NHTSA Complaint #10442055 — 2005 MERCURY MONTEREY

WE WERE DRIVING ALONG A MAIN HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY, WITHOUT ANY WARNING AT ALL, IT WAS LIKE THE VEHICLE SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NO LONGER MOVE - ON THE HIGHWAY! WE HAD OUR 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND WERE FORTUNATELY ABLE TO GET IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT A SAFETY INCIDENT. WE WERE 50 MILES FROM HOME, HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A DEALER NEARLY 20 MINUTES AWAY. OUR DIAGNOSIS ON THE CAR WAS THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER ON THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE DEALER MENTIONED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS QUITE A BIT ON A FEW MODELS WITH THE SAME COMPONENT, BUT WHEN I QUESTIONED HIM ON HIS COMMENT HE BACKTRACKED AND SAID HE SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT. HE TOLD US IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 3-4 DAYS TO REPAIR AND SINCE WE WERE FAR FROM HOME, WE WERE STUCK IN ANOTHER CITY WITH NO TRANSPORTATION (AS THEY WOULDN'T GIVE US A LOANER). SEEING OUR DISTRESS AND KNOWING WE WERE IN A BAD SITUATION, HE LATER OFFERED TO PUT 2 GUYS WORKING ON IT TO GET IT DONE BY THE END OF THE DAY. AS WE WERE IN A STRANGE TOWN WITH A 4 AND 6 YEAR OLD (AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO CELEBRATE THE 6YR BIRTHDAY), WE WERE FORCED TO RENT A CAR IF WE DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP THEM IN A FORD DEALERSHIP FOR THE NEXT 6 HOURS. WHEN WE RETURNED TO PICK UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE DEPT DID PICK UP THE TAB ON THE RENTAL CAR. OUR FINAL BILL WAS $1,786.15 AND A COMPLETE DISTRUST OF OUR FORD PRODUCT. WE NO LONGER FEEL PARTICULARLY SAFE IN THE VEHICLE OR W/OUR KIDS IN THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY AFTER READING ALL THE OTHERS THAT HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS TO THIS AND BEYOND. HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO BUY A NEW VEHICLE AND WOULD LIKE FORD TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOMETHING THAT SEEMS AN OBVIOUS DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THEIR PRODUCT. PEOPLES LIVES ARE AT RISK HERE - WE ARE LUCKY WE WEREN'T HIT FROM BEHIND ON THE HWY WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER! LUCKY!! BE RESPONSIBLE AND DO RIGHT BY YOUR CUSTOMERS FORD! *TR