NHTSA Complaint #10007614 — 1996 MERCURY SABLE

CAR IS A 1996 MERCURY SABLE, VIN [XXX], WITH A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. CAR WOULD LUNGE AND JERK AS CAR WOULD SLOW AND THEN RE-ACCELERATE (SUCH AS GOING INTO AND OUT OF A CURVE IN TOWN, OR APPROACHING A RED LIGHT THAT CHANGED TO GREEN BEFORE THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED.) CAR WAS FIRST WORKED ON 9/9/1999, AT WHICH TIME THE CAR HAD 28,156 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER REPLACED A SENSOR UNDER WARRANTY. THE SYMPTOMS AGAIN STARTED OCCURRING ABOUT A YEAR LATER. WHEN SERVICED ON 5/15/2001, THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. FINALLY, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN APRIL 2002. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 4/24/2002 WITH LESS THAN 47,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE CAR HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM FORD. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE, THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED FOR TIME (GREATER THAN 5 YEARS) BUT NOT MILEAGE. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY (TIME AND MILEAGE) DURING BOTH THE SEPTEMBER 1999 AND MAY 2001 SERVICES. HAD THE FAULT BEEN PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AT EITHER TIME WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, MY CONTENTION IS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT HAVE FAILED. I CURRENTLY HAVE THE TRANSMISSION. THE GEARING SYSTEM HAS NOTCHES IN THE TEETH. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR