NHTSA Complaint #10537608 — 2009 MERCURY MARINER

THIS ACTUALLY FIRST OCCURRED ON FRIDAY. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE THRUWAY AT ABOUT 65MPH WHEN THE CAR FELT ALMOST LIKE IT DOWNSHIFTED AND THEN I TOTALLY LOST ACCELERATION AND THE WRENCH LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH. I LIMPED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR JERKED AND SPUTTERED BEFORE I SHUT IT OFF. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS FLOODED AT FIRST THEN IT TURNED OVER NORMALLY. I WAS AN HOUR FROM HOME AND MADE IT BACK WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT MORNING AND IT DID NOT SHOW ANY CODES. THEY SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE PURGE VALVE, AND AS I HAD A BUSY WEEK OF WORK RELATED TRAVEL SCHEDULED I WENT AHEAD AND HAD THEM DO IT FOR $120. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. RIGHT? TODAY I GET AN HOUR FROM HOME AND IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I CALL MY DEALER AND THEY SUGGEST I FIND THE CLOSEST FORD DEALER AND TAKE IT THERE IMMEDIATELY. CLOSEST FORD DEALER COULDN'T TAKE ME FOR 2 WEEKS!! I WAS AN HOUR FROM MY DESTINATION, SO I DECIDED TO CHANCE IT. I DROVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SAME EXACT SCENARIO. I STARTED IT AGAIN, GOT BACK ON THE ROAD AND DROVE 10 MINUTES AND AGAIN, EXCEPT THIS TIME THE ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE. I AM 2 1/2 HOURS FROM HOME AND DRIVING A RENTAL. GARAGE WILL DIAGNOSE AND HOPEFULLY FIX TOMORROW. SERVICE TECH SAID IF HE HAD TO DIAGNOSE WITHOUT A CODE HE WOULD SAY THROTTLE BODY! IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS NOT COVERED BY MY 5 YEAR/60K WARRANTY EITHER. WITH ALL OF THE SIMILAR STORIES I HAVE READ ONLINE FORD NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO DO A RECALL AND REIMBURSE US ALL FOR OUR EXPENSES. *TR