This complaint concerns a 2004 Mercury Sable stationwagon. It was purchased 5 days before the incident. I was driving in rural poway on August 3, 2004. I apparently drove over a pebble or something - I heard a "thunk" under the car. Almost immediately the car lost power, and came to a complete stop a few feet later. Apparently the problem was that the fuel line and/or fuel pump were injured. And most of a tankful of gas spewed out into the road. I managed to get out of the car safely, this time. No one hit the car, this time. No fire resulted from all of that gasoline, this time. But I'm bothered by two things: 1) is the fuel line, and/or fuel pump, so exposed and so fragile that a pebble will cause mayhem in the system? 2) is there any way to get a more gradual stopping of the car, so as to get further out of traffic than I was able to? this, as I see it, is bad engineering. I should add, in case you are wondering - I'm not a ditzy teenager. I'm a 54 year old woman, and up to now a pretty good driver.

- San Diego, CA, USA