2007 Mercury Monterey

Ford is conducting a safety recall to repair the third-row seat's latch mechanisms in approximately 196,667 model year (MY) 2004 through 2007 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles (see NHTSA recall 13V-081 for more details).The recall covers vehicles originally sold, or currently registered, in the salt belt states or high corrosion areas of the United States: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.Approximately 100,000 remaining MY 2004-2007 Freestar and Monterey vehicles--those vehicles that were not originally sold, or are not currently registered, in salt belt states--are not included in the recall action. Although these vehicles are the same as the ones described above, they experience significantly lower failure rates because of reduced road salt exposure.ODI is currently aware of only one complaint on vehicle outside of the recall scope.ODI will monitor complaints and take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For owners of vehicles that are outside of the recall scope but exhibit the defect condition, owners (and affected Ford dealers) can contact Ford to request the recall repair.This Engineering Analysis is closed.See attached report and associated recall file for additional information.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10399896, 10410491, 10420028, 10424850, 10433928, 10436592, 10438529, 10440616, 10441489, 10441641, 10442809, 10446564, 10450295, 10450559, 10450587, 10452933, 10453826, 10454977, 10455545, 10456985, 10457423, 10457910, 10458738, 10459042, 10460511, 10461074, 10462910, 10463126, 10463262, 10463366, 10463600, 10464243, 10467003, 10467680, 10468429, 10469188, 10469200, 10470216, 10470510, 10471280, 10471520, 10471813, 10471978, 10472514, 10473087, 10473159, 10477025, 10477387, 10477954, 10478449, 10479247, 10479758, 10480611, 10480665, 10481054, 10481412, 10482213, 10482236, 10482613, 10482620, 10487872, 10489445, 10490515, 10490641, 10490663, 10490744, 10491495, 10492220, 10493470, 10493572, 10496348, 10497631, 10497976, 10498310, 10498433, 10499681, 10499861, 10500495.

The subject vehicles suffered from a design issue whereby water could run down onto the cowling under the hood and located in the area of the windshield wipers and then drip onto a computer module, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), which could be manifested in a variety of symptoms depending on which part of the circuit board became wet or which of the connector pins shorted out.In addition to causing an engine to stall, which may or may not then restart, the water intrusion could also cause the transmission to shift poorly, the vehicle to have erratic power, a malfunction indicator light to come on, or result in an inability to start the vehicle, an inability to shift the vehicle into either forward or reverse. Also the problem could cause a higher than normal idle RPM in Park, or for the radio to malfunction, or the interior lights to stay on.During this investigation ODI was concerned with the effect of the engine stalling or a drastic and sudden loss of power either of which may create a safety risk.In reviewing the actual number of these types of incidents, collectively referred to here as engine stalls, the number was found to be below what would be considered a defect trend.For example, the number of engine stalls identified in Ford's warranty claims for the model year (MY) 2004 subject vehicles, the MY with the most failures, was 200 out of population of 125,865, for a failure rate of 0.16%.The one crash recorded by a complainant to NHTSA, VOQ 10311522, alleged that the engine stalled, due to water intrusion into the PCM, while the road was turning causing her to go off the road and according to the police report the vehicle then hit an embankment and a tree stump. Ford reported in their response that there were three alleged crashes but none of these were validated as being caused by a problem with water intrusion into the PCM causing a stall.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 monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted.

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

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, ON A HIGHWAY, IN TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. SUDDENLY, IT WAS AS IF THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL. I COASTED OFF TO THE SHOULDER , TRIED TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO GEAR, NOTHING! NO REVERSE, NO FORWARD, 1 OR 3. AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT AGAIN INTO ALL GEARS TO NO AVAIL. HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED.

NHTSA ID

10780548

Incident

Oct 6, 2015

Mileage

130,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCURY MONTEREY. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY WENT INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10762695

Incident

Sep 6, 2015

Mileage

129,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

NHTSA ID

10724120

Incident

Apr 30, 2015

Mileage

59,000 mi

WHILE I WAS DRIVING,THE 2007 MONTEREY MINI-VAN SUDDENLY STOPPED RESPONDING TO THE ACCELERATOR. THE BRAKES WERE STILL RESPONSIVE, AS WAS STEERING. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING TO THIS ABRUPT PROBLEM, AND IT WAS PARTICULARLY WORRISOME BECAUSE THERE WERE VEHICLES FOLLOWING ME ON THE 4-LANE ROAD AND I WAS UNEXPECTEDLY NOT MOVING BESIDES COASTING TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. OUR MECHANIC, NOT A DEALER, SUSPECTS THE TORQUE CONVERTER. OF NOTE, THE 2004 AND 2005 MONTEREYS WERE RECALLED FOR TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE ONLY OTHER YEARS OF MONTEREYS THAT WERE MADE, 2006 AND 2007, SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR RECALL, ALSO. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE- WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION- IS EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10671932

Incident

Dec 24, 2014

Mileage

86,000 mi

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, THE ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE WOULD STALL, CUT OUT, OR COMPLETELY QUIT RUNNING WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING AT A STOPLITE. ON ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE WOULD STALL OR CUT OUT AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD FEEL LIKE IT IS SLIPPING. WHEN THE ENGINE WOULD STALL OR QUIT RUNNING, STEERING AND BRAKES WOULD BECOME INOPERABLE. ON MANY OCCASIONS, THIS WOULD HAPPEN IN CITY TRAFFIC AND ON THE HIWAY TRAVELING AT HIWAY SPEEDS. AT ONE INSTANCE THE ENGINE STALLED OUT COMPLETELY AND WOULD NOT START. ON NOV. 6, 2014 IS WHEN THIS VEHICLE WAS FIRST TAKEN INTO THE DEALER FOR A MAINTENANCE CHECK, WHICH DETERMINED THAT THE COMPUTER HAD GOTTEN WET BECAUSE OF MOISTURE COMING DOWN BEHIND A COWLING/DEFLECTOR ON THE LOWER PART OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE COMPUTER HAD TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. *JS

NHTSA ID

10661868

Incident

Nov 6, 2014

Mileage

117,215 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 6 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

NHTSA ID

10545167

Incident

Sep 22, 2013

Mileage

115,000 mi

ABOUT 1 OUT OF EVERY 100 TIMES I DRIVE MY 2007 MERCURY MONTEREY VAN, THE "ADVANCETRAC" SYSTEM ENGAGES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I LOSE CONTROL OF ACCELERATION, AND MUST PULL OVER, STOP, AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN THE VAN, AND START IT UP AGAIN TO REGAIN CONTROL. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT, BUT THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY SAY IT DOESN'T HAPPEN WHEN THEY TEST DRIVE IT. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SUNNY DAYS, ON DRY PAVEMENT, ON HIGHWAYS, BACK ROADS, ANYTIME ANYWHERE REALLY. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF IT, BUT HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY WHEN IT HAS HAPPENED. IT IS ALWAYS VERY SCARY AND VERY FRUSTRATING THAT THE DEALER WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10314848

Incident

Jan 10, 2010

Mileage

20,000 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.

For 2004-2007 Freestar or Monterey vehicles Safety Recall 13S01 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period, where the sheet metal that supports the folding 3rd row seat latch strikers could experience corrosion and may compromise the mounting point for the forward portion of the 3rd row seat. Initially, this condition may result in seat movement when passengers sit on or put weight on the seat, or difficulty latching the front of the seat when in its seating position. If corrosion is severe, the seat latch strikers may become detached from the vehicle. The seat belts and the permanent mounting attachment at the rear of the seat are unaffected.

Safety recall 13S01 - Corrosion on sheet metal that supports 3rd row seat latch strikeers - requests for recall service action

FORD/MERCURY: SAFETY RECALL REGARDING SHEET METAL SUPPORT FOR FOLDING 3RD ROW SEAT LATCH STRIKERS CAN EXPERIENCE CORROSION AND WILL COMPROMISE MOUNTING POINT CAUSING SEAT TO MOVE. MODEL 2004-07 FREESTAR, MONTEREY. *PE

FORD/MERCURY: SHEET METAL SUPPORTING FOLDING 3RD ROW SEAT LATCH STRIKERS WILL EXPERIENCE CORROSION AND COMPROMISE MOUNTING POINT FOR FORWARD PORTION OF 3RD ROW SEAT, IF VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN HIGH CORROSION AREAS FOR EXTENDED PERIOD. MODEL 2004-2007 FREESTAR, MONTEREY. *PE

ADVANCED TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM - DURATION ACTIVATION. *KB