2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND STALLED WITH AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANDY MOHR FORD LOCATED AT 2713 E. MAIN ST, PLAINFIELD, IN 46168 HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 87,000.

STOP SAFELY NOW CHIMES AND DISPLAYED ON DASH FOLLOWED BY NO ACCELERATION UNTIL VEHICLE STALLS AND STOPS.STARTS RIGHT BACK UP BUT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN ESPECIALLY IN LA RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. VERY DANGEROUS! HAD RECALL WORK DONE ON THE MECS 3YRS AGO BUT PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED. THIS HAPPENS WHILE IN MOTION ON THE 110 FREEWAY IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGLELES, CA. COULD BE THE ELECTRIC THROTTLE BODY OR REAR ACTUATOR. OR ANY OTHER COMPONENT THAT WORKS WITH THE ELECTRIC MOTOR AND BATTERY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH, THE WARNING IMAGE OF A RED EXCLAMATION POINT INSIDE A TRIANGLE ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND, AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 866-436-7332 AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

EXPERIENCED TWO IN-TRAFFIC DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS AS DANGEROUS AS THE G.M. IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS... TRAVELING IN 60MPH-70MPH NIGHT-TIME VALENTINE'S NIGHT FREEWAY TRAFFIC ON THE I-405 IN SANTA ANA, CA. IN THE #3 LANE OF 5 LANES, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY FLASHED ON - ACCOMPANIED BY THE `SCREECH' OF THE `CHECK GAUGES' TONE - AND THE DRIVE-TRAIN LOST ALL POWER -- ALONG WITH THE ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS TEXT "STOP SAFELY NOW". WITH NO POWER STEERING, AND LIMITED BRAKE BOOSTER RESERVES, I ACTIVATED THE HAZARD FLASHERS - AND THANKS TO ALERT AND COURTEOUS TRAFFIC, WAS ABLE TO STOP IN A "REVERSE GORE-POINT" BETWEEN THE FREEWAY LANES AND AN OUTSIDE TRANSITION ROAD. THINGS COULD HAVE COME OUT FAR-WORSE IF OVERTAKING DRIVERS HAD BEEN INATTENTIVE - OR WE HAD TO CROSS THE PATH OF A BIG-RIG WITH LIMITED BRAKING- OR STEERING CAPABILITIES. AS AN ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTIONIST, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS IS THE SECOND OF...

EXPERIENCED THE SECOND OF TWO IN-TRAFFIC DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS AS DANGEROUS AS THE G.M. IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS (SEE ODI#: 10683675) OUR INITIAL STOPPING PLACE - IN A "REVERSE GORE-POINT" BETWEEN THE N/B FREEWAY LANES OF THE I-405 FREEWAY IN SANTA ANA, CA AND AN OUTSIDE TRANSITION ROAD WAS UNSAFE IN THE FULL-DARKNESS OF A NON-ILLUMINATED HIGH-SPEED INTERSECTION; WITH TRAFFIC ZOOMING BY ON BOTH SIDES, WITH THE FLASHERS STILL ACTIVE, I RES-STARTED THE ENGINE -- ALL DASH WARNINGS CYCLED ON THEN OFF NORMALLY; ON A DISTINCT UP-GRADE, I REVV'D THE ENGINE AGAINST THE SERVICE BRAKES, AND WATCHED FOR A SUITABLE GAP IN TRAFFIC OVER-TAKING US ON OUR RIGHT SIDE. SEEING SUCH A GAP, I RELEASED THE SERVICE BRAKES AND ACCELERATED TO 30 MPH TOWARDS THE OUTER SHOULDER...BUT ONLY MADE IT PART-WAY ACROSS THE 2 LANES WHEN THE SECOND SHUT-DOWN OCCURRED...THE SAME "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT...THE SAME SQUEALING ENUNCIATOR TONE... THE SAME WORTHLESS "STOP...

JUST AFTER STARTING MY CAR AND DRIVING DOWN MY STREET AT ~5MPH, THERE WAS A WARNING SYMBOL (RED TRIANGLE) AND THEN MESSAGE SAYING "STOP SAFELY NOW." THE VEHICLE THEN LOST POWER STEERING, AND POWER TO THE ENGINE. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND MADE IT ~100FT AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS ALSO HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES PREVIOUSLY ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING ~65MPH AND WITH THE SAME MESSAGE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE APPEARED AND IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER TO STEERING AND THE ENGINE. I WENT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE HYBRID COOLANT PUMP AND BLEND DOORS AND THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL TODAY. I HAD ALSO JUST TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING. THIS LOSS OF POWER AND ABILITY TO STEER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED! *TR

HAD THE THROTTLE BODY FIXED ONCE TWO MONTHS AGO BECAUSE I WAS GOING 45, MY SUV. HAZARD LIGHT CAME ON AND IT SAID TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER SAFELY. THEN IT HAS HAPPENED THREE MORE TIMES SINCE I GOT IT FIXED, MY SUV IS IN THE SHOP AGAIN, I PAID 845 LAST TIME AND I STILL HAVE $15,000 LEFT TO PAY ON MY CAR. I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP PAYING TO GET THIS FIXED, LET ALONE THE SAFETY ISSUE.THE LADY TWO TIMES IT HAPPENED I HAD MY BABY IN THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND IT WAS RAINING... IT WAS FRIGHTENING. *TR

MY 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID HAS A DANGEROUS HIGH SPEED STALL CONDITION. IT IS VERY SERIOUS AND PUTS THE VEHICLE AND OCCUPANTS IN A SITUATION THAT CAUSES A VERY HIGH RISK OF A CRASH. THIS SAID, MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED IN THE CURRENT RECALL? WHY NOT? *TR

A "STOP SAFELY NOW" WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. I PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AS SAFELY AND QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE HYBRID WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY ONCE IT WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WITH A RED TRIANGLE AND THE DISPLAY SAYS TO PULL OFF SAFELY. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES ALREADY. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY BECAUSE THERE IS A SENSOR THAT FAILS IN THE UNIT AND THEY EXPLAINED THE FACTORY CALIBRATES THE WHOLE UNIT WITH A STEEP PRICE TAG. LUCKY I STILL HAVE 5000 MILES TILL WARRANTY EXPIRES. I GUESS A NUMBER OF TIMES IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE AND CARRY ON. THIS LAST TIME WE HAD SERVICE DONE TO THE VEHICLE I INFORMED THE FORD SERVICE AGENT THAT WE WERE GOING ON A LONG TRIP AND IF WE SHOULD GET A RENTAL. HE WAS CONFIDENT THE WORK THEY PERFORMED WOULD RESOLVE THE SHUT DOWN ISSUE. WE LEFT LA AND WENT ON OUR WAY...

ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND DISPLAY SAYS TO PULL OFF ROAD. THIS HAS BEEN A ON GOING PROBLEM. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT STILL HAPPENS. IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO LOSE YOUR VEHICLE'S ACCELERATION AND HAVE THE ENGINE TURN OFF. I THINK IT MAY BE A COMPUTER CODE GLITCH BECAUSE BASED ON WHAT I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF BECAUSE A FUEL MIXTURE ISSUE DETECT THAT MAY EVEN BE A FALSE READING. THIS AUTOMATED ACTION WITHIN THE VEHICLE BRAIN DECISION PUTS MANY AT RISK AS I FOUND OUT WHEN I WAS IN THE FURTHEST LEFT LANE ABOUT A MILE BEFORE THE 55 FREEWAY TURN OFF WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH ON THE 91 FREEWAY WITH THE CAR SHUT OFF IT'S ENGINE. I LOST POWER AND NEEDED TO PULL OVER WHILE A CAR BEHIND ME WAS FLASHING THEIR HEADLIGHTS AND THE CAR TO MY RIGHT WAS SLOWLY...

ON THE FREEWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 70 MPH IN THE FAST LANE THE MOTOR UNEXPECTEDLY STOPS AND THE "PULL OVER SAFELY LIGHT" CAME ON. THIS CAUSED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION CAUSING ME TO MOVE OVER FOUR LANES TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED AND PUT IN PARK THE MOTOR RESTARTED. OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. *TR

PCM, "STOP SAFELY NOW" & SHUT-DOWN PROBLEM AND I HAVE A RED TRIANGLE ILLUMINATED ON THE CLUSTER ACCOMPANIED BY AN AUDIBLE CHIME. IN ADDITION, THE MESSAGE CENTER WILL INDICATE "STOP SAFELY NOW" AND THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE WILL COMMAND THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN. THIS IS WHERE EVER YOU ARE AND IT HAPPENS REALLY QUICKLY IT IS FOR SURE A SAFETY HAZARD.... I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED, SINCE SO MANY HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. *TR

THE CAR SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEED CAUSING FEAR, DANGER AND A POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER. STILL DOING THIS MOST RECENT INCIDENT WAS JUNE 25, 2014. FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS RECURRING PROBLEM I HAVE, AS DO MAY OTHER OWNERS OF FORD HYBRID VEHICLES. *TR

TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, LEFT LANE @ 70 MPH. I HAD 1 VEHICLE BEHIND ME AND A SEMI TRUCK / TRAILER TO THE RIGHT AND ONE BEHIND HIM. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE DIED AND I BEGAN COASTING IN TRAFFIC. I HIT MY FLASHERS AND THANKFULLY THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME WAS ALERT AND NOTICED MY INSTANT LOSS OF SPEED AND FLASHERS. THEY SLOWED LONG ENOUGH FOR BOTH BIG TRUCKS TO PASS ON MY RIGHT AND FOR ME TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER ON I-70. QUICK RESEARCH TURNS UP POSSIBLE ISSUES WITH A MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL PUMP OR MAYBE THE THROTTLE BODY. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT WOULD CAUSE THE ISSUE AND WAS SURPRISED THAT I FOUND SEVERAL POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET WHERE PEOPLE HAD THE SAME ISSUE IN THE SAME MODEL VEHICLE. I VISITED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT AFTER THE INCIDENT THE HIGH TEMPERATURE SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000. UPDATED 08/27/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE COOLANT PUMP WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 09/5/2014 *JS

DRIVING IN FAST LANE OF FREEWAY WHEN "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE WITH RED ALERT CAME ON. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. NO WARNING, NO ABILITY TO DRIVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A KNOWN FAULT IN THIS VEHICLE. I CANNOT CONCEIVE OF A PROBLEM THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE ENGINE TO STOP IMMEDIATELY. IT IS JUST LUCK THAT WE GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT AS THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC, AND WITHOUT POWER, IT WAS JUST PLAIN LUCK THAT WE MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. DOING INTERNET RESEARCH: THIS IS A KNOWN FAULT, BUT WITHOUT A SOLUTION OR A FIX. WHAT EVER THE PROBLEM, IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS THAT FORD HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM LIKE THIS THAT HAS THE ENGINE SIMPLY STOP. WE GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I SIMPLY TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RE-STARTED THE ENGINE, WITHOUT...

WHILE TRAVELING HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70MI/HR. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND "STOP VEHICLE SAFELY" LIGHT CAME ON. I NEEDED TO PULL OVER TURN CAR OFF WAIT AND RESTART ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 25 MILES DOWN THE HIGHWAY. AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT IT DID NOT HAPPEN UNTIL MY RETURN TRIP THE NEXT DAY REPEATING THE SAME AS ABOVE. THIS DID HAPPEN TO ME ONCE BEFORE ABOUT A YR AGO. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, CAR LOST POWER, SPEED DECLINED TO 25 MPH AND WENT INTO HYBRID MODE. "PULL OVER SAFELY" LIGHT WENT ON. WE PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF ENGINE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES IT RESTARTED AND WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AT NORMAL SPEED. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS HIGH--IN THE 90S--AND THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON HIGH WHEN THE POWER FAILED. WE HAD A SIMILAR INCIDENT ABOUT A MONTH EARLIER WHILE TRYING TO PARK THE CAR ON A HOT DAY WITH AIR CONDITIONING ON..SPEED WAS MINIMAL BECAUSE WE WERE PARKING BUT CAR LOST POWER AND PULL OVER SAFELY LIGHT WENT ON. AFTER SECOND INCIDENT WE TOOK CAR TO A FORD DEALER WHO SAID THE HYBRID SYSTEM COOLING PUMP HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. COST TO REPLACE THE PUMP WAS $470. *TR

STALLING, TOTAL LOSS OF POWER ON FREEWAY, OR MAKING A CITY TURN, OR ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT, OR GOING UP EVEN A SLIGHT INCLINE, SUCH AS A DRIVEWAY TO A HOUSE. ONLY IN THE SUMMER. DO NOT DARE USE AIR CONDITIONING, WHICH MAKES IT OCCUR QUICKER AND MUCH MORE OFTEN. 95 DEGREES OUTSIDE, 113 DEGREES IN CAR - CANNOT AND DO NOT USE AIR CONDITIONER, BUT STILL HAPPENS ON TRIP OVER 15 MINUTES LONG. TOTALLY UNSAFE. LIKE OTHER CONTRIBUTORS, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. JUST TODAY, JULY 10, 2013, 18-WHEELER BEHIND ME (CLOSE) ON 45 MPH CITY STREET, AND I STALLED. I STUCK MY LEFT HAND OUT OF MY WINDOW IN A "PLEASE STOP" GESTURE, AND DRIVER DID STOP, BUT I WAS TERRIFIED. MUST COME TO FULL STOP, PUT CAR IN PARK TO RE-START IT. BUT SAME THING WILL HAPPEN AT...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED ON SEVERAL SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE HAD RECURRED PREVIOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WATER PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,311.

THIS WOULD BE THE SECOND UN-WARNED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER ON A FREEWAY. HAVING COASTED OUT OF TRAFFIC ON THE FIRST UNWARNED ENGINE / PROPULSION SYSTEM SHUT-DOWN IN FAST-MOVING FREEWAY TRAFFIC, MANAGED TO FIND WIDE-ENOUGH SECTION OF OUTSIDE SHOULDER TO COME TO A STOP. BUT BEING STUCK IN 10PM DARKNESS ON A NARROW SHOULDER WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONSIDER REMAINING THERE. ONCE STOPPED, I SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION TO PARK, CYCLED IGNITION OFF THEN TO START ? ENGINE RESTARTED, DASH WARNING LAMPS CAME ON- THEN CYCLED OFF NORMALLY, ENGINE RAN SMOOTHLY. NOTE: THE ONLY WAY TO ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE HYBRID DRIVETRAIN IS TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK .. IT DOESN'T WORK IN NEUTRAL .. AND THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO TRY TO PUT THE TRANS IN PARK IN 72-75 MPH FREEWAY TRAFFIC IN 10PM DARKNESS. ACCELERATED MODERATELY INTO MERGING LANE, ENTERING GAP IN N/B TRAFFIC TO...

THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD TOTAL ENGINE POWER SHUT-DOWN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS WITH NO LIMP-AWAY OPTION AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY, REALIZED THAT WE WERE IN AN UNSAFE NEIGHBORHOOD [SO NOT A GOOD OPTION TO STOP AND CALL FOR TOW], TRIED MAPPING SURFACE STREET ROUTE TO SAFER AREA, BUT NAV SYSTEM SHOWED THE ONLY SURFACE STREET ROUTE TO TAKE US BACK HOME PUT US ON A STEEP, NARROW WINDING SECTION OF LAUREL CANYON - NO SAFE EXIT IF ANOTHER SHUT-DOWN. ALSO REALIZED WE COULDN'T USE RIVERSIDE THRU GRIFFITH PARK WHICH IS LOCKED AFTER DARK .. SO ZIG-ZAGGED NORTH AND WEST ABOUT 5 MILES BELOW 40 MPH KEEPING TO LIGHTED STREETS HOPING FOR SAFE PLACE OR UNREMEMBERED ROUTE. ENGINE REMAINED STABLE ONCE MORE, DROVE TOWARDS I-5 AGAIN ON LOS FELIZ (PAST THE GRIFFIN BAR ' AND A TOPLESS CLUB) .. REMEMBERED LOS FELIZ AHEAD HAD A LONG, SEPARATE ENTRANCE RAMP TO N/B...

AT ~ 10:10PM TRAVELING AT 68-70 MPH IN FAST, MODERATE FREEWAY TRAFFIC IN THE #3 N/B LANE OF I-5 IN SILVERLAKE AREA, ~ -MI SOUTH OF THE INTERCHANGE WITH THE SR-2 FREEWAY (~ @ RIVERSIDE DR. OVER-CROSSING) . SUDDENLY / WITH NO WARMING, ENGINE LOST ALL POWER & SHUT DOWN AND I HEARD A `SCREECHING' WARNING TONE, SAW THE RED TRIANGLE OF DOOM WARNING SYMBOL APPEAR IN THE UPPER/RIGHT OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, THE TACHOMETER DROPPED TO `ZERO'? AND THE `TOO-LITTLE-TOO-LATE' WARNING TEXT STOP NOW? TEXT APPEARED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL (HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF A FAST-MOVING FREEWAY?). ONLY THING THAT SAVES US WAS THAT WE HAD SIGNIFICANT SPEED TO COAST OUT OF TRAFFIC - OTHER DRIVERS THANKFULLY GAVE-WAY TO LET US DO SO. FIRST OF THREE SUCH COMPLETE LOSSES OF POWER IN TRAFFIC, ATTEMPTING TO REACH SAFETY. *TR

AT 70 MPH ON FREEWAY, "STOP WHEN SAFE" MESSAGE CAME UP, ENGINE STOPPED, HAD TO COAST TO A STOP ON SHOULDER. LUCKY IT WAS 1AM SO NOT MUCH TRAFFIC. RESTARTED VEHICLE, MADE ANOTHER 5 MILES, HAPPENED AGAIN. RESTARTED, MADE IT OFF FREEWAY, ABLE TO GET HOME, KEEPING UNDER 40MPH (ASSUMPTION WAS SOME SORT OF OVERHEATING PROBLEM WITH HYBRID SYSTEMS). CURRENTLY IN DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, MY INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OTHERS HAVING THIS ISSUE. VERY FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS TO LOSE POWER AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND HAVE TO MAKE WAY TO THE SHOULDER AND STOP. *TR

VEHICLE WAS IN MIDDLE LANE OF INTERSTATE 95 WITH TRAFFIC MOVING AT 65-70 MPH WHEN THERE WAS (ACCORDING TO FORD TECH) A FAILURE OF THE MOTOR ELECTRONICS COOLING PUMP. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN AND COULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT/DEATH IF WIFE WASN'T ABLE TO GET TO SHOULDER WEAVING THROUGH LANES OF TRAFFIC. I SEE ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2008/MERCURY/MARINER_HYBRID/ENGINE_AND_ENGINE_COOLING/PROBLEM.ASPX THAT THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED AS A MAJOR COMPLAINT FOR AWHILE. WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL? SOMEONE WILL SURE GET KILLED. OUR CAR HAS ONLY 57K MILES. *TR