDS LIKE.)

WHILE I AM DRIVING THE SLIDING DOOR WILL POP. CURRENTLY IT DOES NOT COMPLETELY OPEN, BUT IS DOES BECOME UNSECURED. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON AND WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT INHIBITS MY VISION AND MAKES DRIVING UNSAFE. MY CHILDREN ARE ALSO THE PASSENGERS NEAR THE DOOR AT THIS TIME AND I AM AFRAID THAT THE DOOR WILL FLY OPEN AND CAUSE HARM EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IN SAFETY BELTS. I HAVE HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE LATCH AND HE SEES NOTHING THAT SHOULD BE CAUSING THIS TO MALFUNCTION. *NM

DT: CONSUMER STATED: IT WAS NIGHT, COLD OUTSIDE, AND WHILE DRIVING SMELLED BURNING RUBBER. PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE, OPENED HOOD BEDORE HOOD WAS COMPLETED OPENED, CONSUMER COULD SEE FLAMES BURNING AND THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR PULLEY WAS SO HOT THAT IT WAS GLOWING RED. THE BELT ATTACHED TO THE COMPRESSOR WAS BURNING. *AK THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DAMAGING THE COMPRESSOR AND BELT(S) AND LIKELY OTHER A/C COMPONENTS. *NM CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT FIRE. THE A/C COMRESSOR FAILED CAUSING THE FIRE. *TT

I HAD A LOW IMPACT ACCIDENT WHERE THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE HIT THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. (FORGOT TO PUT CAR IN PARK AND WAS ABOUT 4 FEET FROM BACK OF ANOTHER CAR ON SLIGHT GRADE, WELL YOU KNOW THE REST).*AK AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE SLIDING DOOR BEGAN TO "POP" ENOUGH FOR THE AJAR DOOR LIGHT TO COME ON BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR THE DOOR TO ACTUALLY OPEN. I HAVE CHECKED WITH THE PEOPLE THAT GAVE ESTIMATES ON REPAIRS AND WAS INFORMED BY EVERY ONE THAT IT WAS NOT A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. WHAT I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND IS WHY IT STARTED ONLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE LOCKS MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF WARE.

I NOTICED THERE WAS AN EXHAUST SMELL SEEPING INTO THE VAN, I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH QUEST'S AND VILLAGER'S SNAPPED EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WERE 2 STUDS BROKEN AND MISSING. I CALLED SEVERAL DEALERS AND GOT QUOTES AND FOUND A NISSAN DEALER TO DO IT FOR $800 THEY SEEM TO HAVE MORE EXPERINCE DOING IT SINCE IT ALSO IS A PROBLEM WITH PATHFINDERS AND MAXIMAS. I CALLED FORD AND THEY FLAT OUT REFUSED TO HELP OUT AT ALL!

LOCK MECHANISM//LOCKS WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY. I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE LOCKS. SOMETIMES FOUND MYSELF STUCK IN THE CAR UNTIL THE LOCKS DECIDED TO STOP LOCKING AND UNLOCKING ON THEIR OWN. I BELIEVE I PAID ABOUT $500.00 FOR REPAIRS TO THIS SYSTEM JUST FOR THE WHOLE SYSTEM TO FAIL AGAIN ALMOST TWO YEARS LATER. MY LOCKS NO LONGER WORK. I HAVE VIDEO OF THE LOCKS WORKING ON THEIR OWN. AS FOR INCIDENT DATE-TOO MANY TO COUNT. *AK