2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

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. *TR

RECENTLY, THE PCV VALVE IN MY 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER HAD A LEAK (VACUUM SYSTEM LEAK). AS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL AS A RESULT OF THIS LEAK, WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, AND DECELERATING TOWARDS A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I LOST ALL FUNCTION OF MY BRAKES. WHEN I STEPPED HARD ON THE BRAKES, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE I EQUATED THIS TO POSSIBLY BEING TIED TO THE PCV VALVE, I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO INCREASE AIRFLOW INTO THE ENGINE SO THAT I WOULD HAVE BRAKE FUNCTION. THIS GAVE ME BRAKE FUNCTION, TEMPORARILY. HOWEVER, THIS MOVE WAS VERY RISKY, AS I WAS APPROACHING CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND ACCELERATING TOWARDS THEM INSTEAD OF DECELERATING, JUST SO I COULD SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND HAVE FUNCTIONING BRAKES. THERE IS AN APPARENT LINK BETWEEN THE BRAKES AND THE VACUUM SYSTEM...WHICH POSES A DEADLY SITUATION. HAD I NOT BEEN AWARE OF VACUUM SYSTEM ISSUES AND HOW TO MITIGATE THEM, I WOULD HAVE PLOWED INTO THE STOPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WITH NO BRAKES. THIS OCCURRED IN THE EVENING. I HAD TO USE THIS METHOD TO COMPLETE THE REMAINDER OF MY TRIP TO GET HOME, ACCELERATING EVERY TIME I NEEDED TO USE BRAKES, BECAUSE THE STALLING VEHICLE EVERY TIME HAD NO BRAKE FUNCTION. THIS CONDITION PUT ME IN A VERY BAD SITUATION, AS I ALSO HAD MY 5 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR WITH ME. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD BE RECALLED AS IT IS UNSAFE. REPLACING THE PCV VALVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THERE IS ALSO NO NOTICE IN THE OPERATING MANUAL FOR THIS VEHICLE ABOUT THIS VACUUM SYSTEM PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE OPERATING MANUAL THAT CAME WITH THIS CAR IS FOR A PROTOTYPE SOFTWARE SYSTEM, AND DOESN'T EVEN MATCH MY VEHICLE. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO MERCURY/FORD ABOUT THIS INCORRECT MANUAL, BUT THEY DID NOT OFFER TO SEND ME A NEW ONE, AND SIMPLY TOOK THE INFORMATION AND DIDN'T EVEN RESPOND TO MY CONCERNS. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR. THIS CAUSE MY CAR TO "BUCK" AND COME TO ALMOST COMPLETE STOP. THANKFULLY I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND ABLE TO GET OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER. MY CAR THEN WOULD ONLY GO INTO 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT TO 3RD. I TOOK IT TO A SERVICE CENTER (ACTUALLY 3 OF THEM) WHO TOLD ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION OCCURRING WITH THESE CARS. THERE WERE NOT TELL TAIL SIGNS. IT WAS NOT SLIPPING OR RATTLING PREVIOUS TO THIS. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET ON GOOGLE I FIND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH MERCURY OR FORD 2000-2003 VEHICLES. WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL ON THIS PART. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. EVENTUALLY SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT. THIS REPAIR IS GOING TO COST ME APPROX. $3000. IN ADDITION TO THIS ONE OF MY SEAT BELTS STOPPED WORKING. WHEN BUCKLED IT COMES UNDONE WHEN I AM DRIVING. THIS IS A REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT WHERE MY CHILD SITS. HE CAN NOT REFASTEN IT BY HIMSELF. I NO LONGER SEAT HIM IN THAT PARTICULAR SEAT. BUT HOW LONG BEFORE THE OTHER STOP WORKING AS WELL. FOR SOME REASON YOUR WEBSITE WILL NOT TAKE THIS NUMBER. I JUST CALLED FORD AND THEY VERIFIED THE #. *TR

THE ISSUE WITH MY CAR THE TRANSMISSION I WAS DRIVING IT ONE THE INTERSTATE WHEN I STARTED TO HER A ROAR COMING FROM MY ENGINE AND THAT WHEN I NOTICED MY RPM WAS OFF THE CHART AND I STARTED TO GO SLOWER BY THE MINUTE AND AS I CALLED UP MY MECHANIC HE SAID IT WAS MY TRANSMISSION AND BEING FROM ANOTHER STATE AND ONLY HAVING 100 BUCKS IN THE POCKET IS NOT GOOD SO NOW IM STUCK IN A TOWN WITH NO JOB NOW NEEDING TO GET MY TRANSMISSION FIXED AND NOT HAVING A CAR TO DRIVE I CANT GET A JOB NOT HAVING A JOB MAKES ME LOSE MY CAR AND HAVING NO HOME LEFT FOR ME THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT FORD SHOULD B THE ONES IN MY SHOES. *TR

OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR HAVE BEEN INCLUDED FOR A SAFETY RECALL REGARDING THE BRACKETS CONNECTING THE LIFT CYLINDERS TO EACH SIDE OF THE LIFTGATE GLASS. THE ADHESIVE HAS WORKED LOOSE AND THE CYLINDER WILL NOT HOLD OPEN THE GLASS; THE GATE HAS FALLEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, RESULTING IN GLASS BREAKAGE. *TR

2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER - GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM FAILED WHEN TRYING TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK. VEHICLE REPAIRED BY BILLY-HOWEL FORD LINCOLN MERCURY, CUMMING, GEORGIA. *TR

BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. BOTH HAD BEEN WEAKENED DUE TO CORROSION BEFORE THEY BROKE. THIS IS A WIDELY-KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I HAD BEEN CHECKING FOR THIS PROBLEM EVERY COUPLE MONTHS. I LAST CHECKED IN DECEMBER OF 2008 AND NEITHER SPRING WAS BROKEN THROUGH AND NEITHER SHOWED EXTERNAL CORROSION AT THE TIME, BUT THEY MUST HAVE BEEN VERY DETERIORATED EVEN THEN. MY POINT IS THAT A VISUAL INSPECTION WITH THE WHEELS OFF DID NOT REVEAL THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE SPRINGS BROKE. ONE OF THE BROKEN SPRINGS HAS A SPLIT ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE SPRING WIRE SEVERAL INCHES LONG AND A COMPLETE FAILURE ROUGHLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE WIRE. THE OTHER DOES NOT HAVE THE SPLIT; IT IS JUST BROKEN IN SHEAR PERPENDICULAR TO THE WIRE. *TR

UNDER BACK GLASS OF MERCURY MOUNTAINEER THERE IS A STRIP ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BACK THAT IS CRACKED IN 2 I HAVE NOTICE EVERY MOUNTAINEER I HAVE SEEN OLD AND NEW ALL ARE DOING THE SAME ITS LIKE ALL THE ONES ON THE ROAD TO DAY ARE LIKE THAT AND IT COULD BREAK ALL THE WAY OFF AND HIT A CAR AND IT HAS SHARP EDGES AND DEALERS WANT TO MUNCH TO FIX IT WELL I THANK IF ALL MOUNTAINEERS ARE LIKE THIS IT SHOULD BE RECALLED U CAN DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND LOOK AT THEM ALL THEY ARE LIKE THAT SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER I HIT A BUMP ON A SMALL BRIDGE AND MY REAR DRIVERS SIDE COILSPRING SNAPPED IN HALF. ODDLY ABOUT TEN DAYS LATER I WAS FOLLOWING A MOUNTAINEER THAT HIT A DIP IN THE ROAD AND THE SAME COILSPRING BROKE. I DO NOT KNOW THE YEAR OF THAT MOUNTAINEER THOUGH. TO REPAIR THE COILSPRING IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE BECAUSE IT IS DEALER ONLY 300.00 FOR THE PART AND 135.00 TO INSTALL IT. *TR

OD LIGHT STARTING FLASHING, THEN CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT STARTING FLASHING, THEN 3 AND 5TH GEAR STARTED SNATCHING, TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. I HEARD ALOT OF THESE SUVS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS JUST LIKE MINE. *TR