1999 Mercury Villager

I SENT THIS LETTER TO THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. NO REPLY YET. I ALSO HAVE COPIES OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO THE VAN. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ON THURSDAY MAY 3, 2007 WE WERE DRIVING, WITH MY WIFE BEING THE DRIVER, NORTH ON U.S. 441 IN FLORIDA. AS WE PASSED A TRUCK WE HEARD A GROWLING NOISE. IT WAS OUR VAN. I-75 THE TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED UP FROM AN ACCIDENT SO WE TOOK A PARALLEL ROAD TO THE NORTH. THE VAN WAS STILL GROWLING. WHEN WE GOT TO U.S. 27 I TOLD HER WE HAD BETTER FIND A MERCURY DEALER AND SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. WE TURNED BACK INTO OCALA AND STOPPED AT A SMALL INDEPENDENT USED AUTO SALES BUSINESS. WE WERE TOLD THE MERCURY DEALERSHIP WAS JUST DOWN THE STREET, SO WE GOT BACK INTO THE VAN AND PROCEEDED TO START OUT. MY WIFE HAD TO BACK UP A LITTLE TOWARD BUSY U.S. 441. THEN SHE SCREAMED ?I HAVE NO BRAKES!? QUICKLY SHE PUT THE VAN INTO DRIVE AND IT SCREECHED AND LUNGED FORWARD. NOW WE WERE HEADED TOWARD A CHAIN-LINK FENCE. STILL NO BRAKES, SO SHE WAS SMART ENOUGH TO TURN OFF THE KEY AND WE STOPPED TWO FEET FROM THE FENCE. NEEDLESS TO SAY SHE WAS MY HEROINE. WE GOT OUT AND SHE SAID, ?LOOK AT THIS HUB CAP.? THE PLASTIC CONNECTORS THAT HOLD IT TO THE WHEEL WERE MELTED AND THE CAP HAD FALLEN OFF. THE WHEEL WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH. BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE VERY HOT AND NOW YOU COULD SMELL BRAKE FLUID. WE CALLED A WRECKER AND THE PEOPLE THAT OWNED THE AUTO SALES STORE GAVE US A TIRE STORE THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE THE BEST IN THE AREA. I CALLED THEM AND THEY WOULD TAKE US IN RIGHT AWAY. APPARENTLY THE WHEEL CYLINDERS ENGAGED ON THE FRONT OF THE VAN AND THE INTENSE HEAT FROM FRICTION BUILT UP HAD MELTED THE BRAKE HOSES. WE ARE SURE GLAD WE HAD NOT VENTURED ONTO I-75. IS THIS A MANUFACTURER?S DEFECT THAT HASN'T BEEN FOUND YET? *TR

LTR FM SALETTE SILVANA SELVAGGI(NY) INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT TRAVELING I-95 IN CONNECTICUT IN VEHICLE A 1999 MERCURY VILLAGE EXPERIENCED LOSS OF STOPPING POWER AND CONTROL QUESTION IF VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE REPLY TO THE ROCKLAND DISTRICT OFC WEST NYACK, NY. *MR WHILE TRYING TO BRAKE THERE WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF STOPPING POWER AND LOSS OF CONTROL RESULTING IN A CRASH IN THE PASSENGER SIDE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES BUT THE CONSUMER BELIEVES A VEHICLE MALFUNCTION CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THE INSURANCE COMPANY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT HE CONSUMER WAS 100% AT FAULT. *NM

VEHICLE LOST POWER RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *MR THIS OCCURRED AS THE CONSUMER WAS ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. THE CONSUMER WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. *SC THE TROOPER CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAD DEFECTIVE DUE TO THE FLUID TRAIL, SKID MARKS ON THE ROAD AND PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS ISSUED A CITATION. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE CONSUMER WOULD HEAR A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED IT WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WOULD BE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK DIFFERENT BRAKE COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO FAIL. THE WINDSHIELD MOLDING FLAPPED WHILE DRIVING. THE DRIVER'S FRONT DOOR RATTLED WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER LUBED THE WINDOW TRACKS. *NLM

WE OWN A '1999 MERCURY VILLAGER VAN. THE BRAKES HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE REPAIRS TWICE ,AND NOW MUST BE REPLACED AGAIN AFTER ONLY 13,000 MILES. SECONDLY, THE ACCELERATOR STICKS. IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED ONCE AND REQUIRES REPAIR AGAIN. (FIRST TIME UNDER WARRANTY. THIS TIME AT A COST OF APPROX. $460.) THE REPAIRMEN AT THE DEALERSHIP CLAIM THE DEVICE USED TO PREVENT SLUDGE FROM ACCUMULATING ON THE ACCELERATOR LINE TENDS TO WARP DUE TO HEAT EXPOSURE ALLOWING SLUDGE TO ACCUMULATE ON THE LINE AND CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR TO STICK. IT WAS FIRST REPAIRED AT 35,000 MILES AND NOW REQUIRES A SECOND REPAIR AT 73,000 MILES. *AK

APPLIED BRAKES ON FREEWAY WHICH WAS DRY AT THE TIME; CAUSED ME TO SLIDE SPIN OUT, AND SLIDE BACKWARDS ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC. COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL ACCIDENT. I DID NOT "JAM" ON MY BRAKES. TWO DAYS LATER, I AM GETTING SEVERE VIBRATION AND THE REAR BRAKES ARE VERY HOT, RIMS VERY WARM TO TOUCH AND SMELL FROM PASSENGER REAR WHEEL. MECHANICS CAN NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG. SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG TO CAUSE REAR BRAKES TO HEAT UP LIKE THAT. DID NOT HAVE PARKING BRAKE ON! I WAS DRIVING FOR 1/2 HOUR BEFORE THE VIBRATION STARTED. IT WOULD STOP FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER I WOULD BRING CAR TO A STOP AND THEN CONTINUE. SOMETHING CAUSED ME TO SKID AND SPIN OUT ON THE FREEWAY; APPLYING THE BRAKES HARD (BUT NOT JAMMING THEM!) SHOULD NOT CAUSE ME TO SPIN OUT LIKE THAT. I FEAR SOMETHING IS VERY, VERY WRONG. DT

SITTING AT STOP SIGN WHEN LOUD "POP" OCCURRED-CAR STARTED ROLLING; BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WITHOUT ANY RESULT-USED PARKING BRAKE TO STOP & AVOID TURNING CAR-RELEASED BRAKE TO ROLL OUT OF INTERSECTION-AGAIN PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WITHOUT RESULT-AGAIN USED EMERG. BRAKE TO STOP ON SIDE OF ROAD-TOW OPERATOR CHECKED BRAKE FLUID LEVEL(FULL) AND UNDER CAR FOR LEAKS(NONE) THEN PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL WHICH WENT TO FLOOR WITH NO RESULTS-DEALER CLAIMS HOLE IN "DIAPHRAM" AND PREVIOUS COULD NOT HAPPEN ONLY POWER BRAKING OUT-THIS IS NOT SO THERE WERE NO BRAKES POWER OR OTHERWISE WORKING ON THIS CAR (EXCEPTION OF EMERG. BRAKE. *AK

CONSUMER HAD MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2000. IT HAS FAILED AGAIN AND AT DEALER'S AT THIS TIME. SERVICEMEN AT MERCURY DELAR SAID THAT PART WAS DEFECTIVE, AND NOT VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER WAS SAYING LET THEM REPAIR IT AGAIN. CONSUMER HAS A HANDICAP & USES HAND DEVICES, AND IS NOT ABLE TO MANEUVER VEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. *AK