NHTSA Complaint #10549811 — 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY

IN EARLY 2012 BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS ON DASH WOULD COME ON SPORADICALLY WHILE DRIVING.THEN CAME ON MORE FREQUENTLY. SOON THE BATTERY LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON AT STOPS OR LOW IDLES. 8/2012 DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE BRAKE LIGHTS COMING ON, BUT REPLACED ALTERNATOR. 11/2012 STILL PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE DASH COMING ON NOW PLUS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. VEHICLE SPUTTERING AND STALLING (COULD NOT STOP WITHOUT VEHICLE TOTALLY STALLING AND HAD TO HAVE FOOT ON GAS AT ALL TIME, EVEN WHEN BRAKING, OR WOULD STALL.) 2ND DEALER STILL COULD NOT VERIFY THE DASH BRAKE LIGHTS BUT RESEALED CONNECTOR, REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, CLEAN MASS AIRFLOW, RESET KAM, REPLACED HEATED PCV HOSE. COULD DRIVE VEHICLE BUT BRAKE LIGHTS WERE BOTH STILL SPORADICALLY COMING ON WHILE DRIVING. 7/2013 STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BOTH DASH BRAKE LIGHTS COMING ON ONLY NOW THE RADIO DIES WHEN THEY COME ON, WHEN THEY GO OFF, THE RADIO COMES BACK ON. IF THE RADIO DIDN'T GO OFF, SOMETIMES SHUTTING IT OFF WOULD RESULT IN THE BRAKE LIGHTS GOING OFF. DEALER STILL UNABLE TO VERIFY. THIS PROGRESSED TO THE BATTERY LIGHT COMING ON SPORADICALLY (AROUND TIME BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON) AND USUALLY GOING OFF IF THE AC WAS TURNED UP ON HIGH. THE VEHICLE ALSO STARTED TO LOSE POWER WHEN PASSING, FELT LIKE A DOWN SHIFT. THE DASH LIGHT ISSUE OCCURS DAILY, BUT THERE IS NO PATTERN. IT CAN BE WET, DRY, HOT, COLD, AFTER 5 MILES, AFTER 30 MILE, SIDE STREETS, EXPRESSWAY, MORNING, EVENING THERE IS NO CONSTANT. 10/2013 VEHICLE BACK AT DEALER SINCE THE PROBLEM HAPPENS EVERY DAY. THEY CAN'T REPRODUCE. ONLY CODE THEY GET IS THE ALTERNATOR, WHICH WAS REPLACED LAST YEAR AND DIDN'T HELP THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE RESEALED THE CPU AND THAT DOESN'T HELP.THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE DAY ONE (HEATER, SEAT HEATER, CIGARETTE LIGHTERS, DOOR LOCKS ETC) CONCERNED ELECTRICAL ISSUES COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER OR FIRE. *TR