NHTSA Complaint #10575284 — 2010 MERCURY MILAN

PURCHASED THIS MILAN IN 2011 WITH 22K MILES. IMMEDIATELY NOTICED ISSUES WITH THE 6-SPEED 6F35 AUTOMATIC CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP ACCELERATING UNDER LOAD, LEAVING ME DEAD IN THE WATER WHEN MERGING IN TRAFFIC. I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT FORD ALREADY KNEW OF ISSUES AND I WAS IN AND OUT OF THE DEALER WITH NOTHING DONE, UNTIL THE TRANY HAD MORE DAMAGE. IT WAS REPAIRED BUT NEVER PROPERLY STRESS TESTED, BY EITHER OF TWO DEALERSHIPS I WENT TO. ACCORDING TO THE TSB IF THE TRANY EXHIBITED CERTAIN GRADES OF FAILURE, IT REQUIRED REPROGRAMMING AND THEN VALVE BODY REPLACEMENT, FOLLOWED BY A STRESS TEST TO VERIFY THERE WAS NOT ANY MORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE MOST I GOT AFTER THE VALVE BODY WAS CHANGED WAS A SUGGESTION THAT I CHANGE MY TRANY FLUID THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN CHANGED BY FORD 20K MILES EARLIER. I THEN STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS (BRAKE/PARKING), WITH ONES FLICKERING INTERMITTENTLY IN THE COLD AND THEN DIEING COMPLETELY, OR GOING FULL INTENSITY AND NEVER SWITCHING BACK TO JUST PARKING LIGHT MODE. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH AT HIGH COST, FORD LISTS $400 EACH, BASICALLY FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF A $2 BULB. I AM AN EE, SPECIALIZING IN MANUFACTURING, AND AFTER TAKING ONE OF THE FAILING ONES APART FOUND IT IS WAS PROBABLY RELATED TO POOR PART CHOICE OR DESIGN. THERE WAS NOTHING DAMAGED DUE TO WATER OR IMPACT. I WOULD DUMP THIS VEHICLE, HOWEVER I STILL HAVE PAYMENTS AND ETHICALLY I CAN NOT SELL IT ON THE OPEN MARKET WORRYING SOMEBODY ELSE MAY HAVE A DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH IT DUE TO THE QUESTIONABLE TRANSMISSION. IF THE TRANSMISSION HAD ANY TYPE OVER STRESS THAT REQUIRED THE LEVEL IF TESTING MENTIONED IN THE TSB, WHICH IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IN VEHICLE, THE WHOLE TRANY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED. *TR