NHTSA Complaint #10284132 — 2003 MERCURY SABLE

I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR AND WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND THEN EVERY TIME I TRIED TO TAKE THE CAR OUT OF PARK IT GOT STUCK. MY BATTERY ALSO WENT DEAD. ALL WITHIN DAYS OF MY PURCHASE. I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL THAT HAD ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS AND THEY WERE CONNECTED. WHEN I WENT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS CAR WHICH I FIND HARD TO BELIEVE BECAUSE IT IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS LISTED IN THE RECALL. MY CAR IS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. SEE RECALL INFO BELOW: ------------------------ MAKE: MERCURY MODEL: SABLE MODEL YEAR: 2003 MANUFACTURER: FORD MOTOR COMPANY MFR'S REPORT DATE: MAR 01, 2004 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V106000 RQ03008 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: RQ03008 COMPONENT: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH FORD RECALL 04S12 SUMMARY: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING. THIS MALFUNCTIONING COULD RENDER THE STOP LAMPS INOPERABLE OR CAUSE THEM TO STAY ON ALL THE TIME. THIS COULD CAUSE CONFUSION TO A FOLLOWING DRIVER, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH. CONSEQUENCE: IN ADDITION, IF THE SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING FAIL IN THE OPEN POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ACTUATE AND THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK. IF THEY FAIL IN THE CLOSED POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL REMAIN ON, WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW THE SPEED CONTROL TO BE ACTIVATED. THIS COULD ALSO CAUSE THE BATTERY TO DISCHARGE. *TR