Underbody Shield problems of the 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis

While driving the vehicle on a side street, the driver heard a loud noise coming from the front right side of the vehicle, she lost steering control and the car veered right. The driver applied the brake slowly until the car came to a stop. The driver called a mechanic to tow the car to the shop. Upon inspection, it was determined that the chassis section that supports the tire was separated from the rest of the chassis. The welded connection had separated and sheared. Had the incident occurred on a highway, the consequences to the driver, passenger and other cars on the road, could have been major. This car was purchased new by the current owner and has not been involved in any accident. The car dealer refused to repair the car or accept a warranty claim. He classified the defect as corrosion perforation, when it is a clear chassis weld failure.