2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2008 MERCURY HYBRID MARINER ON A HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, A WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH (RED TRIANGLE WITH AND EXCLAMATION POINT) AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SLOWING DOWN IN A MANNER THAT PREVENTED HER FROM CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE, FORTUNATELY, WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FORD DEALERSHIP'S DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY AND THE DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT FOR SAFETY REASONS. I UNDERSTAND THAT AS A RESULT OF SIMILAR ISSUES WITH FORD ESCAPE AND MERCURY MARINER MODELS, THROUGH A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM, FORD VOLUNTARILY HAS EXTENDED WARRANTY WORK FOR SOME ESCAPE AND MARINER VEHICLES. THE VIN FOR OUR 2008 MERCURY HYBRID MARINER, HOWEVER, WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM. I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AND WITH A SUPERVISOR FROM FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE (800-392-3673), AND THE SUPERVISOR REPORTED THAT FORD IS NOT IN A POSITION TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO MY VEHICLE, BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DATA TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE WITHIN THE VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON A FRIDAY EVENING A RED TRIANGLE SHAPED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SAYING "STOP SAFELY NOW", AS THE LIGHT CAME ON THE VEHICLE STARTED LOOSING POWER GOING SLOWER AND SLOWER, EVENTUALLY SLOWING TO 20 OR 30 MILES AN HOUR, THERE WAS NO SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER OFF THE INTERSTATE. THIS WAS NOT SAFE AT ALL. AFTER PULLING OVER, THEN PRESSING SYSTEM RESET BUTTONS, TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAITING A FEW MINUTES THEN RESTARTING THE VEHICLE IT RAN FINE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEN ON SUNDAY (A DAY AND A HALF LATER) I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND IT DID THE SAME THING, THE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST POWER. I REPEATED WHAT I DID THE PREVIOUS TIME, BUT IT DID IT AGAIN WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE, IT DID IT SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN I GOT BACK ON THE INTERSTATE THE LAST TIME I KEPT MY SPEED AROUND 60 MPH AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE DID THIS THE SAME THING OCCURRED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO SEVERAL TIMES ON THE INTERSTATE. I ASSUMED WHAT EVER THE PROBLEM WAS IT WAS IT WORKED ITSELF OUT BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN SO LONG SINCE IT OCCURRED. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM IS AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ I AM LEERY OF BRINGING IT IN FOR REPAIR BECAUSE FORD DOESN'T EVEN SEEM TO KNOW THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM FROM EVERYTHING I HAVE READ, AND THE OWNER ENDS UP PAYING A LOT OF MONEY FOR REPAIRS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

AROUND OCT 2009. MY SENSOR WENT BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED THEN AGAIN IN OCTOBER 2010 OR 2011 WITH AROUND 60000 MILES GOING DOWN I-75 AROUND 70 MILES AN HOUR A RED TRIANGLE CAME ON TELLING ME TO PULL OVER SAFELY NOW. I NEED A MECS PUMP SOMETHING ABOUT A PUMP TO COOL THE BATTERY AFTER AGAIN ANOTHER COSTLY BILL ON MY WAY TO WORK THIS SPRING THE RED TRIANGLE CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME INSTEAD OF TAKING THIS CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC IT SAVED ME AROUND $100.00 ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COOLING PUMP. I WAS DRIVING IN CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 22, 2013 AND THE RED LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN TELLING ME TO PULL OVER SAFELY I DID HAVE MY AIR ON AND I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC SO I PULLED OVER. IN THE HEAT I HAVE NOT HAD MY AIR ON AGAIN AND IT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS BUT I DO NOT TRUST MY CAR AND I NOW NEED TO GO TO MY MECHANIC AND HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. . *TR

I WAS TRAVELING WEST AT ABOUT 70 MPH IN THE LEFT LANE ON I-66 OUT OF WASHINGTON, DC WITH FOUR PEOPLE IN THE CAR. SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE DIED AND WE WERE LEFT WITH ONLY THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ON THE HYBRID AND A DASH WARNING OF A RED TRIANGLE AND THE STATEMENT "STOP SAFELY SOON." THE CAR QUICKLY LOST POWER TO ABOUT 30 MPH AND WE STRUGGLED TO GET ACROSS THE FOUR LANES TO THE SHOULDER. THE ELECTRONICS IN THE CAR STILL OPERATED (RADIO, DASH LIGHTS, ETC.), BUT THE GAS ENGINE STALLED. ONCE ON THE SHOULDER, WE STOPPED. THE FORD OWNER'S MANUAL TOLD US TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND TRY TO RE-START. WE DID THIS AND THE CAR RE-STARTED. WE STARTED TO DRIVE, BUT THE CAR DID THE SAME THING AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THE CAR DID THE SAME THING ON ABOUT 5 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS UNTIL WE COULD GET TO AN EXIT THAT HAD BUSINESSES. THE FORD DEALER IN THIS AREA (AWAY FROM MY HOME) STATES THAT THE ELECTRONIC COOLING PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THAT PARTS FAIL, MY COMPLAINT IS THAT FORD SHOULD NOT TELL OWNERS TO RE-START THE CAR AND TRY TO PROCEED ON. IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN IT CONTINUES TO FAIL AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE NEXT FAILURE MIGHT OCCUR (ON A BRIDGE, IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE, ON A BUSY, FAST INTERSTATE). MOREOVER, HAVING REVIEWED COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE AND ELSEWHERE ON THE INTERNET ABOUT FORD HYBRIDS, I KNOW THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCE THIS SITUATION WHERE THE CAR ENGINE STALLS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS DUE TO VARIOUS PROBLEMS (E.G., THE ELECTRONIC COOLING PUMP, BAD SENSORS, OR A CORRUPTED PCM). *TR

THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD TOTAL ENGINE POWER SHUT-DOWN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS WITH NO LIMP-AWAY OPTION AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY, REALIZED THAT WE WERE IN AN UNSAFE NEIGHBORHOOD [SO NOT A GOOD OPTION TO STOP AND CALL FOR TOW], TRIED MAPPING SURFACE STREET ROUTE TO SAFER AREA, BUT NAV SYSTEM SHOWED THE ONLY SURFACE STREET ROUTE TO TAKE US BACK HOME PUT US ON A STEEP, NARROW WINDING SECTION OF LAUREL CANYON - NO SAFE EXIT IF ANOTHER SHUT-DOWN. ALSO REALIZED WE COULDN'T USE RIVERSIDE THRU GRIFFITH PARK WHICH IS LOCKED AFTER DARK .. SO ZIG-ZAGGED NORTH AND WEST ABOUT 5 MILES BELOW 40 MPH KEEPING TO LIGHTED STREETS HOPING FOR SAFE PLACE OR UNREMEMBERED ROUTE. ENGINE REMAINED STABLE ONCE MORE, DROVE TOWARDS I-5 AGAIN ON LOS FELIZ (PAST THE GRIFFIN BAR ' AND A TOPLESS CLUB) .. REMEMBERED LOS FELIZ AHEAD HAD A LONG, SEPARATE ENTRANCE RAMP TO N/B I-5 . THE DRIVETRAIN ACCELERATED SMOOTHLY TO ~50 MPH, THEN WARNINGS / DRIVE TRAIN DIED AGAIN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ON-RAMP .. HAZARDS ' AGAIN .. BUT WITH LESS MOMENTUM, HARDER TO FIND A WIDE-ENOUGH SPOT ON THE N/B OUTER SHOULDER ACROSS FROM S/END GRIFFITH PARK GOLF COURSE. WHEN MINIMAL SPOT FOUND STOPPED / PARKED / SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED AGAIN, ENGINE STARTED AND IDLED SMOOTHLY, NO WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ON. NOW ABOUT 10:15PM. WITH HAZARDS ON, ROLLED BELOW FWY SPEEDS ALONG SHOULDER UNTIL IT RAN OUT JUST AS ADEQUATE OPENING APPEARED IN OUTSIDE LANE. ACCELERATED CAUTIOUSLY TO BELOW 50 MPH, LIMPED OFF AT ODD FREEWAY APPENDIX WHICH LEADS EAST - MERGED RIGHT ONTO SAN FERNANDO, TURNED LEFT (NORTH) AT NEXT SIGNAL AND STARTED WORKING WAY ABOUT 12 MILES BACK WEST ON SURFACE STREETS FROM THE MOORPARK AREA NEVER EXCEEDING 45 MPH. NO ADDITIONAL DRIVETRAIN ISSUES BEFORE WE REACHED STUDIO CITY HOME ~ 11:10PM. THIS WAS THE THIRD TOTAL ENGINE POWER SHUT-DOWN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS WITH NO `LIMP AWAY' OPTION. *TR

THIS WOULD BE THE SECOND UN-WARNED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER ON A FREEWAY. HAVING COASTED OUT OF TRAFFIC ON THE FIRST UNWARNED ENGINE / PROPULSION SYSTEM SHUT-DOWN IN FAST-MOVING FREEWAY TRAFFIC, MANAGED TO FIND WIDE-ENOUGH SECTION OF OUTSIDE SHOULDER TO COME TO A STOP. BUT BEING STUCK IN 10PM DARKNESS ON A NARROW SHOULDER WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONSIDER REMAINING THERE. ONCE STOPPED, I SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION TO PARK, CYCLED IGNITION OFF THEN TO START ? ENGINE RESTARTED, DASH WARNING LAMPS CAME ON- THEN CYCLED OFF NORMALLY, ENGINE RAN SMOOTHLY. NOTE: THE ONLY WAY TO ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE HYBRID DRIVETRAIN IS TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK .. IT DOESN'T WORK IN NEUTRAL .. AND THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO TRY TO PUT THE TRANS IN PARK IN 72-75 MPH FREEWAY TRAFFIC IN 10PM DARKNESS. ACCELERATED MODERATELY INTO MERGING LANE, ENTERING GAP IN N/B TRAFFIC TO RE-ENTER I-5 TRAFFIC ? HOPING TO GET PAST SR-2 TO MORE-FAMILIAR EXIT ? WITHIN 2 MINUTES, AND AT SPEED ~ 55 MPH ? DRIVE TRAIN DIED AGAIN (SAME WARNING TONE AND LIGHT...AND SAME "TOO LITTLE TOO LATE" STOP NOW WARNING TEXT). AGAIN HAD TO HUNT FOR A WIDE-ENOUGH SECTION OF OUTSIDE SHOULDER TO STOP AND TAKE STOCK OF DANGEROUS SITUATION. SHUT OFF ENGINE, MOVED TRANS INTO PARK TRIED RESTART - AGAIN, ENGINE STARTED AND SETTLED TO NORMAL OPERATION - NO WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ON. ABLE TO RE-ENTER TRAFFIC AND TRANSITION OFF I-5 FWY .. BUT ONLY ESCAPE WAS TO ANOTHER FREEWAY (SR-2). KEPT SPEED BELOW 45MPH ON THAT FREEWAY UNTIL ABLE TO EXIT FREEWAY. THIS WAS THE SECOND UN-WARNED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER ON A FREEWAY. *TR

THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE "MOTOR ELECTRONICS COOLING PUMP." THE PART WAS REPLACED BUT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. FORD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN NOVEMBER 2008 CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM, SO FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS DANGER FOR YEARS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE ELECTRICAL HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,034. UPDATED 05/05/11*LJ THE DEALER INFOEMED THE CONSUMER THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS BAD. UPDATED 08/18/11