NHTSA Complaint #10284885 — 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO

I PURCHASED A NEW 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO IN MAY 2005. THE CAR NOW HAS 85K MILES WITH THE 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION.THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN FINE ON SHORT TRIPS (35 MILES OR LESS) BUT ANYTHING OVER THAT AND IT STARTS DOING REALLY CRAZY STUFF. IT WILL DOWNSHIFT 3-4 GEARS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS...SLAM INTO GEAR... THEN IMMEDIATELY UPSHIFT. THIS HAPPENS SO HARD THAT THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES. ONE TIME IT WAS SO BAD, WE FELT WE HAD BEEN HIT. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO TO DOWNSHIFT, AND JUST GOES TO NEUTRAL CAUSING MAJOR ISSUES WHEN INVOLVED WITH TRAFFIC TRYING TO GET OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. WHEN SHIFTING FROM 3-2 AT LOW SPEEDS, IT WILL DOWNSHIFT BUT SHUDDER THE WHOLE CAR. ALL THESE SYMPTOMS OCCUR ONLY AFTER TRIPS LONGER THAN 35 MILES OR ON A VERY HOT DAY WHERE THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO HEAT UP. MY LOCAL FORD GARAGE HAS TRIED REPROGRAMMING THE TCM WITH NO SUCCESS (FIRST TSB). THEY NOW SAY I NEED A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF NEARLY $5000. FORD WILL NOT HELP IN ANY WAY EVEN THOUGH I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED, BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, AND MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AT OR SOONER THAN RECOMMENDED. THE SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL IS A SAFETY ISSUE. FORD NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ADMIT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AND REPLACE THE TRANS, IT APPEARS AS THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE ALL THE TSB'S FOR THIS SYMPTOM (2 THAT I KNOW OF) AFFECTS ONLY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BEFORE OCT 2005. HOW CAN FORD OR ANY OTHER COMPANY KNOW THEY HAVE AN ISSUE AND NOT TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FORD MAN SINCE THE EARLY 1970'S. HOW I HAVE BEEN TREATED WITH THIS DEFECT COULD BE CONSTRUED AS CRIMINAL. I GUESS THEY FIGURE IF THEY HOLD OUT LONG ENOUGH, THE VEHICLES WILL ALL DIE AND GO AWAY AND THEY WONT HAVE ANY OBLIGATIONS WHATSOEVER. IN DOING RESEARCH ON THIS VEHICLE WITH THE 6 SPEED TRANS, THERE ARE LOTS OF US IN THE SAME SITUATION WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND THE SAME REPLY FROM FORD. *TR