2006 MERCURY MARINER HEV — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

THE BRAKES FAILED AND ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON. HAD A SOFT PEDAL ALMOST TO FLOOR BEFORE ANY BRAKING WAS PRESENT. AFTER TURNING OF ENGINE AND RESTARTING BRAKES RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED MY WIFE RAN INTO E REPAIR SHOP BUILDING CAUSING $3000.OO DOLLARS DAMAGE. OUR INSURANCE CHARGED HER WITH A AT FAULT ACCIDENT. WE CANNOT LOCATE THE ACCIDENT REPORT.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY IN A FULLY LOADED CAR AND TRAFFIC WAS BUILDING UP YESTERDAY. I SAW BRAKE LIGHTS AHEAD AND DECIDED TO SLOW PROACTIVELY. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND THERE WAS NO SLOWING AND I HAD TO PUSH THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD WITH THE PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR DID SLOW BUT I ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT. THE YELLOW ABS AND THE RED BRAKE WARNING LAMP LIT AND THE ALARM SOUNDED. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND PULLED OFF THE NEXT EXIT. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND PUMPED THE BRAKES AND WAITED 5 MINUTES. I TURNED THE CAR ON AGAIN AND EVERYTHING WORKED BUT I WAS VERY NERVOUS ALL THE WAY HOME. I THEN GOOGLED THE ARTICLE BELOW AND AM VERY UPSET THE FORD DEALER OR FORD ITSELF NEVER ALERTED ME OF THIS KNOWN POTENTIAL MALFUNCTION....AND WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO FORMAL RECALL!?? *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY A LOUD BANG SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CAR SHOOK AT THE SAME TIME WHEN THE BANG OCCURRED. THE CHARGING INDICATOR IS NOW VERY SENSITIVE TO GAS ACCELERATION. I CHECKED THE ENGINE AND BATTERY AND AROUND THE CAR AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. I'M GOING TO THE DEALER TOMORROW FOR THEM TO CHECK THE 12 BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR. SINCE I HAVE A HYBRID CAR I'M ALSO GOING TO HAVE THEM CHECK SPECIAL BATTERIES FOR DEFECTS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY A LOUD BANG SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CAR SHOOK AT THE SAME TIME WHEN THE BANG OCCURRED. THE CHARGING INDICATOR IS NOW VERY SENSITIVE TO GAS ACCELERATION. I CHECKED THE ENGINE AND BATTERY AND AROUND THE CAR AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. I'M GOING TO THE DEALER TOMORROW FOR THEM TO CHECK THE 12 BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR. SINCE I HAVE A HYBRID CAR I'M ALSO GOING TO HAVE THEM CHECK SPECIAL BATTERIES FOR DEFECTS. *TR

2006 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID DRIVEN TWICE ON DEC. 19 TOTAL OF ABOUT 70 MILES OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY. NO APPARENT PROBLEMS OR WARNINGS DURING THE TRIPS. LAST DRIVEN AT 4:30 P.M. WE WERE AWAKENED AT 1:30 A.M. BY OUR SON WHO WAS VISITING ASKING FOR OUR OTHER VEHICLE KEYS AS THE MARINER HAD EXPLODED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. HE SAW FLICKERING FLAMES IN THE BACK CARGO AREA. THE ADJACENT TRUCK WAS MOVED OUT OF HARMS WAY AND THE CAR WAS BY THEN ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN THE INTERIOR WITH FLAMES SHOOTING OUT OF THE BATTERY VENT. THE WINDOWS BLEW OUT AND TWO MORE BLUISH EXPLOSIONS CAME FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. IT DEFINITELY BURNED MORE HEAVILY IN THE BACK WHERE THE HYBRID BATTERIES ARE LOCATED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND SHERIFF RESPONDED. WE ARE AWAITING A DECISION FOR OUR NEXT STEP FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND OUR INSURANCE CARRIER. *TR