2006 Mercury Mariner Brakes Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MERGE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TWO FRONT DRIVER SIDE BRAKES LINES CONNECTED TO THE CALIBER FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

WHILE DRIVING IN THE LOS ANGELES, CA THE BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE CAME ON INDICATING THAT THE ABS FEATURE HAD SHUT DOWN AND I WAS LEFT WITH ONLY BASIC HYDRAULIC BRAKES. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY FOUND A TECHNICAL BULLETIN THAT INDICATED THEY NEED TO JUMP ONE WIRE IN THE SYSTEM. I HAD THAT DONE AND PAID FOR THE REPAIR. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE CAME ON AGAIN. BOTH TIMES THE CODE READER INDICATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AT THE FORD DEALER. THE CHECK BRAKE MESSAGE CLEARS AFTER YOU TURN THE VEHICLE OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES DURING THE FOLLOWING MONTHS INCLUDING ON APRIL 26 AND 29. ON MAY 3, 2013 I REVISITED THE DEALER AND HAD THE SYSTEM RECHECKED AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THEY CONNECTED THE CODE READER AND EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. ON MAY 15, 2013, THE CHECK BRAKE MESSAGE CAME ON AND THIS TIME I DID NOT TURN THE VEHICLE OFF SO THE BRAKE SYSTEM MESSAGE (CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM AND THE BUZZER SOUNDING) WAS ON WHEN THE MECHANIC ARRIVED. AGAIN THEY CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND THE CODE READER INDICATED ALL SYSTEMS WERE FINE, EVEN THOUGH THE MESSAGE CENTER SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE PERSONNEL WE TALKED TO INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO A NUMBER OF OTHER VEHICLES AND WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSE BY THE WIRING HARNESS BUT COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT WOULD FIX THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WAS $4000. THIS IN OUR OPINION IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE WIRING HARNESS HASN'T BEEN TAMPERED WITH AND ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE AT A FORD DEALER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE ABS FAILURE COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON SLIPPERY ROADS OR DURING FAST STOPS. *TR

THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED YELLOW, I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH WORKED MOMENTARILY THEN RELEASED AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE I STOPPED SHORT OF BLOCKING THE INTERSECTION. UPON STOPPING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ON LEVEL GROUND WITH THE VEHICLE IDLING IN DRIVE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH BRAKE FORCE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING FORWARD. INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT (DRIVER SIDE) FRONT FLEXIBLE BRAKE LINE HAD RUPTURED AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID LOST FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. THIS LINE IS ABOUT 17 INCHES LONG WITH A METAL SLEEVE IN THE MIDDLE WHERE IT IS ATTACHED TO THE VERTICAL STRUT FOR SUPPORT. THE RUPTURE WAS AT THE TOP OF THIS SLEEVE. WHILE BLEEDING THE BRAKES AFTER THE LINE WAS REPLACED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE LOW BRAKE FLUID SENSOR WORKED. IS THIS AN UNKNOWN "SAFETY FEATURE" OF ABS? IF IT IS, PROGRESS HAS BROUGHT US BACK TO WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL PART CAN CAUSE THE SAME CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AS BEFORE THE SPLIT SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED IN THE 1960S. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *TR

L/H TONE RING ON AXEL CRACKED AND THREW AN ABS WARNING, BRAKE SERVICE WARNING AND 4WD LIGHT BLINKING. AT APPROX 65,000 THE R/H TONE RING CRACKED AS WELL BUT WAS SMALL ENOUGH THAT IT DID NOT TRIP THE SENSOR. I NOTICED A CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNING INTO PARKING SPACES. THIS WAS FIXED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. FROM SEARCHES ON THE INTERNET THIS SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW OF THIS WEAK PART. DEALERS TRY TO GET YOU TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE AXEL WHICH IS NOT NEEDED AS DID THE FORD DEALER IN MARGATE. FORD SHOULD BE REPLACING THESE TONE RINGS WITH A PART WITH STRONGER TENSILE STRENGTH SO IT DOES NOT CRACK. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS IT WILL STRAND MANY WHO SEE ALL THE LIGHTS AND WARNINGS GO OFF AND THINK THEY CANNOT CONTINUE DRIVING. THIS IS A POOR DESIGN, A POORLY MADE PART AND THROUGH IT'S DEALER NETWORK A RIP-OFF FOR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE TOLD THE ENTIRE AXEL NEEDS REPLACEMENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A METAL GRINDING NOISE. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED; HOWEVER, THE NOISE GREW LOUDER AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED AND REAPPLIED. THERE WERE ALSO NO WARNING INDICATORS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKES WERE WORN DOWN TO THE ROTORS. THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,500. UPDATED 03-05-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE INDICATOR STATED THE BRAKES WERE FINE. THE BRAKES WERE DOWN TO THE METAL.

I HAVE A 2006 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID, AND THE BRAKES ON THE CAR GO OUT ON IT. THE BRAKES GO OUT FOR 5 TO 7 SEC. AND THE SERVICE BRAKES LIGHT COME ON AND IT STOPS. THE LAST TIME, IT DID NOT STOP RIGHT A WAY. I HAVE BEEN HAVING IN-DASH NAVIGATION SYSEM PROBLEM AND THE DEALER HAD WORK ON IT. IT IS NOT FIXED RIGHT. AND THE BRAKES STOPPED WORK AGAIN. I HAD CALLED THE DEALER BACK AND SAID THE NAVIGATION IS NOT WORKING RIGHT. I GOT IN MY CAR AND BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AT THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY. I A DATE FOR THE BRAKES AND THE NAVIGTION. THE CAR HAS 13473 MILES ON IT AND THERE IS A WARRANTY ON IT .THE DEALER PUT IN A MODULATOR IN IT THE FIRST TIME. *JB