1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

WAS DRIVING 55MPH; REAR END FELT LOOSE & VEHICLE STARTED TO BECOME WOBBLY. LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AFTER AIR LEFT TIRE. VEHICLE PULLED SHARPLY TO RIGHT, THEN BECAME STUCK IN SAND. CHECKED TIRES & NOTICED RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD COMPLETELY LOST ITS TREAD.*AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE P235/75R15, DOT VNHL. *SLC

DRIVER DOOR LOCK WILL ONLY UNLOCK, HAVE REPLACED AND STILL FAILS. REAR AND PASS. L/U BUTTON STILL CONTROL ENTIRE LOCK CIRCUIT. *AK

ABOUT 1 WEEK PRIOR TO THE AUGUST 17, 2000 DATE, I NOTICED A CHANGE IN THE WAY THE TIRES FELT WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. I THEN HAD MY WIFE DRIVE THE VEHICLE SLOWLY DOWN THE STREET AND I WALKED BEHIND AND NOTICED A BULGE IN THE LEFT REAR TIRE. I THEN TOOK IT TO THE FIRESTONE STORE IN GARLAND, TEXAS AND THEY SAID IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD PROBLEM. I KNEW I HADN'T HIT ANYTHING IN THE ROAD SINCE I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE SINCE OCTOBER OF 1999 AND IT HAD DRIVEN FINE UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. THEY SOLD ME A DISCOUNTED TIRE AND CHARGED ME $65.23 TO REPLACE IT. I HAD THEM MOVE THE SPARE (SAME DOT AND SIZE) TO THE LEFT REAR AND PUT THE NEW TIRE ON THE FRONT. THEY KEPT THE BAD TIRE AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. THEN ABOUT NOVEMBER, 2000 THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE TIRE THAT I HAD THEM PUT ON THE LEFT REAR. I THEN TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALER THAT SELLS FIRESTONE IN IRVING. THEY AGREED THAT THIS TIRE WAS FAILING DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER WILDERNESS AT TO REPLACE IT WITH SO THEY GAVE ME A COMPETITORS SMALLER TIRE AND MADE IT THE SPARE. THEY GAVE ME THE TIRE TO KEEP SO I COULD HAVE IT REPLACED WITH THE OTHERS WHEN I COULD GET IT REPLACE WHEN THEY HAD A REPLACEMENT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: 23575R15)

BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. SOMETIMES WHEN PRESSING BRAKES FOOT IS ACTUALLY ON GAS PEDAL, ONCE CONSUMER RAN RIGHT INTO GARAGE.*AK *SLC

FIRESTONE TIRE (P235/75R15) EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TIRE AND DAMAGES. *SLC

ON FOUR OCCASIONS WHEN GOING OUT TO START VEHICLE CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN IGNITION AND STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE, LEAVING CONSUMER STRANDED. EVENTUALLY IT WOULD RELEASE . DEALER HAS REMOVED IGNITION, BUT CLAIMED NO DEFECT EXISTED. DEALER ONLY ADVISED CONSUMER TO MAKE SURE WHEELS WERE STRAIGHT WHEN PARKING. *AK

WHILE PARKING AT A RIGHT ANGLE ON A STEEP HILL OVERLOOKING A BUSY ROAD, THE CAR ALMOST AT A STANDSTILL, THE DRIVER'S FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED SCREAMING, THE GAS PEDAL DEPRESSED ON ITS OWN AND THE CAR SURGED FORWARD OVER A CONCRETE PARKING CURB AND MOWED DOWN A TALL PALM TREE. MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF NOT FOR HITTING THE TREE, AS SHE HAD ALREADY TAKEN OFF HER SEATBELT AND OPENED HER DOOR - WE WERE SO CLOSE TO A STANDSTILL. THE TREE STOPPED THE CAR FROM GOING OVER A VERY STEEP HILL AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ONTO TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD BELOW. THE REPLACEMENT VALUE OF THE TREE IS NOT YET KNOWN. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED VIA CHANNEL 4 TV IN UK, AND DATELINE NBC THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED, AS MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN IF NOT FOR THE PALM TREE. I HAVE NOW HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL DISABLED ON THE VEHICLE SO THAT I CAN DRIVE IT, AS I CAN NOT ETHICALLY TRADE IT IN AND LET SOMEONE ELSE BUY IT WHEN I KNOW IT HAS A PROBLEM. I HOPE THAT BY REGISTERING THIS BRIEF COMPLAINT THAT IT WILL HELP YOU TO INFLUENCE FORD LINCOLN MERCURY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FAULT RECALL THESE VEHICLES. THANK YOU. *AK

TIRES EXHIBIT CRACKS AT THE TREAD LINE (ALL FOUR) AND HAVE NOT FAILED. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THEM ON MY OWN BUT DECIDED TO REPORT THEM ANYWAY. I HAVE HI-RES PHOTOS AND CAN E-MAIL THEM IF YOU LIKE. ALL MEDIA RELATED TO THE TIRES THAT I HAVE SEEN SAYS THAT THE CRACKS ARE SIGNS OF TIRES NEAR FAILURE. AS MY TIRES WERE NOT PART OF THE RECALL, I CHOSE NOT TO TAKE THE CHANCE. PLEASE CALL / E-MAIL IF INTERESTED. (DOT NUMBER: VNHL TIRESIZE: P235-75-15)

3 OF THE CONSUMER'S FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES (P235 75 R15) ARE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 00T005, HOWEVER ARE EXPERIENCING TREAD SEPARATION, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR ALL OF THE TIRES. *SLC

CONSUMER IS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING REIMBURSED FOR FAULTY TIRES, THE CONSUMER HAS SENT ALL ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS BUT THE MANUFACTURER CONTINUES TO ASK FOR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION LEADING THE CONSUMER TO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN LOST. NLM