2003 Mercury Marauder

THE VEHICLE WAS WASHED AND FUELED AGAINST CUSTOMER?S REPEATED REQUESTS. SIGNIFICANT (ADDITIONAL) CLEAR COAT ABRASION DAMAGE TO PAINTED BODY SURFACES AND TRIM. VEHICLE?S ENGINE KNOCKED FOR THE DURATION OF THE TANK, SUGGESTING THAT IT WAS FUELED WITH REGULAR, NOT PREMIUM FUEL THE VEHICLES FUEL GAUGE CLEARLY READS, PREMIUM FUEL ONLY. IMMEDIATE MECHANICAL FAILURES: WITHIN THE FIRST 24 HOURS OF OWNERSHIP, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THREE SYSTEM FAILURES. POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. OVERDRIVE INDICATOR LIGHT CONSTANTLY FLASHING. POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE SENSOR REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. RADIATOR FAN DEFECTIVE REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, OTHER MECHANICAL ANOMALIES APPEARED: TRANSMISSION ANOMALY OCCURRING REPEATABLE. CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM BEHAVING ERRATICALLY. IRREPARABLE CLEAR COAT AND PAINT DAMAGE: SEVERE AMOUNT OF CLEAR COAT DAMAGE TO NEARLY 100% OF THE VEHICLES EXTERIOR. ALTHOUGH A FEW SURFACE SCRATCHES MIGHT BE EXPECTED WITH ANY NEW VEHICLE, THE VOLUME AND SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE TO THIS VEHICLE IS BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD HAVE IMAGINED IN A NEW CAR. HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO IMAGES ARE ATTACHED WHICH DEPICT ALL DEFECTS DESCRIBED BELOW. TEN OR MORE DEEP, IRREPARABLE, CONCENTRATED BURN MARKS, CAUSED BY OVER-BUFFERING, ARE LOCATED ON THE HOOD, DRIVERS DOOR, AND THE DRIVER?S-SIDE REAR DOOR, RIGHT-FRONT QUARTER PANEL, ETC. TWO ADDITIONAL BURN MARKS ARE CLEARLY PRESENT ON THE TRUNK LID LIP AND TRUNK SURFACE AS WELL. THESE SWIRL MARKS RANGE IN DIAMETER FROM A FEW INCHES TO MORE THAN A FOOT. THOUSANDS OF FOREIGN METALLIC PARTICLES ARE IRREPARABLY EMBEDDED INTO PAINT ALONG ALL LOWER BODY PANELS. A SMALL TEST AREA OF THE DAMAGED SURFACE WAS TREATED WITH A CLEAR COAT-SAFE POLISH, YET DEMONSTRATED NO VISIBLE IMPROVEMENT AS A RESULT.

ALMOST ALL DOMESTIC MANUFACTURERS OF PASSENGER CARS MAKE THEM SO THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSES FARTHER THAN THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS VERY LIKELY THE REASON FOR MOST "UNINTENDED" ACCELERATION INCIDENTS. IN MY OWN CASE IT INVOLVES A 2003 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. IF YOU ACCIDENTLY DEPRESS BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH WITH A LARGE FOOT IS EASY TO DO, THE BRAKES WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT ALL VEHICLES OF THE SAME PLATFORM DO THE SAME THING. I CAN EASILY SEE WHERE THIS WOULD LEAD TO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WHEN AN ELDERLY PERSON HAS THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND THEY PANIC AND ARE AFRAID TO RELEASE THE BRAKE. AS WE SEE MORE AND MORE INCIDENTS OF "UNINTENDED ACCERALTION" KILL AND MAME MORE AND MORE PEOPLE PERHAPS IT'S NOT UNUSUAL BUT THE NORM.*AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *PH WHEN THE CONSUMER ACTIVATED AND SET THE SPEED CONTROL, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT REMAIN AT THE SET SPEED. THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND SHOWED NO SIGN OF DECELERATION TO RESUME. THE DEALER FINALLY RECTIFIED THE PROBLEM. *SCC *JB