1985 Mercury Cougar Xr7 Turbo 5 Speed on 2040-cars

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NHTSA probing 2000-2003 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable models over throttle issue

A potential issue with the speed control cable collar has got the 2003-20003 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable under the spotlight of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If the collar breaks it can cause the throttle to be stuck open.
The issue is limited to vehicles with the 3.0-liter V6 Duratec. There are just 50 complaints so far out of 310,000 cars, but the NHTSA has begun an investigation into whether a recall should be issued.

NHTSA closes rollaway investigation into 1.56M Ford SUVs

It's taken four years of study, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has finally closed the books on its investigation into rollaway accusations surrounding 1.56-million Ford SUV models.
The probe, which centered on the 2002-2005 Ford Explorer, 2002-2005 Mercury Mountaineer and 2003-2005 Lincoln Aviator, ends without the federal agency calling for a recall. According to The Detroit News, the investigation was closed due to a "low number of complaints" - NHTSA documented 180 such complaints that resulted in 14 crashes and six minor injuries, but the number of incidents have been slowing. The suspected defect rate for the trucks' automatic transmissions was found to be 4.4 per 100,000 units, and the brake-shift interlock mechanism failure rate was judged to be even lower at 3.4 per 100k.

eBay Find of the Day: Mercury Marauder two-door convertible

Never underestimate what you'll see on eBay Motors. Take this unique creation, for example. Near as we can tell, it's the same 2002 Mercury Marauder that was modified into a two-door convertible by Ford for the 2002 Chicago Auto Show. According to the seller, this car still boasts its Eaton supercharger bolted to a 4.6-liter V8 engine, and at the time of its debut, the engine was rated at a lofty 335 horsepower. We have a hard time believing that the extra ponies would do much to offset the weight of the additional frame stiffeners and top mechanism on the car, however.
The vehicle is currently offered for sale by a dealer in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, though the listing is mum on how the convertible managed to make its way from Ford's Windy City show stand into the seller's inventory. If you like what you see, the machine can be yours for the princely sum of $75,000 or best offer. Head over to eBay Motors to take a gander at the listing.