2008 Mercury Grand Marquis Brakes Problems

THANK GOODNESS, THERE WASN'T AN ACCIDENT. RATHER, I HEARD THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK YOUR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE EVERY 50,000 MILES. HOWEVER, MY CAR IS SO LOW MILEAGE FOR ITS AGE THAT I DECIDED I SHOULD HAVE THE CABLE CHECKED ANYHOW. THEN, I HEARD THAT MANY OF THE AFTERMARKET EMERGENCY CABLES ARE DEFECTIVE. THANKFULLY, MY SON, [XXX] , KNOWS SOMEONE WHO CAN CHECK THE CABLES. WE TESTED CABLES FROM TWO AUTO PARTS RETAIL STORES. ONE FAILED TO HOLD PRESSURE. THE OTHER CABLE EXPLODED RATHER DRAMATICALLY. FORTUNATELY, THE PEOPLE MY SON KNOWS MAKE EMERGENCY CABLES. FROM OUTWARD APPEARANCE, THE CABLE THEY MADE WAS DEFINITELY SUPERIOR. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHEN THEY TESTED THE CABLE, IT HELD PRESSURE WITHOUT DROPPING AT ALL. MY SON ONCE PICKED UP HIS CAR FROM AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP (ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO) AFTER HAVING THE BRAKES DONE. APPARENTLY, THE EXTRA PRESSURE NEW BRAKE PADS PUT ON THE BRAKE LINES CAUSED ONE BRAKE LINE TO SNAP BY THE BACK OF THE CAR. RICH COMPLETELY LOST HIS BRAKES AT 40 MPH. FORTUNATELY, WHEN HE USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, IT DID THE JOB. HE SAID THERE WAS A CAR TURNING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM AND ON-COMING TRAFFIC ON THE LEFT. WITHOUT A GOOD EMERGENCY BRAKE, HIS OPTIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE LIMITED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE CONTACT BEGAN TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO DECELERATE WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE RPMS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND OVER TIME BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. UPDATED 10/4/11 *CN THE DEALER STATED THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ADJUSTED TO HIGH, WHICH MAY HAVE INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THEY LOWERED THE AUTOMATIC BRAKE PEDAL . UPDATED 10/24/11

ON OCTOBER 27, 2010, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WITH ME IN THE CAR AND SHE STARTED TO BRAKE FOR A RED LIGHT. SHE WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOUR. AS SOON AS SHE APPLIED THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED AND SHE HAD TO USE A LARGE AMOUNT OF BRAKING PRESSURE TO STOP THE CAR. AS SOON AS THE CAR STOPPED, SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND THE ENGINE RETURNED TO IDLE. YESTERDAY, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MILE PER HOUR AND STARTED TO MOVE INTO THE PASSING LANE WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AHEAD TURNED RED. I APPLIED THE BRAKE AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I HAD TO APPLY A LARGE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDDLE IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR WHILE THE ENGINE RACED ON. AS SOON AS THE CAR STOPPED, THE ENGINE RETURNED TO IDLE AND THE PROBLEM WAS OVER. YESTERDAY, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND THEY KEPT THE CAR OVERNIGHT TO RUN VARIOUS TESTS. THEY FOUND NOTHING. I PICKED THE CAR UP THIS AFTERNOON AND AM GOING TO NOW TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *TR

BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL TO CLOSE TOGETHER WHEN APPLYING BRAKES ALSO HIT GAS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES ALMOST REQUIRES A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON A TWO LANE ROAD, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT TIGHTEN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 17,000. REMAILED 12/10/08. *LJ

THE VEHICLE ACCELERATEDS WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE GAS PEDAL HEIGHT IS NEARLY THE SAME HEIGHT AND WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL YOU CAN ALSO DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. *TR