NHTSA Complaint #10608607 — 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY

AFTER LEAVING A PARKING LOT AND THEN ACHIEVING 55 MPH, I ENTERED A LEFT HAND TURN LANE IN ORDER TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN. AFTER WAITING FOR A MINUTE OR TWO FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE TO COMPLETE MY LEFT TURN, TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T MOVE, AND THE ENGINE WOULD ONLY REV UP, AS IF IN NEUTRAL. AFTER CONFIRMING THE VEHICLE WAS IN FACT IN DRIVE GEAR, I CONTINUED MY ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE, AND THEN FINALLY THE TRANSMISSION "CLUNKED" AND WENT BACK IN GEAR, ENABLING ME TO DRIVE ON MY WAY. A FEW MONTHS LATER, I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM AND SO I MADE MY APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED. THIS OCCURRED IN OCT 2012 MILEAGE 92,000. SINCE THEN, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED, IF ANYTHING, IT HAS CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO SHIFT OK, BUT THIS EPISODE HAPPENS AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO GO. I'VE HAD SEVERAL "NEAR MISSES" WITH THIS CONDITION, AND I'M WORRIED FOR MY WIFE AND KIDS WHEN SHE'S DRIVING. I'VE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM EVALUATED NEXT WEEK, AND I'M HOPING THAT IT'S STILL COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. CURRENT MILEAGE 114,000. *JS