NHTSA Complaint #10334815 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

SECOND UNWARNED TOTAL SHUT-DOWN OF ALL POWER ON ROADWAY - THIS ONE JUST 17 DAYS AFTER REPAIRS AND REPROGRAMMING BY FORD DEALERSHIP FOLLOWING FIRST INSTANCE, WHICH CUT GAS ENGINE AND ELECTRIC MOTOR POWER WHILE TRAVELING ON LOS ANGELES FREEWAY. THIS POWER SHUT-DOWN OCCURRED WHILE TRYING TO PULL FROM PARALLEL PARK SPOT ONTO BUSY BLVD - LOST ALL POWER 2 FEET INTO TRAFFIC, ABLE TO ROLL BACK INTO CURB BEFORE TRAFFIC REACHED ME AROUND SEMI-BLIND CURVE. AFTER THE FIRST IN-USE FAILURE ON 5-17-10, I SIMULTANEOUSLY REPORTED THE MALFUNCTION TO FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS (CASE# 1432331380), AND PRESENTED THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIR TO CERRITOS [THE FOLLOWING QUOTES FROM TEXT OF SERVICE RECORD]; TECH PERFORMED `EEC TEST, REVEALING FAULT-CODES: B1239, P1A0C AND P0562. THE TECH ALSO "FOUND TSB (TECH SERVICE BULLETIN) 07-25-12 WITH CONCERN RESOLUTION" & HE "CONTACT[ED] FORD TECHNICAL SERVICE HOTLINE WITH CONCERN." THE TECH "REPLACED THE AUXILIARY AIRFLOW MODE DOOR ACTUATOR AND REPROGRAMMED THE TRACTION BATTERY CONTROL MODULE TO LATEST CALIBRATION 8M64-10B687-AG. FINAL EEC TEST PASSED." I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE PART NUMBER FOR THE REPLACEMENT `AIRFLOW MODE DOOR ACTUATOR' DIFFERED FROM ORIGINAL, SO THE COMPONENT HAS APPARENTLY BEEN RE-DESIGNED - BUT NEITHER MY WIFE NOR I HAVE RECEIVED WARNINGS FROM FORD THAT UPDATES/REPAIRS WERE RECOMMENDED ON EITHER OF OUR 2008 MARINER HYBRIDS. THIS ORIGINALLY SMELLED LIKE A `SILENT RECALL' TO ME...BUT THIS DOESN'T EVEN RATE AS A `RECALL', BECAUSE THE WORK PERFORMED DID NOT PREVENT THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THE EQUIVALENT MALFUNCTION JUST 17 DAYS LATER. THIS IS A TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FAILURE MODE FOR ANY CONSUMER TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE, BECAUSE IT OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING, AND LEAVES THE DRIVER COMPLETELY DEFENSELESS, AND WITH SEVERELY-REDUCED RESPONSE OPTIONS. *TR