NHTSA Complaint #11170270 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

WE BOUGHT VEHICLE IN JAN, 2018 FROM A PRIVATE PARTY, AS A WORK VEHICLE FOR MY HUSBAND, WHO IS A USPS RURAL ROUTE CARRIER. TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT WENT ON, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS IN WINTER. WE BELIEVE THE PRIOR OWNER KNEW ABOUT THIS. THE LIGHT WOULD JUST GO ON & OFF WITH NO PATTERN. ABOUT 1 1/2 MONTHS LATER, HE WAS DRIVING ON A 2 LANE HGWY (55 MPH) DELIVERING MAIL. HE WENT TO PULL FORWARD BUT THE CAR MADE A BRIEF NOISE AND THEN EVERYTHING JUST STOPPED WORKING. THE CAR WOULDN'T START, NO ELECTRICAL OR LIGHTS, HE COULD NOT EVEN ROLL THE VEHICLE BY HIMSELF TO A SAFE PLACE W/OUT HELP. THE ELECTRICAL AND PROPULSION SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING; PERIOD. WE ENDED UP DRAGGING IT HOME. DEALERSHIP GAVE EST. AMT OF REPAIRS AROUND $18K. I FOUND THE RECALL IN 2014 (14S19) FOR THE SAME THING. THE MEC PUMP WAS REPLACED IN 2014, WITH A "SUPPLEMENTAL" FIX IN 2015 SAME ISSUE. THIS IS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AS THE PREVIOUS RECALL, WHICH NEITHER MERCURY OR ANY DEALERSHIP WANTS TO HONOR. I'M GUESSING THERE ARE MORE HYBRID MARINERS W/ SIMILAR ISSUES, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO ISSUE A FOLLOW-UP RECALL. SO HERE WE ARE STUCK IN CAR REPAIR PURGATORY. I DO BELIEVE THEY SHOULD HONOR THE RECALL NOW AND FIX THE PUMP AND REPLACE THE HYBRID BATTERY. NOT SURE ABOUT THE BRAKES, BUT I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEM AS WELL - AGAIN, NOT ENOUGH FOR A RECALL, WHICH AGAIN. PURGATORY. MY HUSBAND WAS VERY LUCKY. HAD IT BEEN A DIFF TIME OF DAY THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE CAR & SEMI-TRUCK TRAFFIC ON THE HWY (SPEED LIMIT IS 55) AND WITH HIM LITERALLY JUST STOPPED DEAD IN HIS TRACKS, THERE SURELY WOULD HAVE AN IMMINENT RISK OF A SERIOUS REAR-END COLLISON, WITH POTENTIALLY DEADLY INJURIES. I AM LOOKING FOR HELP, ASSISTANCE, GUIDANCE AND ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANY SOURCE POSSIBLE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. WE ARE AT OUR WITTS END!!