NHTSA Complaint #10512290 — 2006 MERCURY MARINER

WHILE DRIVING IN THE LOS ANGELES, CA THE BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE CAME ON INDICATING THAT THE ABS FEATURE HAD SHUT DOWN AND I WAS LEFT WITH ONLY BASIC HYDRAULIC BRAKES. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY FOUND A TECHNICAL BULLETIN THAT INDICATED THEY NEED TO JUMP ONE WIRE IN THE SYSTEM. I HAD THAT DONE AND PAID FOR THE REPAIR. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE CAME ON AGAIN. BOTH TIMES THE CODE READER INDICATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AT THE FORD DEALER. THE CHECK BRAKE MESSAGE CLEARS AFTER YOU TURN THE VEHICLE OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES DURING THE FOLLOWING MONTHS INCLUDING ON APRIL 26 AND 29. ON MAY 3, 2013 I REVISITED THE DEALER AND HAD THE SYSTEM RECHECKED AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THEY CONNECTED THE CODE READER AND EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. ON MAY 15, 2013, THE CHECK BRAKE MESSAGE CAME ON AND THIS TIME I DID NOT TURN THE VEHICLE OFF SO THE BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE (CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM AND THE BUZZER SOUNDING) WAS ON WHEN THE MECHANIC ARRIVED. AGAIN THEY CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND THE CODE READER INDICATED ALL SYSTEMS WERE FINE, EVEN THOUGH THE MESSAGE CENTER SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE PERSONNEL WE TALKED TO INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO A NUMBER OF OTHER VEHICLES AND WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSE BY THE WIRING HARNESS BUT COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT WOULD FIX THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WAS $4000. THIS IN OUR OPINION IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE WIRING HARNESS HASN'T BEEN TAMPERED WITH AND ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE AT A FORD DEALER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE ABS FAILURE COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON SLIPPERY ROADS OR DURING FAST STOPS. *TR