NHTSA Complaint #10610716 — 2007 MERCURY MILAN

INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 7/12/2014 WHILE DRIVING 2007 MILAN PREMIER AT APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH IN PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING AN INTERCHANGE OF TWO INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS . THE CAR BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. VEHICLE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING, THE ENGINE CUT OUT COMPLETELY AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. DRIVER, DRIVER MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT ONLY AFTER A NEAR MISS BY 2-3 TRACTOR TRAILERS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR EVALUATION. THERE WERE NO PRIOR INDICATIONS OF ISSUES, AND CAR HAD UNDERGONE A 90,000 MILE EVALUATION AT AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER 7/2/2014, ABOUT 10MDAY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC IS STATING THAT THE IGNITION COILS BURNED/CRACKED AND THAT A NEW COMPUTER, PLUGS AND COILS WOULD BE REQUIRED. HE ALSO STATED THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AN HAS BEEN EXTENDING THE PCM (COMPUTER) WARRANTY TO 80,000 MILES. FOUND OUT THAT THE IGNITION COILS HAD COMPLETELY BURNED UP, WHICH I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL. ALTHOUGH WE WILL BE OUT OVER $3,000 WE ARE LUCKY THAT OUR KIDS WERE NOT SPLATTERED ON THE GRILLE OF A TRACTOR TRAILER. ARTICLES RESEARCHED AND TECHNICIANS CONTACTED THUS FAR SEEM TO CONTRADICT THAT THIS IS A RARE OCCURRENCE. *TR