2006 Mercury Grand Marquis

Around 12 years ago, when my 2006 Marquis, which I purchased brand new, had only approximately 40,000 miles on it, the seatbelt-airbag system warning appeared on the instrument panel and a warning bell sound went off with a 3 beep then 2 beeps/ring tone that would sound whenever the vehicle was started for the next two minutes of driving. It would then stop but the yellow warning icon stays on. On a trip, while driving, it will do this every hour or so or 60 miles of driving, and has done this ever since. (I'm retired and drive very little, my vehicle as of today (5-13-2022) has only 54,462 actual miles on it.) I did some research when it first occurred and learned that the 3 - 2 beeps is a "code 32, seat belt pre-tensioner failure warning and will need immediate service and replacement." So I then called Ford and explained it as above. They told me that it is not their problem and are not acknowledging any responsibility and it will be up to me to see a dealer, which I did. I was told that it would require replacement of both my seat front seat belts, and possibly more including airbag components to the tune of several thousand dollars! I asked them, as I did Ford: As I've had many Ford vehicles, personal and company, several of which I've driven over 200K miles, without ever having a seat belt or airbag component failure, how is this MY problem and not Ford's, especially after only 40K miles? I had asked Ford these two most important questions: 1- "What did I do to CAUSE THIS FAILURE?" and 2- "What could I HAVE DONE TO PREVENT IT?" They refused to answer and only told me that I need to take it to a dealer to have it repaired. I have not pursued it as I didn't have the thousands of dollars the dealer wanted to charge me. This is wrong as it is part of Ford's refusal to acknowledge the faulty components in their seat belt/airbag systems, which has been putting my life at risk ever since their components' failure and Ford needs to be held responsible!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING FOR 2 MINUTES, THE AIR BAGS AND SEAT BELTS WARNING LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE WITH AN AUDIBLE BEEP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RON TIRAPELLI FORD, INC. (4355 W JEFFERSON ST, SHOREWOOD, IL 60404) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS NOT IN STOCK, SINCE THERE WAS NO RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE DEALER UNREPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON VEHICLE WHEN OPENING DOOR, TOOK TO PRIVATE SHOP AND DEALER FUTURE FORD OF ROSEVILLE AND BOTH STATES IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. CALLED FORD ON THEIR TOLL FREE NUMBER AND STATED SINCE IT'S NOT A NTSB RECALL THEY ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO FIX. ERROR IS THAT TENSIONER SPRING OR/AND CANISTER IN TENSIONER IS OVER SENSITIVE AND WILL LIKELY FAIL AND CAUSE A HIGH OHM READING TO THE COMPUTER, CAUSING ERROR LIGHT ON, TO BLINK 3-3 FOR DRIVER SIDE OR 3-4 FOR PASSENGER, AND DISABLING AIRBAGS. DEALERSHIP IS BACK LOGGED ON ORDERS FOR NEW SEATBELT ASSEMBLIES, THAT IN SOME CASES MAY TAKE OVER TWO WEEKS FOR ORDER TO CLEAR. ASSEMBLIES ARE FAULTY BY DESIGN. NTSB SHOULD INVESTIGATE FORD AND MAKE A MANDATORY RECALL FOR THIS AND SIMILAR MODELS AND MULTIPLE YEARS THAT USE THIS ASSEMBLY TYPE, SINCE THIS ISSUE IS A SAFETY RISK, AND A DESIGN FAULT.

WHILE DRIVING THE REPEATED CHIMING SOUND BEGAN AND A LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH DISPLAY. THIS CONTINUED AS LONG AS THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. I DROVE IT TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP THAT MAINTAINS MY VEHICLES. HE DIAGNOSED IT AS THE FAILURE OF THE SEAT BELT PRE-TENSIONER ASSEMBLY. HE CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGE OF ONE OF THE LOCAL FORD MOTOR SERVICE MANAGERS, DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM AND THE SM AGREED THAT IT WAS THE PROBLEM. HE DID THE REPAIRS.. COST TO ME WAS $539.42.. THE REPAIR WAS DONE 2/20/2014. IN JULY 2014 THE SAME CHIMING/LIGHT FLASHING AGAIN OCCURRED. TOOK IT BACK TO MY REPAIR SHOP, HE AGAIN CALLED HIS FRIEND, THE SERVICE MANAGER OF THE SAME FORD DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED BEFORE ON OTHER MERCURYS. THIS WAS NOT THE SAME SEAT THAT WAS REPAIRED THE FIRST TIME. I AGAIN PAID $539.82. DURING EITHER THE FIRST OR SECOND ASSEMBLY FAILURE MY PRIVATE SHOP OWNER CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER OF THAT FORD DEALER AND ARRANGED FOR ME TO TAKE MY MERCURY TO HIM, PERSONALLY, AND HE HAD IT CHECKED AND SAID THAT NOT ONLY WAS THIS CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRS DONE BUT THAT THEY HAD A GOOD MANY MERCURYS THAT HAD THIS PROBLEM.. HE SAID IT WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM. I CALLED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY, WAS TRANSFERRED TO "SOMEONE" (A FEMALE) WHO SAID THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM, DENIED ME ANY RECOURSE OFFER AND WHEN I STATED I INTENDED TO CONTACT "SOMEONE" ELSE, SAID THAT WAS MY PRIVILEGE. I DID NOT KNOW WHO ELSE TO CONTACT AND THEREFORE HAD TO DROP THE MATTER. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY FURTHER PROBLEM WITH THIS FAILURE AND REPAIR PART. ONLY TODAY DID I HAPPEN TO FIND THIS PROBLEM OFFER ON MY COMPUTER. I'M 87 YEARS OLD AND NOT TOO COMPUTER SAVVY. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN EXPECT A RESPONSE FROM YOU TO ME BUT HOPE MY PROBLEM WOULD GET ALL THE ATTENTION POSSIBLE. WILL I BE ADVISED OF ANY ACTION TAKEN?. *TR

ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 I PURCHASED A USED 2006 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS LS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. I SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, NOT RESULTING IN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. IN RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM AND TO DETERMINE IF THERE HAD BEEN AN AIRBAG RECALL BY THE NHTSA, I FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN 57 REGISTERED COMPLAINTS ON THE REPAIR PAL WEBSITE AND THAT A COMPLAINT HAD ALSO BEEN FILED WITH THE NHTSA.FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A RESULT OF DEFECTIVE SEAT-BELT ASSEMBLIES. THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM AS IT EFFECTS THE PROPER FUNCTIONALITY OF THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION.

IN FEB, 2014, I ORIGINALLY HAD A MINOR CRASH WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER WAS CITED FOR RECKLESS DRIVING. HIS INSURANCE PAID FOR MY DAMAGE. NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED ON EITHER ME, THE DRIVER, OR MY MOTHER, THE PASSENGER. WE WERE BELTED IN. RECENTLY, ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2015, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND CHIMES CAME ON WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON, THE CHIME RINGS IN 3 SETS OF 5 PERIODICALLY. THE DEALER THAT FIXED THE ORIGINAL DAMAGE, ALAN JAY, RAN A $55 DIAGNOSTIC AND STATED THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER WAS OPEN, AND THAT THIS COULD HAVE ONLY OCCURRED IN AN ACCIDENT. I ASKED WHY THE SYSTEM DID NOT RESPOND THE 1 1/2 YEARS EARLIER WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED? ALAN JAY DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT STATED MY ENTIRE RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND AIRBAGS WOULD NOT OPERATE IN ANY FUTURE CRASH, UNTIL I REPLACE THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT, WHICH WILL COST $780.00 ALAN JAY FORD / MERCURY SAID TO CONTACT NATIONAL GENERAL INSURANCE BECAUSE "THE PRETENSIONER DOESN'T JUST GO" THAT AN ACCIDENT HAD TO HAVE OCCURRED TO CAUSE THIS. NATIONAL GENERAL CALLED ME BACK TODAY AND STATED THIS IS UNTRUE. THERE HAS BEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THE MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS AIRBAG LIGHT ACTIVATING AND SHUTTING DOWN THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND TURNING OFF THE AIRBAGS FOR NO CAUSE. THEY REFERRED ME TO WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, AND I FILED THE 19TH COMPLAINT FOR THIS PROBLEM ON THE 2006 GRAND MARQUIS MODEL. THERE ARE ALSO MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODEL YEARS FOR THE GRAND MARQUIS AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM? WHY DON'T THE MERCURY DEALERS KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? LIKE MANY OTHERS, I AM FORCED TO DRIVE MY ONLY VEHICLE IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION UNTIL I CAN AFFORD THE $780.00 TO FIX IT?