NHTSA Complaint #10070258 — 2003 MERCURY MARAUDER

THE VEHICLE WAS WASHED AND FUELED AGAINST CUSTOMER?S REPEATED REQUESTS. SIGNIFICANT (ADDITIONAL) CLEAR COAT ABRASION DAMAGE TO PAINTED BODY SURFACES AND TRIM. VEHICLE?S ENGINE KNOCKED FOR THE DURATION OF THE TANK, SUGGESTING THAT IT WAS FUELED WITH REGULAR, NOT PREMIUM FUEL THE VEHICLES FUEL GAUGE CLEARLY READS, PREMIUM FUEL ONLY. IMMEDIATE MECHANICAL FAILURES: WITHIN THE FIRST 24 HOURS OF OWNERSHIP, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THREE SYSTEM FAILURES. POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. OVERDRIVE INDICATOR LIGHT CONSTANTLY FLASHING. POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE SENSOR REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. RADIATOR FAN DEFECTIVE REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, OTHER MECHANICAL ANOMALIES APPEARED: TRANSMISSION ANOMALY OCCURRING REPEATABLE. CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM BEHAVING ERRATICALLY. IRREPARABLE CLEAR COAT AND PAINT DAMAGE: SEVERE AMOUNT OF CLEAR COAT DAMAGE TO NEARLY 100% OF THE VEHICLES EXTERIOR. ALTHOUGH A FEW SURFACE SCRATCHES MIGHT BE EXPECTED WITH ANY NEW VEHICLE, THE VOLUME AND SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE TO THIS VEHICLE IS BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD HAVE IMAGINED IN A NEW CAR. HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTO IMAGES ARE ATTACHED WHICH DEPICT ALL DEFECTS DESCRIBED BELOW. TEN OR MORE DEEP, IRREPARABLE, CONCENTRATED BURN MARKS, CAUSED BY OVER-BUFFERING, ARE LOCATED ON THE HOOD, DRIVERS DOOR, AND THE DRIVER?S-SIDE REAR DOOR, RIGHT-FRONT QUARTER PANEL, ETC. TWO ADDITIONAL BURN MARKS ARE CLEARLY PRESENT ON THE TRUNK LID LIP AND TRUNK SURFACE AS WELL. THESE SWIRL MARKS RANGE IN DIAMETER FROM A FEW INCHES TO MORE THAN A FOOT. THOUSANDS OF FOREIGN METALLIC PARTICLES ARE IRREPARABLY EMBEDDED INTO PAINT ALONG ALL LOWER BODY PANELS. A SMALL TEST AREA OF THE DAMAGED SURFACE WAS TREATED WITH A CLEAR COAT-SAFE POLISH, YET DEMONSTRATED NO VISIBLE IMPROVEMENT AS A RESULT.