2005 Mercury Montego

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT FROM NORMAL TO ZERO AND THEN BACK UP TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE WIRE THAT CAUSED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE TO MALFUNCTION WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE COULD CAUSE HIGH VOLTAGE IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, WHICH COULD HAVE LEAD TO A FIRE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,080. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,956. UPDATED 11/13/09.*LJ THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS WELL. THE MECHANIC FOUND THREE CODES STORED FOR THE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE CIRCUIT. THEY INDICATED AN INTERMITTENT HIGH VOLTAGE IN THE ECT CIRCUIT. THE FREEZE FRAME DATE SHOWED 40 DEGREES INDICATING THE CIRCUIT WAS OPEN AT SOME POINT. EXTENSIVE TESTING WAS DONE OF THE COOLANT SENSOR AND RELATED WIRING AND IT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED THAT A BAD SPOT IN THE SENSOR ORANGE WIRE INSIDE THE HARNESS AT THE BACK OF THE MOTOR WHERE IT TAKES A SHARP BEND. THE HARNESS WAS PULLED APART AND THE FAULTY SECTION WIRE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 11/17/09.*JB THE CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW THE RESULT OF HIS COMPLAINT. UPDATED 01/21/10.*JB

I PURCHASED A NEW 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO IN MAY 2005. THE CAR NOW HAS 85K MILES WITH THE 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION.THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN FINE ON SHORT TRIPS (35 MILES OR LESS) BUT ANYTHING OVER THAT AND IT STARTS DOING REALLY CRAZY STUFF. IT WILL DOWNSHIFT 3-4 GEARS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS...SLAM INTO GEAR... THEN IMMEDIATELY UPSHIFT. THIS HAPPENS SO HARD THAT THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES. ONE TIME IT WAS SO BAD, WE FELT WE HAD BEEN HIT. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO TO DOWNSHIFT, AND JUST GOES TO NEUTRAL CAUSING MAJOR ISSUES WHEN INVOLVED WITH TRAFFIC TRYING TO GET OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. WHEN SHIFTING FROM 3-2 AT LOW SPEEDS, IT WILL DOWNSHIFT BUT SHUDDER THE WHOLE CAR. ALL THESE SYMPTOMS OCCUR ONLY AFTER TRIPS LONGER THAN 35 MILES OR ON A VERY HOT DAY WHERE THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO HEAT UP. MY LOCAL FORD GARAGE HAS TRIED REPROGRAMMING THE TCM WITH NO SUCCESS (FIRST TSB). THEY NOW SAY I NEED A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF NEARLY $5000. FORD WILL NOT HELP IN ANY WAY EVEN THOUGH I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED, BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, AND MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AT OR SOONER THAN RECOMMENDED. THE SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL IS A SAFETY ISSUE. FORD NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ADMIT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AND REPLACE THE TRANS, IT APPEARS AS THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE ALL THE TSB'S FOR THIS SYMPTOM (2 THAT I KNOW OF) AFFECTS ONLY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BEFORE OCT 2005. HOW CAN FORD OR ANY OTHER COMPANY KNOW THEY HAVE AN ISSUE AND NOT TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FORD MAN SINCE THE EARLY 1970'S. HOW I HAVE BEEN TREATED WITH THIS DEFECT COULD BE CONSTRUED AS CRIMINAL. I GUESS THEY FIGURE IF THEY HOLD OUT LONG ENOUGH, THE VEHICLES WILL ALL DIE AND GO AWAY AND THEY WONT HAVE ANY OBLIGATIONS WHATSOEVER. IN DOING RESEARCH ON THIS VEHICLE WITH THE 6 SPEED TRANS, THERE ARE LOTS OF US IN THE SAME SITUATION WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND THE SAME REPLY FROM FORD. *TR

I OWN A 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO FWD 6 SPEED. A COUPLE MONTHS AGO THE TRANSMISSION STARTED JUMPING AROUND, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO TO GEAR AND WHEN IT DOES IT WILL SLAM REAL HARD. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED WITH 22000 MILES AND NOW IT HAS 52000 MILES. I'VE ALREADY REPLACED A MOTOR MOUNT BECAUSE OF THE HARD SHIFTING. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT MIGHT BE THE VALVE BODY WITCH IS AROUND 2000 DOLLARS WITH PARTS AND LABOR. FROM WHAT I HAVE RESEARCH ABOUT THIS CAR, IT IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND COULD GET SOMEONE HURT. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FOR MY WIFE AND KIDS SO IT HAS NOT BEEN MISTREATED. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION TO START GOING OUT AROUND 50000 MILES. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE FORUMS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO ALL OF A SUDDEN NOT WANT TO SHIFT RIGHT WHO'S TO SAY SOMEONE GETS HIT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET OUT OF THE WAY IN TIME. I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED A FORD AND THIS CAR IS THE WORST. AS SOON AS I SAVE THE MONEY UP JUST SO THEY CAN EVEN LOOK AT IT WE ARE OUT OF A VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO. SHE STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. SHE PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON THEN IT SHUT OFF ON ITS OWN. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE WHEN THE PART WERE AVAILABLE. THEY LATER STATED THAT THE PART WAS AVAILABLE AND THAT THEY HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL OPTIONS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED; HOWEVER, IT REMAINED IN THE DEALERS POSSESSION. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND THE CONTACT SHOULD RETRIEVE IT. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 57000.

SAW SMOKE COMING FROM PASSENGER'S OUTSIDE MIRROR, THE METAL WAS HOT, THEN SAW A SMALL FLAME, UNDER THE MIRROR, SO WE PULLED THE FUSE. A WEEK LATER WE PUT THE FUSE BACK IN & SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE MIRROR,AGAIN, SO WE PULLED THE FUSE & HAVE LEFT IT OUT. THIS FUSE ALSO CONTROLS THE POWER SEATS, ALONG WITH THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS. BOTH TIMES THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING. *TR

MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I AM A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE FORD ASSEMBLY PLANT THAT WAS IN HAZELWOOD MISSOURI. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT SOMEONE TO HELP ME IN A TERRIBLE SITUATION. I BOUGHT A 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO BECAUSE I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CAR, AND UP UNTIL NOW, NOT ONLY AM I DISAPPOINTED BUT VERY UNSATISFIED WITH MY CAR AND FORD AUTO COMPANY. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ONE NIGHT AND IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD, THE MORE I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR THE MORE IT DID NOT MOVE. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. MY CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO FORWARD OR REVERSE. THE NEXT DAY I HAD IT TOWED TO PAUL CREAME FORD TO BE CHECKED. [XXX] CALLED ME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT I NEED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION AND IT WOULD COST $6,000.00, (BEFORE THEY EVEN CHECKED IT OUT.) I THEN PROCEEDED TO CALL OR WHO I THOUGHT WAS FORD THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF THEY WOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLE. YES, I AM OVER THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY BUT ONLY BY 1,763 MILES, IN OTHER WORDS I HAVE 37,693 MILE ON MY CAR. THEY CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERSHIP CONTACT ME, AND TOLD ME THAT WOULD ONLY PAY PART OF IT AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT KNOW THE PRICE UNTIL THEY CHECK THE VEHICLE OUT. A FEW DAYS HAD PASS AND THE DEALER CALLED MY AND SAID, " IT COST $5,500.00 TO REBUILD YOUR TRANSMISSION AND FORD WILL ONLY PAY $3,500." [XXX] ALSO SAID THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE OF THE REST. I CALLED FORD BACK AND SPOKE TO A SUPERVISOR AND BASICALLY STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT AND WILL NOT OVER TURN THAT DECISION. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT [XXX] , AND [XXX] BUT HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS. I FEEL THAT MY CAR HAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT IS THE REASON I NEED A TRANSMISSION AND I ALSO FEEL THAT $5,500 IS A OUTRAGEOUS PRICE TO PAY FOR A TRANSMISSION FOR ANY VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS THAT FORD WILL NOT OR WONT STAND BEHIND THEIR CARS. I NEED HELP IN GETTING THIS MATTER RESOLVED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR