2008 Mercury Grand Marquis

AFTER EXPERIENCING A STRANGE SIREN-LIKE SOUND INTERMITTENTLY FOR A FEW DAYS, ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING A TURN, I NOTICED ON SUNDAY THAT THIS NOISE WAS BECOMING LOUDER AND MORE FREQUENT. AFTER DRIVING ONLY ABOUT TWO MILES I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING FELT ODD IN THE STEERING, SO I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED HOME. ON MONDAY AUGUST 24, 2015 I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; SINCE THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM I AGREED TO HAVE THE WORK DONE IMMEDIATELY WHICH ENTAILED LEAVING IT OVERNIGHT FOR COMPLETION. LATER IN THE EVENING I HAD A NAGGING FEELING THAT I HAD HEARD ABOUT A SIMILAR ISSUE, SO I CHECKED MY CAR RECORDS AND CONFIRMED THAT I HAD TAKEN MY CAR TO MY CLOSEST MERCURY DEALER IN RESPONSE TO A RECALL #13S08 FROM FORD MOTOR CORP. ON NOV. 13, 2013; THE GARAGE "INSPECTED THE STEERING SHAFT" AND DECLARED "NO REPAIRS NEEDED AT THIS TIME". I WAS TOLD, HOWEVER, THAT I WOULD BE ASKED TO RETURN IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN THEY HAD SUFFICIENT PARTS TO ADDRESS THE RECALL FULLY.IN MARCH 2014 FORD NOTIFIED ME TO AGAIN CONTACT THE DEALER IN REGARD TO SAFETY RECALL 13S08/NHTSA RECALL13V385. THE DEALERSHIP DID THE RECALL REPAIR ON APRIL 22, 2014 WHICH INVOLVED "REPLACING THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT". UPON INVESTIGATION I LEARNED THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY IN THE AREA OF MY NOW FAILED RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY. WHAT MAKES THIS FRIGHTENING TO ME IS THAT THE REPAIR WAS DONE AT A MILEAGE OF 39923 AND THE PART FAILED AT A MILEAGE OF 44,725. WHEN I CALLED FORD THIS MORNING TO ASK ABOUT ANY HELP THEY MIGHT GIVE ME WITH THIS OR WHETHER OR NOT THIS HAD BEEN A PROBLEM TO OTHER DRIVERS I WAS POLITELY TOLD THAT A RECALL REPAIR IS A ONE TIME FIX. SINCE THE FAILED PART OCCURRED ONLY 4800 MILES AFTER THE REPAIR, I THINK THAT PERHAPS THE "FIX" WAS NOT ENOUGH; THIS SEEMS UNFAIR, ESPECIALLY IF IT EFFECTS MANY DRIVERS. HELP?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V385000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT MADE THE PARTS AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH MY POWER STEERING ON MY 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHEN ITS COLD OUTSIDE OR WHEN I NEED TO MAKE A REALLY QUICK TURN OF THE WHEEL IT TURNS VERY HARD AND HAS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST HAVE AND ACCIDENT. THE CAR HAS SPEED SENSITIVE POWER STEERING ON IT . I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL FORD CARS AND TRUCKS BUT THIS IS THE FIRST STEERING PROBLEM I HAVE HAD. I REALLY WISH I HAD NEVER BOUGHT A CAR WITH THIS TYPE OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM ON IT. I THINK THAT THIS A PROBLEM ON FORD CARS WITH THIS TYPE OF STEERING SYSTEM ON THEM I HAVE TALKED WITH SEVERAL OTHER FORD CAR OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN GIVEN A REAL ANSWER AS TO WHAT CAN BE DONE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CONTINUED DRIVING EVEN THOUGH THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TWO TIMES AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE A PROBLEM. THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V385000 (STEERING) AND STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED AN UNREASONABLE DATE FOR WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL SERVICE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN, A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE VEHICLE AS THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE CONTACT LOST STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH, CAUSING THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEFT HIP AND RIGHT LEG. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

VEHICLE WAS COMING OFF OF A HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP DOING AROUND 40-45 MPH AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS TURN THE DRIVER LOST HIS CONTROL OF HIS STEERING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VEER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ALMOST CAUSING A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON INSPECTION OF VEHICLE FOUND THAT A STERRING COLUMN SHAFT WICH IS ONLY HELD IN PLACE BY A PLASTIC RETAINER AND CONSIST OF 4 CLIPS, 2 OF THE CLIPS WERE BROKEN CAUSING THE COLUMN SHAFT TO SLIDE APART AND HAVE LOSS OF STEERING. SO FAR THE ONLY FIX FROM FORD IS TO SELL YOU A NEW STERRING COLUMN 7W1Z-3C529-A THIS PART IS DESIGNED THE SAME WAY AS THE OLD PART WAS. THIS ISSUE COULD CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT, I AM A MECHANIC WITH A GOVERMENT AGENCY WITH MANY OF THESE VEHICLES IN OUR FLEET. I URGE YOU TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND ASK FOR A RECALL WITH THESE VEHICLES BEFORE A LIFE IS LOST! *TR