NHTSA Complaint #10019117 — 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER

ENGINE CUTS OUT AROUND TURNS; MISALIGNMENT, VEHICLE PULLS DRASTICALLY TO THE RIGHT; LOW HANGING PANEL ON DRIVER'S SIDE INTERFERES WITH THROTTLE AND BREAK OPERATIONS; BURNING ODOR EMITTING FORM ENGINE COMPARTMENT; FLUID LEAKING FROM REAR AXLE; SMOKE EMITTING FORM ENGINE COMPARTMENT; LACK OF ACCELERATION BETWEEN 2000-4000 RPM; ENGINE STALLS WHILE IDLING; NOISY CLICKING, CLUNKING, AND GRINDING SOUNDS COMING FROM FRONT AXLE; POOR ACCELERATION BETWEEN 20-40 MPH; FRONT TIRES RAPIDLY WEARING UNEVENLY; SQUEAKING FROM FRONT END; LOOSE RIGHT FRONT EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE; TRUNK ORGANIZER LID CRACKED; ALARM SYSTEM NOT WORKING; REMOTE ENTRY KEY SYSTEM INOPERABLE; STAINS ON LEATHER SEATS; SHARP EDGES AROUND TRUNK; CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONING. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 02/01/03 AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SEVEN TIMES FOR A TOTAL OUT-OF-SERVICE TIME OF OVER A MONTH. THE ENTIRE REAR END WAS REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE STILL LEAKS OIL. THE ACCELERATION PROBLEMS ARE POSING VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR ME, AS POWER LACKS SEVERELY BETWEEN 2000-4000 RPM. THE FRONT END CLICKS, GRINDS, CLUNKS, AND SQUEAKS DURING DRIVING. ON MOST OCCASIONS WHILE IN THE SHOP, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS DOCUMENTED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE MY CONCERNS EVEN AFTER THEY VERBALLY CONFIRMED MY COMPLAINTS DURING TEST DRIVES WITH ME. ON SOME OCCASIONS, THEN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE REPAIRS WITHOUT DOCUMENTING IT TO AVOID "LEMON LAW" STATUS. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE, UNRELIABLE, AND HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE. MLG *NLM