1997 Mercury Villager

DRIVER REPORTS HE MUST HAVE HAD HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME (SEMI-PANIC BRAKE APPLICATION). POLICE REPORT STATES "TIRE MARKS" ON THE (DRY) PAVEMENT. ONE DOES NOT PRODUCE "TIRE MARKS" ON DRY PAVEMENT (NO TURNING INVOLVED) WITHOUT BRAKE APPLICATION. DRIVER HAD EPISODE OF MICROSLEEP: WHEN ALERTED BY THE EVENT TAKING PLACE, HE COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN TIME TO PREVENT HITTING AND FATALLY INJURING A PEDESTRIAN. UPON EXAMINATION OF ACCIDENT VEHICLE, INSPECTOR DISCOVERED UNUSUAL ARCHED ACCELERATOR PEDAL DESIGN WHEREIN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS LOCATED ONLY 1 5/8 INCH FROM THE ARCHED ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALLOWING BRAKE APPLICATION AND ACCELERATION CONCURRENTLY IF CERTAIN CONDITIONS PREVAIL. EXAMINATION DEMONSTRATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE PEDAL WENT SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. FURTHERMORE, WITH THE 4 5/8 INCH WIDE BOOT THE DRIVER (AND INSPECTOR) WORE, IT WAS EASY TO ACCIDENTALLY CATCH THE EDGE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CONSEQUENTLY ENABLING THE USER TO ACCIDENTALLY DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDAL (UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS) AT THE SAME TIME. *TR

WE STARTED REPORTING THE PROBLEM WITH THE SLIDING DOOR ON 7/15/99. THE LOCK DID NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK CONSISTENTLY WHETHER USING THE REMOTE OR THE INSIDE AUTOMATIC BUTTON AND THE DOOR RATTLED LIKE SOMETHING WAS LOOSE INSIDE. THE SERVICE DEPT AT CAPITOL LINCOLN MERCURY(RICHMOND, VA) DECIDED TO REPLACE THE ANTENNA ON 8/16. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ON 10/4, I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN AND THEY REPLACED THE SLIDING DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR. THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR LOCKING/UNLOCKING BUT NOW, THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK IS STUCK AND THE DOOR STILL RATTLES.****I INITIALLY REPORTED A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL SHIMMEYING AND THE BRAKES GRABBING ON 8/16. THEY REPORTED THE BRAKES WERE OKAY - 5MM. I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED AND ALIGNED WHICH TOOK 3 DAYS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY ONLY HAD 3 TIRES. THE STEERING WHEEL CONTINUED TO SHIMMEY SO I TOOK IT BACK ON 10/13. THE WEIGHTS HAD FALLEN OFF SO THEY HAD TO REBALANCE THE TIRES. THEY ALSO STATED THE THE VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING WOULD BE FIXED BY TURNING THE FRONT ROTORS WHICH THEY DID. THEY STATED THAT WITH THE TURNING OF THE ROTORS THAT I SHOULD REPLACE MY BRAKES WHICH I DID...FOR $55.83. THE NEXT DAY, 10/14, I TOOK THE VAN BACK BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WAS RUBBING UNDER THE CAR. THIS PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE ROTORS THAT THEY TURNED THE PREVIOUS DAY. CURRENTLY, THE STEERING WHEEL STILL SHIMMIES JUST NOT TO THE EXTENT AS BEFORE. I'M TAKING IT BACK AGAIN ON 10/20.*AK

THE "TABS" THAT HOLD THE REAR BRAKE SHOES ON THE WHEEL CYCLINDER SHEARED OFF. THE BRAKE SHOES WERE JUST FLOATING INSIDE THE DRUM. STOPPING ABILITY SEVERELY DETERIORATED. I HAD TO MAKE EMERGENCY REPAIRS AT MEINEKE SHOP. FORD AND DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO INSPECT PARTS TO SEE IF THEY ARE DEFECTIVE, UNLESS I TAKE INITIATIVE TO PERSUADE DEALER TO LOOK AT THEM, AND THEY PERSUADE FORD REP TO INVESTIGATE. THIS CANNOT BE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. A RESPONSIBLE COMPANY SHOULD DETERMINE IF THERE ARE DEFECTIVE BRAKE COMPONENTS IN THEIR MANUFACTURING PROCESS. THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO PURSUE AND INVESTIGATE, NOT THE CUSTOMER WHO HAS ALREADY PAID FOR REPAIR.

WHEN DRIVING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE IS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, AND CONSUMER STATES THE BRAKES ARE RUBBING METAL TO METAL AND THE NOISE COMES AND GOES AT TIMES. DEALERGROUND THE BRAKE ROTORS AND REPLACED THE PADS. ALSO, THE BRAKES ARE GRINDING, AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS FOUR TIMES, AND THEY CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML