2007 Mercury Montego

On November 29, 2012, Ford Motor Company (Ford) initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 12N03 to extend warranty coverage terms for repair of engine idle RPM surge caused by throttle body deposits in all model year (MY) 2005 through 2007 Ford Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego vehicles.The program extends the coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle (all vehicles are eligible for the program through May 31, 2013, regardless of mileage).Dealers will repair vehicles exhibiting the condition by removing and cleaning the throttle body and reprogramming the PCM with software containing an updated idle speed control strategy.According to Ford, some of the affected vehicles may experience momentary, intermittent engine idle RPM surge (idle flare) when stopped or during low speed driving maneuvers such as in a parking lot or driveway.Unstable idle speed control (dips and flares) around the target engine speed (700 rpm) can occur in vehicles with deposit build-up in the throttle body when the system adjusts engine speed in response to changes in engine load, typically from power steering application or air-conditioner compressor cycling.Idle speed control logic is only active at vehicle speeds below 3.5 mph and when the accelerator pedal is not applied.Ford testing of a vehicle with a worst case throttle body measured a maximum idle flare of 1360 RPM lasting approximately 1 second, which Ford indicated was consistent with system design to limit vehicle speed and acceleration in idle control mode.Ford indicated that the test vehicle was held in place with normal brake effort and that vehicle speed remained under 4 mph without the brake pedal applied.In addition to throttle body deposit accumulation, symptoms associated with the condition may include Check Engine lamp illumination and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0505, P0506 or P061B.Ford attributed the surge condition to changes in idle air flow resulting from the progressive buildup of deposits in the throttle body from normal Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system operation.This condition was not adequately compensated for in the original Powertrain Control Module (PCM) calibration.Ford issued a technical service bulletin on August 15, 2011 (TSB 11-8-5), releasing an updated powertrain control calibration for vehicles with CVT transmissions.On October 19, 2011, Ford issued a second bulletin (TSB 11-10-21) superseding TSB 11-8-5 and including updated powertrain control calibration for vehicles with 6-speed transmissions.Prior to Ford issuing the TSB?s, owner?s experiencing the alleged defect either received no repairs, if dealers could not duplicate the condition, or had the throttle body cleaned or replaced, which only provided temporary correction until the throttle deposit build-up returned.Ford?s revised powertrain calibrations appear to be effective remedies for the idle instability caused by build-up of throttle body deposits.However, even after the TSB?s were released, many owners experiencing the condition continued to have difficulty with proper diagnosis and repair as dealers were often either unable to duplicate the condition or were unfamiliar with the new repair procedures.Ford's new program addresses those concerns.NHTSA's testing and complaint analysis indicate that the idle speed control issue in the subject vehicles can only occur at very low speeds, are very brief events, are easily controlled by moderate brake pedal forces and result in minor increases in vehicle speed even with no braking.This investigation is closed.The closing of this in

ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO

The contact owns a 2007 Mercury Montego. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the failure was due to an electrical shortage in the taillight because of an accumulation of moisture inside the taillight assembly. The contact was informed that the taillight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.

NHTSA ID

11689717

Incident

Nov 4, 2024

Mileage

52,000 mi

REFERENCE TSB 11-10-21, THE CAR WILL SURGE AND TRY TO MOVE FORWARD QUICKLY WHEN AT LOW IDLE AND SLOWLY MOVING AT TIMES WHEN THE CAR IS CLOSE TO ANOTHER CAR SUCH AS PARKING IN A PARKING LOT. IF THE DRIVER ISN'T QUICK-REACTING WITH THE FOOT ALREADY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE AUTO COULD MOVE QUICKLY AND CONTACT THE NEARBY AUTO OR STRUCTURE BEFORE THE BRAKE IS PRESSED STOPPING THE VEHICLE FROM LURCHING/SURGING FORWARD. THERE IS A TSB ISSUED, BUT IT SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL DUE TO THE RISK OF CONTACTING ANOTHER NEARLY VEHICLE OR STRUCTURE. IT HAS STEADILY GROWN MORE FREQUENT OVER THE PAST YEAR.

NHTSA ID

11231364

Incident

Jul 12, 2019

Mileage

190,000 mi

MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF MY CAR ACCELERATING WHILE IN A LOWER RPM SUCH AS AT A STOP LIGHT, DRIVE THRU WINDOW AND PARKING LOTS. ESPECIALLY INCREASED INSTANCES WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS RUNNING. THIS ALSO CAUSES THE CAR TO DIE COMPLETELY IN SOME CASES. I HAVE TO TRY TO PULL OVER SOMEWHERE IN ORDER TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART IT. THIS ISSUE WITH THE ACCELERATION IS INCREASING IN FREQUENCY LATELY. I CAN COUNT ON IT TO HAPPEN EVERY SINGLE TIME I HAVE THE AIR CONDITIONER RUNNING AND SOMETIMES WHEN IT IS NOT. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED HUNDREDS OF TIMES. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS! IF I WERE SLOW TO REACT TO THE ACCELERATION, THE CAR WOULD DEFINITELY RUN OVER A PEDESTRIAN OR HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE! LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUE LIKE THIS OCCURRING IN OTHER LIKE MODELS. PLEASE HELP! LAST NIGHT MY HUSBAND AND I WENT THROUGH A LOCAL RESTAURANT DRIVE THRU WINDOW AND WHILE GOING THROUGH THE LINE, THE ENGINE SURGED 5 DIFFERENT TIMES! THESE ARE NOT SLIGHT LITTLE RPM BUMPS, THESE ARE FULL FLEDGED "THE CAR THINKS I AM MASHING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL TO OBTAIN SPEEDS OF LIKE 45 MPH" ACCELERATIONS! TODAY I WAS DRIVING AT AROUND 35 MPH WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON AND TURNED THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. THE CAR DIED WHEN IT REACHED A DOWNHILL TURN AT THE POINT I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL TO HOLD BACK THE SPEED. OF COURSE THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHEN THE ENGINE DIED, SO I HAD TO TRY AND FIND A PLACE TO "FLOAT" INTO IN ORDER TO TURN MY CAR OFF AND RESTART IT. I NEED THIS FIXED VERY BADLY BEFORE MY FAMILY AND I ARE IN AN ACCIDENT. I CANNOT AFFORD TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AT THE DEALERSHIP HOPING THEY GET THE CORRECT DIAGNOSIS NOR CAN I AFFORD A NEW CAR.

NHTSA ID

11229344

Incident

Jul 3, 2019

Mileage

111,500 mi

I GOT MY 2007 MERCURY MONTEGO PREMIER FROM MY MOM, WHO I BOUGHT IT FROM. AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS ONLY 52,000 MILES ON IT. AT 52,000 MILES, WHENEVER THE CAR WOULD BE PUT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE, IT WOULD LUNGE FORWARD. OVER THE YEARS, THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE WHERE NOW WHEN PUTTING GREEN THE CAR IN DRIVE OR REVERSE, THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD TO THE POINT THAT I HAVE NO CONTROL OF HOW FAR IT WILL LUNGE. IT'S SO BAD THAT I WORRY THAT I MIGHT HIT SOMEONE WITH MY CAR JUST BACKING UP. NOW, AT 130,000, THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO HAVE GOTTEN EVEN WORSE WHERE IT IS SLIPPING IN 2ND GEAR. YOU GIVE THE CAR GAS AND IT SEEMS TO JUST BE AT A STAND STILL, THEN A) OF A SUDDEN, THE WHOLE CAR JUST THROWS ITSELF, AND ANY PASSENGERS IN THE CAR, FORWARD AND JUST SHAKES THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. I'M SURPRISED I HAVEN'T GOTTEN WHIPLASH FROM IT, BUT IT'S SO INTENSE WHEN IT SLIPS GEARS AND THEN GETS BACK INTO GEAR, THAT I WOULD COMPARE IT TO SOMEONE BEING HIT FROM BEHIND AT ABOUT 20 MPH.. THAT'S HOW ROUGH IT IS. THE NHTSA IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. THEY STATE THAT THEE AREN'T ENOUGH COMPLAINTS, BUT I KNOW THAT NOT TO BE TRUE. IF THEY PENT SOME TIME GOING ONLINE A HUGE NUMBER OF OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAVE COMPLAINED BOUTON THIS ISSUE, BUT NOTHINGS BEEN DONE. TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE THE MONEY THEY MUST GET FROM COMPANIES LIE FORD IS MORE LIKE HIGH MONEY AND HE SAFETY OF THE DRIVERS AND THE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD COMESSAGE SECOND TO THIS VERY SERIOUS AND VERY POSSIBLE DANGEROUS MATTER.

NHTSA ID

11166132

Incident

Sep 30, 2014

Mileage

55,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCURY MONTEGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT HESITATED TO UNLATCH INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, AFTER THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WAS UNLATCHED, IT NO LONGER LATCHED INTO PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,000.

NHTSA ID

10865057

Incident

Apr 16, 2016

Mileage

169,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 MERCURY MONTEGO. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE JERKED BEFORE EVENTUALLY STOPPING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

NHTSA ID

10810859

Incident

Nov 26, 2015

Mileage

45,000 mi

AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE KNOWN AS THE SMART JUNCTION BOX HAS FAILED 3 TIMES SINCE NEW.THE FIRST TWO TIMES IT WAS REPLACED UNDER THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER"S WARRANTY. THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND IT FAILED AGAIN. THIS PART IS VERY EXPENSIVE COSTING IN EXCESS OF $500.00 PLUS LABOR CHARGES WHICH I MUST PAY. WHEN THIS PART FAILS, THE SIGNAL LIGHTS, BRAKE STOP LIGHTS AND OTHER DEVICES DO NOT WORK WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR SAFE OPERATION. VEHICLE RELIABILITY AND SECURITY ARE IN SERIOUS CONCERN.

NHTSA ID

10779635

Incident

Sep 30, 2015

Mileage

66,500 mi

TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEED, VEHICLE LIGHTS ALL FLICKERED THE LOST POWER..ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN, WAS ABLE TO COAST VEHICLE TO SHOULDER OF 35W, APPLY BRAKES AND STOP. TURNED OFF VEHICLE AND RESTARTED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. NO LIGHTS NO DASH LIGHTS..FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL ABLE TO GET 30 MPH UPHILL APPROXIMATELY. AT TOP OF HILL POWER CAME BACK ON..THEN KILLED AGAIN. TOW CALLED. CURRENTLY AT GARAGE WHERE SENSORS ARE SHOWING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10631657

Incident

Sep 7, 2014

Mileage

190,358 mi

The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer to historical DTCs and the PC/ED, Section 3 No DTCs Present Index chart for further information.

FORD: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. MOMENTARY ENGINE IDLE RPM SURGE MAY BE INTERMITTENT AND MAY OCCUR, DUE TO DEPOSITS BUILDUP IN THROTTLE BODY, AT LOW SPEEDS, WHILE PARKING OR ENTERING DRIVEWAY AND CHECK ENGINE LAMP MAY ILLUMINATE. MODELS 2005-07 FREESTYLE, 500, MONTEGO. *PE

TRACTION CONTROL LAMP ON--NO DTC'S PRESENT, OR DTC P1889 IN DIFFERENTIAL ELECTRONIC MODULE (DEM). *NJ

FORD MERCURY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. CERTAIN 2005 THROUGH 2007 FWD AND AWD FORD FIVE HUNDRED, FREESTYLE AND MERCURY MONTEGO VEHICLES - REAR BRAKE WEAR. ALSO HAVE AN OWNER'S LETTER. *NJ UPDATED 1/25/08. *NJ

MIL WITH DTC P0106 AND/OR P0109. *KB

FUEL GAUGE ERRATIC/INACCURATE AND/OR MIL ON WITH DTC P0463, B1202, B2627, B2879, AND/OR P2068. *KB