NHTSA Complaint #10522832 — 2007 MERCURY MILAN

INCIDENT OCCURRED AS DRIVER OF MERCURY MILAN 2007 AWD PREMIER VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF AROUND 50-45MPH. THE CAR BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND VIBRATE. VEHICLE DASH LIGHTS AND ENGINE CUT OUT COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING, DRIVER MANAGED TO MAKE IT SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO NEARBY AUTO SERVICE FACILITY. UPON INSPECTION THE PCM MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE PCM MODULE SHORTED OUT ALL 6 IGNITION COILS AND DUMPED FUEL INTO THE CONE OF ONE CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOPPING IT FROM WORKING. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE PCM MODULE IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM FOR A VARIETY OF MAKES AND MODELS OF FORD/MERCURY CARS. THE PCM MODULE WAS ALSO ON BACKORDER FROM MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. THE MECHANIC ALSO MADE EXTENSIVE INQUIRIES ABOUT THE CURRENT PCM MODULE AND THE BACKORDERED PCM (WITH NEW DRIVERS AND PROGRAMMING). THE MECHANIC WAS INFORMED THAT PLACING THE OLD PCM IN THE CAR WOULD RESULT IN SIMILAR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BEING COMPROMISED BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY VERSION OF THE PCM. TOTAL BILL RESULTED IN $3600, GROSS SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE CAR SHUTTING DOWN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. IT IS MY HOPE THAT FORD BEGINS TO EVALUATE THIS AS AN ISSUE AND PUSH IT TO THE RECALL LIST BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT. LASTLY, THE BACK ORDERED PART MEANT THE CAR WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO DRIVE FOR OVER A MONTH. *TR