1999 Mercury Villager

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY VILLAGER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT AIR WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE STEEL WHEEL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WHEEL AS A FREE REMEDY. THREE YEARS LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE FAILURE RECURRED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL TIRE SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS IN GOOD CONDITION, BUT THE STEEL WHEEL WAS CAUSING THE FAILURE. FIVE YEARS LATER, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE FAILED AND THE STEEL WHEEL HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DRIVING CONDITIONS AND SPEED WERE NOT FACTORS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

PURCHASED VEHICLE ONE WEEK AGO, SINCE THEN WHENEVER I AM GOING FROM PARK TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN REVVING THE ENGINE AT 5,000 RPMS MAKING IT VERY HARD TO STOP VEHICLE WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. YOU HAVE TO SHUT VEHICLE OFF AND THEN PUT IT IN PARK, THEN TRY IT AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT WORKS AND OTHER TIMES ITS WORSE!!! THIS VEHICLE IS VERY UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE STREETS, OR FIXED PROPERLY BY THE MANUFACTURER!!! I AM VERY SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WITH MY KIDS IN IT, FOR WE MIGHT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED EVERYDAY SINCE WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE!!!! *TR

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVE WHEN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AND REVERTED BACK TO FIRST GEAR. AFTER STOPPING, TURNING OFF ENGINE, AND RESTARTING, VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF FIRST GEAR WHEN BEING DRIVEN. VEHICLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO DEALERSHIP , CARMAN FORD IN NEW CASTLE DE), BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE. VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP BY OWNER AND BEGAN TO DRIVE IT HOME WHEN PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED. VEHICLE IS NOW AT COTTMAN TRANSMISSION IN WEST CHESTER PA WHO DIAGNOSE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION WELL (MINUTE FRAGMENTS) THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM.*AK

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

MY 1999 MERCURY VILLAGER WITH APPROX 39K MILES STARTED SHOWING THIS PROBLEM IN APRIL 2006. WHEN I PRESS THE GAS PEDAL AFTER THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN, THE PEDAL DOES NOT DEPRESS. I PRESS HARDER, IT FINALLY DEPRESSES, BUT THE VAN LUNGES FORWARD. ONE TIME I GOT HONKED FROM BEHIND. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 5 TIMES. I WAS PLANNING ON TAKING IT TO THE SHOP. THEN A FEW DAYS LATER THE VAN STARTED TREMBLING DURING IDLE AND THE "SERVICE" INDICATOR CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP ON APRIL 29TH. THEY CHARGED ME APPROX $550 TO REPLACE ONE FUEL INJECTOR AND CLEAN THE THROTTLE BODY AND OTHER FUEL INJECTORS. YESTERDAY, MAY 3RD THE VAN DID THE SAME THING WITH A STUCK GAS PEDAL. I SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT OPTIONS I HAVE. *JB