NHTSA Complaint #10339831 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER

IN DECEMBER OF 2009 I REPORTED AN INCIDENCE OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. SINCE THEN WE HAVE NOT BEEN USING THE CRUISE CONTROL MUCH. YESTERDAY I ACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL AT 60MPH ON A LONG FLAT AREA. THERE IS A MOUNTAIN PASS AND CURVES BETWEEN THAT AREA AND OUR HOME. I HIT THE BRAKE AND SLOWED DOWN AROUND THE 35 MPH CURVES. ON THE DOWN GRADE I TOOK IT OUT OF OVER DRIVE AND DROPPED DOWN A GEAR. THE ROAD FLATTENS OUT AGAIN AT THE BOTTOM BUT I DID NOT REENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. AT ONE POINT AT AN INTERSECTION I HAD TO BRAKE TO TEN MILES PER HOUR OR LESS FOR AN ONCOMING CAR. JUST AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO OUR STREET THE CAR BEGAN RAPIDLY ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. I DIDN'T HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. SINCE THE ROAD IS STRAIGHT I ALLOWED IT TO ACCELERATE TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD DO. IT WENT FROM 10 MPH TO 50 MPH BEFORE MY WIFE ASKED, "WHY ARE YOU ACCELERATING? I REPLIED, " I'M NOT. IT'S DOING IT ON ITS OWN." IT DISENGAGED AS SOON AS I HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL. THERE IS NO WAY THIS WAS CAUSED BY A FLOOR MAT. I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 10MPH WHEN IT BEGAN ACCELERATING AND I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL. THE LAST TIME I COMPLAINED TO FORD THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD LESS THAN 36,000 MILES ON IT. FORD SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SINCE IT WAS INTERMITTENT AND THEY HADN'T EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. ANOTHER SAFETY PROBLEM WE HAVE HAD WITH THE CAR: WHEN IT HAD 26,000 MILES ON IT THE FRONT END BEGAN SHAKING WHEN BRAKING. FORD SAID THE FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED AND RESURFACED THEM UNDER THE WARRANTY. THEY REFUSED TO CHANGE THE PADS OR INSTALL NEW ROTORS. ABOUT 15,000 MILES LATER IT BEGAN VIBRATING AGAIN AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50MPH. NOW THE VIBRATION IS SEVERE. WE ARE LOOKING AT A COMPLETE BRAKE OVERHAUL. WE HAVE NEVER DETECTED THE BRAKES BEING OVERHEATED WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAD WAS THAT THE TRANS COOLER WENT OUT AT 26,000 MILES. FORD INSTALLED A NEW ONE UNDER WARRANTY BUT REFUSED TO DRAIN AND REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. *TR