NHTSA Complaint #10503955 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER

I OWN A 2008 MERCURY MARINER AND I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED WITH ITS SAFETY. ON 03/15/13 I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. I PROCEEDED TO PUT IN REVERSE TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD AND BACKED INTO THE DRIVE. I TURNED ALL POWER DOWN THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE WITH NO PROBLEMS IN THE STEERING. I WENT TO PICK UP MY KIDS AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO PULSATE AND I COULD HEAR A CLUNKING NOISE WHILE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN. EVERYTIME I CAME TO A STOP IT WOULD DO IT. ON SAT. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL SHOP. WE COULDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN. THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON LINE TO SEE IF THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE OR IF A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN PLACED AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I SET UP AN APPT WITH THE DEALER FOR TUES. I WAS WORKING ON MON. AND LEFT TO RUN AN ERRAND FOR WORK AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITH OUT WARNING I LOST ALL POWER IN THE DRIVING AND HEARD A LOUD GRINDING AND THEN CLUNK. I THOUGHT THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT! I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON MY HAZARDS TO TRY AND GET OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD CAUSE I WAS SLOWING DOWN EXTREMELY FAST. I WAS ALMOST IN A 3 CAR ACCIDENT AND LUCKILY EVERYBODY IS OK, BUT IT COULD OF BEEN A LOT WORSE! I WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THEY CONFIRMED MY FEARS. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. THEY TOLD ME THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO CAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS! WHEN I ASKED AS TO WHY, THE SAID NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE! WOW, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!? HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THESE ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED? VERY UNHAPPY BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO COST $5200 TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN! HOLD FORD ACCOUNTABLE! *TR