NHTSA Complaint #10551051 — 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY

10 MONTHS AGO, IN DECEMBER OR 2012, WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE (11S25) FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO BE REPLACED ON OUR 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. WE WERE TORN AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED, AS WE HAD NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT IN 88,000 MILES. BUT THE RECALL NOTICE MADE IT SOUND LIKE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WITH MY WIFE DRIVING OUR 3 KIDS AROUND WE RELUCTANTLY DECIDED TO HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED. SO AFTER 10 MONTHS, LAST WEEK SHE WENT TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND CLANK CLANK - NO POWER, FORWARD OR REVERSE. I HAD IT TOWED TO OUR DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER - THE SAME ONE THEY REPLACED UNDER THIS RECALL 10 MONTHS AGO. HOWEVER THE CAR HAD SURPASSED THE 12,000 "WARRANTY" OF THE RECALLED/REPLACED PART BY 889 MILES! I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY, I ESCALATED IT TO MANAGEMENT AT FORD MOTORS AND ALL ARE BASICALLY TELLING US THAT TOO BAD, THE REPAIR COST IS $1800 AND THEY WILL OFFER NOTHING. IF WE HAD NEVER HAD THE RECALL DONE, WE WOULD NOT BE IN THIS SITUATION. WE HAD NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE RECALL AND I FEEL FORD HAS SIMPLY REPLACED A FAULTY PART (OR NON-FAULTY AS WAS WITH OUR CASE PRIOR TO THE RECALL) WITH A FAULTY PART. A TORQUE CONVERTER SHOULD LAST 100,000+ MILES. NOT 12,889 MILES. EVEN IF WE COULD AFFORD IT, WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND $1800 TO HAVE SOMETHING "FIXED" AGAIN THAT WILL JUST LEAVE US STRANDED WITH ANOTHER $1800 BILL IN A YEAR WITH ANOTHER FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR