2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

ON COLD MORNINGS, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD FOGS/FROSTS UP. TURNING HEAT ON AND SELECTING DEFROST PROVIDES LITTLE TO NO AIR TO WINDSHIELD. DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED IT AS A BROKEN VENT SELECT DOOR, REQUIRING DASHBOARD TO BE REMOVED AND PART REPLACED, $1100 FIX. IN DOING RESEARCH ON THE VENT SELECT DOOR - CARS ARE DESIGNED THAT IF THE SELECTOR BREAKS THAT THE AIR SHOULD DEFAULT TO THE FRONT DEFROST SO THAT WINDSHIELD WOULD NOT FOG/FROST AND CAUSE A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. MULTIPLE TIMES THIS HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, ALL ALONG BELIEVING THAT THE FOGGING UP WAS DUE TO SNOW BUILD UP ON OUTSIDE VENTS. THE FACT THAT THE VENT BROKE AND DID NOT PUSH AIR TO THE WINDSHIELD IS WHY I'M LOGGING THIS COMPLAINT AS IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. IN READING THE OTHER ENTRIES, NOTING THAT I'VE HAD TO HAVE THE REAR COIL SPRINGS REPLACED AND HAD BACK LIFTGATE REPLACED AFTER CRACKING. *TR

REAR TAILGATE LATCH BRAKES ACROSS THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH ALL FORD EXPLORERS AND MERCURY MOUNTAINEERS. IT'S OBVIOUSLY A BAD DESIGN FROM FORD MOTOR CO. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THIS AND IT'S THEIR DESIGN AND IT ALSO CAN REPRESENT AN INJURY TO SOMEONE IF A PIECE WAS TO FALL OFF AND HIT ANOTHER CAR. *TR

2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER V6 AWD 130,000MILES! TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS O/D LIGHT FLASHING ONE DAY CAUSING TRANSMISSION NOT TO SHIFT CORRECTLY. TEN MINUTES LATER START THE VEHICLE AND LIGHT NOT ON AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FINE. HAPPENS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. SEVERAL WITH SIMILAR VEHICLES HAVE REPORTED SAME PROBLEMS! ALSO HAS WHEEL BEARING ISSUES! *TR

2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, TRANSMISSION IS BUCKING, OVER DRIVE LIGHT FLASHING, CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT ON. ALSO ROTATED TIRES, CHANGED BRAKES, AND HAD ROTORS CUT YET THERE STILL IS A PULSATING FELLING IN FRONT END WHEN STOPPING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WITH THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT HEATING SYSTEM ACTIVATED, AND THEN THERE WAS AN UNEXPECTED EXCESSIVE HIGH VOLTAGE OF HEAT PENETRATION THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT. THE DRIVER SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR OF RUBBER IN THE FOAM SEAT CUSHION. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER WAITING TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES FOR THE SEATING AREA TO COOL DOWN, HE WAS ABLE TO RESUME NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION. THERE WAS NO PERSONAL INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE HEATED SEAT SYSTEM. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED NOT TO ACTIVATE THE HEATED SEAT SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,00. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. IN THE PAST 4 YEARS WE HAVE REPLACED THE REAR BEARINGS 5 TIMES AND NOW FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. EACH TIME THE BEARINGS LAST BETWEEN 4 AND 6 MONTHS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION, A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TWO REAR COIL SPRINGS HAVE FRACTURED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNINGS. HE THEN ADDED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON FOR THIS MODEL TYPE. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT AN EXPENSE OF $600.00. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000. UPDATED 10/26/09. *LJ UPDATED 10/26/09*JB

WHILE DRIVING ON I75, I HEARD A LOUD BANG THEN A CONSTANT POPPING SOUND FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD. I FOUND THAT ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE, WHICH ALLOWED FUEL TO ESCAPE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR

2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER V8 AWD 4.6 TRANSMISSION FAILURE. VEHICLE HAD UNDER 60,000 MILES, BUT HAD SURPASSED EXTENDED WARRANTY TIME FRAME. REVERSE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. SHIFTED VERY HARD THROUGH GEARS. SOMETIMES TACKING AT 3000 RPM. TOOK TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. REPAIRED AT A COST OF 2600.00. HAVE SINCE RETURNED VEHICLE TO SAME PLACE FOR SAME ISSUES PLUS TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT LIGHT AND LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. SEAT BELTS LOCKED DOWN FOR NO REASON. WOULD NOT RETRACT. CALLED DEALER, COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I WAS OVER RESTRAINT WARRANTY BY 3000 MILES. HAVE REPLACED ALL 4 SEAT BELT RESTRAINTS. FRONT AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON OR BLINKS, OR IS OFF. CALLED DEALER, STATED REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED DUE TO MILEAGE. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW JUNE 2002. TODAY IT HAS 65,00 MILES ON IT. IS DRIVEN PRIMARILY ON THE HIGHWAY FOR VACATIONS. HAVE HAD SEVERAL SMALL REPAIRS THAT WERE COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS VEHICLES DRIVE TRAIN AND SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM TO INCLUDE SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAG ISSUES. WITH AS MANY COMPLAINTS I SEE ON LINE ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION AND FRONT AIR BAG ISSUES, SEEMS TO ME SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO HELP THOSE OF US THAT PURCHASED IN GOOD FAITH WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN A FORD/ MERCURY OWNER SINCE 1971. THIS IS THE FIRST VEHICLE I HAVE HAD THAT HAD MAJOR ISSUES. *TR

JUST LEFT THE HIGHWAY AND ENDED UP AT A RED LIGHT TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND ONE THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I WENT TO DRIVE OFF AND A LOUD BOOM I COULD HEAR COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD, AS I LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR A SEMI TRUCK STARTED HONKING ITS HORN AND SLAMMED TO MISS HITTING FROM BEHIND. I WENT TO PULL TO THE SIDE THE ROAD BUT TRUCK WAS JUMPING ALL OVER AND I HAD TO PULL IN FRONT OF CARS TURNING WHICH I SMELT A SMELL LIKE SOMETHING BURNING. THE SPARK PLUG HAD RIPPED FROM ITS SOCKET, IT HAD HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME 1 YEAR AGO NOW 2ND ONE, REPAIRMAN SAYS HE SEES THIS ALL THE TIME WITH MY VEHICLE, " FORD IS HELPING PUTTING MY KIDS THROUGH COLLEGE WITH THESE PROBLEMS FROM YOUR YEAR" WOW, I THOUGHT FORD GOT, PAID, REPAIRMEN GOT PAID, AND I'M THE ONLY ONE TAKEN FOR A RIDE OF A LIFETIME. NOT RIGHT IS IT. *TR