NHTSA Complaint #10551127 — 2006 MERCURY MONTEREY

MY VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED THE SAME DAY THE TRANSMISSION WENT. MY BROTHER WAS DRIVING IT HOME FROM THE (NON-FORD) DEALERSHIP, WHERE HE WORKS. I HAD NOT HAD ANY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS PREVIOUSLY. THIS IS WHAT HE SENT ME: "I MADE A LEFT HAND TURN OUT OF WAWA INTO THE CENTER LANE. THERE WAS NO ONE COMING SO I GAVE IT A LITTLE MORE THROTTLE JUST TO GAIN SPEED SO I COULD GET OVER INTO THE ACTUAL LANE. WHEN I DID THIS IT ALMOST FELT LIKE THE TRANS WENT FROM GRABBING TO JUST "REVVING" WITH NO POWER. I COASTED IT INTO GIANT'S PARKING LOT. ONCE STOPPED I TRIED ALL THE GEARS AND IT WOULD JUST REV UP AND NOT MOVE." A FEW DAYS LATER I HAD THE VAN TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT "THE PUMP WENT" AND THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. HE ALSO TOLD ME TO CHECK FOR RECALLS BECAUSE IT MIGHT HAVE ONE AND IT WOULD BE FIXED FOR FREE, INSTEAD OF PAYING HIM TONS OF MONEY (WHICH I FIND ADMIRABLE). WITH JUST A LITTLE RESEARCH I FOUND THE RECALL ON THE 04 & 05'S (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA09016). I SENT HIM THE ARTICLES AND LINKS I FOUND TO ASK IF THIS WAS MY PROBLEM, HE SAID YES. THIS MINIVAN IS LESS THAN 8 YEARS AND HAS JUST UNDER 80K MILES ON IT (MANUFACTURED IN 2/06 BUT NOT PURCHASED UNTIL THE END OF APRIL). IT'S NOT HARD TO FIGURE OUT THAT I DRIVE LESS THAN 10,000 MILES PER YEAR. IT SHOULDN'T NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION! MY HUSBAND'S SATURN HAS ALMOST 200K ON IT AND NOT NEEDED ANY MAJOR WORK LIKE THIS. I FULLY EXPECTED TO KEEP THIS MINIVAN AROUND FOR A LOT LONGER THAN THIS. IT MAKES ME REALLY SAD TO THINK OF HER JUST SITTING IN A LOT OF OTHER NON-WORKING JALOPIES! I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE LOTS OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHERS HERE ON THIS WEBSITE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP US! RECALL THIS MODEL YEAR!!! THANK YOU. *TR