NHTSA Complaint #10457423 — 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY

POWERTRAIN: FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WENT OUT (SQUEELING SOUND) IN 2006 WITH 8K MILES ON VEHICLE. A TSB WAS OUT FOR THAT ISSUE AND THE WHEEL BEARINGS(2) WERE REPLACED. THE FRONT BEARINGS WENT OUT AGAIN IN 2009 AT ABOUT 27K MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS COVERED BY A FORD ESP. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T HEAR THE NOISE - THE NOISE WOULD COME AND GO - SO NO REPAIR WAS DONE AT THAT TIME. I HAVE THE REPAIR ORDER STATING "NO PROBLEM FOUND". NOW AT 35K MILES THE BEARING NOISE HAS BECOME MUCH WORSE AND MUCH MORE FREQUENT BUT NOW THE WARRANTY IS OVER AND IT WILL COST ABOUT $700 TO REPAIR. WHAT KIND OF POORLY MADE BEARINGS ARE THESE? BODY: IN 2009 I NOTICED RUST AT THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL AREA AND IT IS NOW COMING THROUGH THE LEFT QUARTER PANEL. THERE IS ALSO RUST AT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL AREA ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT GONE THROUGH THE RIGHT QUARTER PANEL. LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT DOORS ALSO RUSTING AT THE BOTTOM FACING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *TR