2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STOP SAFETY NOW WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED, THE WARNING LIGHTS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V526000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

MY VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE NATIONWIDE RECALL BY FORD THIS SUMMER. AS INSTRUCTED, I WENT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND MY CAR WAS "GIVEN THE FIX". NOT 1 LATER MY POWER STEERING IN MY CAR HAS COMPLETELY GONE OUT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE MY CAR. I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN DIAGNOSED AND "FIXED" UNDER THE RECALL, SO THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER THEY COULD DO. MY CAR IS ACTUALLY DOING THE THING THAT THE RECALL WARNED ABOUT AND THEY SENT ME AWAY. IT HAS BEEN 4 MONTHS, I FEEL LIKE I TAKE MY LIFE INTO MY HANDS WHEN I DRIVE MY CAR AND FORD TAKES NO RESPONSIBLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT EXTREME FORCE WAS REQUIRED TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD INDEPENDENTLY RESUME TO NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

I AM CONCERNED THAT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM ARE NOT LIMITED TO A FAULTY TORQUE SENSOR BUT TO THE OVERALL POWER STEERING SYSTEM WHICH MAY CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR OTHER STEERING EMERGENCIES. AS A RESULT, I AM PROVIDING THE FOLLOWING REPORT SHOULD YOU RECEIVE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER DRIVERS OF FORD VEHICLES ABOUT WORN PARTS OF THE POWER STEERING COLUMN WHICH AFFECTED DRIVING. WHILE STATIONARY IN A PARKING LOT, AFTER TURNING ON THE IGNITION A SOUND LIKE A QUICK POP OCCURRED. AFTER STARTING TO DRIVE AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, A KNOCKING SOUND SUCH AS THAT OF A SMALL HAMMER HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT PRODUCED A RUBBING SOUND AND MINOR RESISTANCE. THERE ALSO WAS A CONSTANT SQUEAKING IN THE ROTATION OF THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WHICH EXISTED PRIOR TO THE ABOVE OCCURRENCE. THESE CONDITIONS CONTINUED TO OCCUR. ON JULY 9, 2014 THE DEALER REPLACED THE 8L8Z-38676-E STEERING SHAFT JOINT CONNECTOR. (I WAS UNAWARE OF RECALL 14S055 AT THE TIME.) ON THE TRIP HOME, THE STEERING WHEEL CONSTANTLY SQUEAKED WHILE TURNING TO THE LEFT. RESPONDING TO THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING RECALL 14S055 ON 2008-2011 FORD VEHICLES AND A REMEDY FOR THE SQUEAKING, RETURNED TO THE DEALER ON AUGUST 1, 2014. ELECTRIC STEERING UPGRADE PERFORMED. SQUEAKING SEEMS TO BE REMEDIED BY REPLACING SWAY BARS AND 1 TIE ROD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPLICATED. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE STEERING KNUCKLE, UPDATE THE PSCM AND THE IC SOFTWARE BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 9/18/14*CN UPDATED 2/4/2015 *JS

WITHOUT WARNING THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY LOOSE. THE CHANGE WAS NOT PROGRESSIVE, ABRUPT. THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES NOISE WHEN TURNING RIGHT TO LEFT, LEFT TO RIGHT. THIS IS THE SECOND 2008 MARINER HYBRID I HAVE OWNED AND THAT ONE DID THE SAME THING. IN RESEARCHING ON LINE THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN AND ARREARS TO BE WIDE SPREAD. THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND SAID THERE HAD NOT BEEN A RECALL ISSUED BUT "HOLD ON TO YOUR RECEIPTS" AS THOUGH HE EXPECTED ONE IN THE FUTURE. HONEST, THE CAR WAS HARD TO POINT STRAIGHT AFTER THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. HOW CAN THIS NOT BE A SAFETY ISSUE? *TR