Consumer Complaint Detail

MERCURY / GRAND MARQUIS / 1996

Recalls
0 Injured
Investigations
0 Death
Complaints
No Fire
Components - Details
NHTSA Complaint Number: 0000095358 Incident Date: Jan, 01 1970
Consumer's City: HOOVER Consumer's State: AL
Vehicle Transmission Type: Manufacturers Name: Ford Motor Company
Model Name: GRAND MARQUIS Model Year: 1996
Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No Component's Description: Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc
Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No Persons Injured: 0
Vehicle's VIN#: 2MELM75W2TX Date added to File: May, 23 2021
Date Complaint Received: Nov, 28 1999 Complaint Type: IVOQ
Incident Reported To Police: No Purchase Date: Aug, 31 1996
Was Original Owner: Yes Anti-lock Brakes: Yes
Number of Cylinders: 0 Date of Manufacturer: -
Was Vehicle Towed: - Description of the Complaints: This automobile was purchased new in september, 1996. the car now has 31,066 original owner driven miles on it. on 11/27/99, i took the car into a local shop (express oil change) for brake inspection. the car needed front brake pads and when the front wheel brake rotors were turned, all that was left on them was .965 in useable metal. the mechanic told me the rotors would have to be replaced on my next brake pad replacement. i walked across the street to vulcan lincoln-mercury dealership and asked mr. marshall avery (service advisor) why the problem with brake rotors on my automobile, and he stated that ford was not using the same metal thickness once used in manufacture of brake rotors would be his guess. why does an automobile which is minimally driven to and from work not have front brake rotors large enough in thickness to allow more than one turning? it would seem that ford motor company has reduced the thickness of its brake rotors to a dangerously thin level. this is a rip-off of the automotive consumer in that only 31,000 miles can be expected with a pair of front brake rotors and on the next brake replacement the rotors must be discarded and new ones purchased. in addition, it is a dangerous condition whereas a set of rotors which is turned once now is below the minimum dot requirement (.974) for thickness. i have sent a note via e-mail to ford motor company to their consumer assistance center, but have not received a reply. i would like to know how this situation has come about. i have owned many vehicles, but this is the first time front brake rotors have been an alarming issue in my maintenance program for my car. this situation concerns me due to the fact that my wife alone uses this car, and i am no longer sure of the safety of the brake system. it is my personal thinking that the use of a specific front brake pad which is not compatible with the rotor thickness has caused undue and early rotor wear on this size automobile. thank you for listening.