1995 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS Steering Problems

MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL /STEERING AIRBAGS DEPLOYED CAUSING INJURIES INCLUDING CHEMICAL BURNS

Mileage: 98,000

TOOK CAR IN FOR SQUEAKING NOISE UNDER CAR; DISCOVERED IT WAS U-JOINT SEAL GOING DRY. HOWEVER, UPON INSPECTION TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED FOUR DANGEROUSLY WORN BALL JOINTS, BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES, AND DANGEROUSLY WORN IDLER ARM. THIS WAS CONFIRMED VISUALLY BY MYSELF. UPPER LEFT BALL JOINT WAS IN THE BEST CONDITION, ALL OTHERS WERE MISSING JACKETS, HAD NO LUBRICATION, AND WORN TO THE LEVEL THAT VERY LITTLE FORCE WAS NEEDED TO REMOVE THE BALL FROM THE SOCKET AFTER REMOVAL, ONE CAME OUT WITH NO FORCE. THE IDLER ARM WAS BARELY CONNECTED, AND OVER 75% OF METAL AT THE LINK WORN AND RUSTED. NOTHING IN THE CAR'S DRIVING BEHAVIOR GAVE ANY INDICATION THAT ANY OF THESE PARTS WERE WORN. STEERING HAD ONLY SLIGHT AMOUNT OF PLAY WHICH WAS STILL PRESENT AFTER THE PARTS WERE REPLACED AND THE CAR ALIGNED. LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT HAD BEEN REPLACED ONE YEAR AND 3 MONTHS PREVIOUS TO DISCOVERY. NO OTHER SIGNS OF WEAR WERE PRESENT AT THAT TIME. THE PREVIOUS BALL JOINT REPLACED WAS LEAST WORN, BUT JACKET WAS TORN AND NO LUBRICATION PRESENT. WITH ONE EXCEPTION, THE BALL JOINTS APPEARED TO HAVE ONLY GRAVITY AS THE PRIMARY FORCE HOLDING THE BALLS IN THE SOCKETS. MY CONCERN FOR OTHER DRIVERS IS RELATED TO THE LACK OF INDICATIONS THAT THE FRONT END OF THIS CAR HAD DEGRADED TO THIS LEVEL. THE VEHICLE'S STEERING RESPONSES WERE ASYMPTOMATIC, PERIOD. THIS HAD NOT BEEN MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST. POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR ASYMPTOMATIC BEHAVIOR IS UNKNOWN (WEIGHT OF VEHICLE AND GRAVITY?) THE EARLIER PROBLEM (1YR 3MO. EARLIER) WITH THE LEFT TOP BALL JOINT FAILURE WAS ONLY DISCOVERED AFTER IT FAILED AFTER HITTING SMALL POT HOLE COMING FROM PARKING LOT AND THE WHEEL BROKE AND LAYED IN FLAT ON THE ROAD. SPEED WAS UNDER 5MPH. *JS

Mileage: 157,659

STEERING BOX SEALS WENT TWICE IN 2 WEEKS. ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON THIS SITE TELLS THE SAME STORY. THE SEALS WENT ONCE WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE AND THE OTHER TIME, WHEN I WENT TO BACK INTO A PARKING SPACE. *TR

Mileage: 95,000

STEERING BOX SEAL LET GO, CAUSING ME TO LOSE STEERING. DID THIS TWICE IN 2 WEEKS. SEALS IN THE GEARBOX ARE VERY COMMON. HAPPENED WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AND STARTED TO DRIVE AND THE SEAL WENT BOTH TIMES. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED FROM THE BRAKE LINE. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT STATED AT ONLY 38,000 MILES, WHILE STOPPED AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE PITMAN ARM CAME OFF AND CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. A MECHANIC REPAIRED THE PITMAN ARM . *AK

Mileage: 48,000

CONSUMER FELT THAT HIS VEHICLE'S REAR SUSPENSION SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE THE NEWER MODELS HAVE BETTER REAR SUSPENSIONS. *LA WHEN THE WIND BLEW, OR THE ROAD WAS UNEVEN ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT, THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE DEALER REFUSED TO UPGRADE THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO PAY. WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE OFF THE RUBBER PART OF THE BLADE SAT PARTIALLY ON THE GLASS AND ON THE PLASTIC BELOW THE GLASS, THE RUBBER PART OF THE BLADE HAD TO BE CHANGED FREQUENTLY IN ORDER TO WORK PROPERLY WHEN IT RAINED OR SNOWED. THE TIE ROD BROKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARKING LOT. *JB

MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS 1995, VIN [XXX] STEERING SYSTEM COLLAPSED. STEERING WHEEL ROTATES NOT TURNING THE WHEELS. VEHICLE LOST STEERING CONTROL. I AM HAPPY TO BE ALIVE TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THIS. PLEASE, DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT OTHER CUSTOMERS. ALSO FEW MONTH EARLIER, SAFETY BELT LATCH COLLAPSED OF NORMAL USAGE. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 177,503

VEHICLE WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 25MPH AND INNER TIE ROD ON FRONT LEFT HAND SIDE FELL OFF. VEHICLE CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT, AND WAS UNABLE TO OPERATE THERE AFTER. THERE WAS NO WARNING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIE ROD HAD DETERIORATED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. SCC

Mileage: 55,000

TIE ROD END BROKE WHILE PARKED MAKING VEHICLE INOPERATIVE. NLM

WHEN DRIVING AND UPON MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN STEERING WHEEL HUNG UP AT A 45 DEGREE POINT. DRIVER NOTED PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHEN DRIVING STEERING WHEEL IS SO SENSITIVE THAT WHEN THE RPM IS UP, CONSUMER CAN'T CONTROL THE STEERING.*AK

PITMAN ARM JOINT FAILURE, CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL, MIRACLE RECOVERY, NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OR INJURIES. *AK

THE STEERING ARM BROKE CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. YH

WHEN DRIVING POWER STEERING WHISTLES. U-TURNS THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY AND MAKES A SHARPER TURN THAN APPLIED. DEALER CAN'T DO ANYTHING. *AK

GREASE FITTINGS WERE OMITTED BY THE MANUFACTURER. LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE IDLER ARM AND PUT ON GREASE FITTINGS AND LOWER BALL JOINTS . THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

STEERING TIE ROD FAILURES.

WHEN DRIVING AT SPEED VEHICLE WANDERS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, CANNOT BE KEPT ON THE HIGHWAY, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK DEALER STATED TO CONSUMER THAT THE DARTING, WANDERING, AND LOSS OF CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEED WAS CAUSED BY THE NEW VARIABLE SPEED POWER STEERING. *SLC

VEHICLE RQUIRES CONSTANT CORRECTIVE STEERING ACTION TO MAINTAIN A PROPER POSITION IN A TRAFFIC LANE. THIS CONDITION IS PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *AK

EXCESSIVE PLAY IN STEERING.

STEERING WHEEL LOOSE. *SD

EXCESSIVE EFFORT NEEDED TO GET VEHICLE OUT OF A LEFT TURN. *AK

EXCESSIVE EFFORT NEEDED TO GET VEHICLE OUT OF A LEFT TURN. *AK

WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN ITS HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL BACK . TT

WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS AND WILL NOT COME BACK AND KEEPS THE CAR GOING TO THE RIGHT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

STEERING GEAR BOX PROBLEM, CAR WANDERS WITH STEERING ADJUSTMENTS OVER 45MPH. TT