NHTSA Complaint #11036023 — 2006 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ONE IN CALIFORNIA, MAJOR TURNS, TWISTY ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I HAVE HAD NO WARNINGS LEADING UP TO THIS EVENT. THE WRENCH ICON CAME ON AND AN ERROR MESSAGE CAME ON IN THE DASH STATING TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING SERVICED. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS HIGHWAY ONE HAS MANY TIGHT TURNS. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT PART OF A RECALL. EVERYTHING I HAVE READ STATES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM SPECIFICALLY IN THE HYBRID VEHICLES FORD MANUFACTURES. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS FOR THE SAME ISSUE FOR 2008 AND NEWER MODEL VEHICLES, BUT NOT THIS ONE. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED DUE TO THE DANGEROUS CONDITION CAUSED BY THE POWER STEERING GOING COMPLETELY OUT ON THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. I AM MALE 200 LBS. AND COULD BARELY CONTROL THE VEHICLE. CALLED NON FORD MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AS THE POWER STEERING MODULE IS PROPRIETARY AND NEEDS TO BE PROGRAMED BY DEALERSHIP. HAVE NOT TALKEN VEHICLES TO DEALERSHIP AS YET FOR REPAIRS. PLACED CODE READER ON VEHICLE AND CODES C2792 AND B2277 CAME UP.