2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE FRONT LEFT ORIGINAL MANUFACTURES RIM HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE RIM IN QUESTION AFTER INVESTIGATING IT HAD A FRACTURE THAT WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROTATION OF THE RIM WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE CAUSING A SECONDARY FAILURE BY THE RIM FRACTURING IN THE CIRCUMFERENCE CAUSING THE RIM ITSELF TO SEPARATE INTO TWO PIECES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE REAR HATCH WINDOW, IT SUDDENLY EXPLODED. SHE NOTICED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW HATCH HAD FALLEN OFF OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR LIFT GATE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES BEFOREHAND. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 79,332. UPDATED 11/07/08 *BF THE CONSUMER LEARNED OF RECALL #04V442000 BUT WAS INFORMED HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE RECALL WAS RELATED TO THE FAILURE OF THE REAR WINDOW BRACKETS BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED. UPDATED 11/07/08. *JB

MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN: 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER AWD, PURCHASED WITH AROUND 79000 MILES, IN 2007. A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASE STARTED SHIFTING REALLY HARD INTO 3RD GEAR, CALLED DEALER AND HE SAID TO HAVE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED, CHANGED THAT COST 100.00. SEEMED TO HELP SOME, NOW AT 100,000 MILES OR SO CAR WILL NOT GO OVER 30MPH. DRIVING VEHICLE IN BUSY TRAFFIC AND CAR ONLY GOING UP TO 30 IN A SERIOUS HAZARD. FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS. TOO MANY 2002 ARE HAVING EXACT SAME PROBLEM. CAR JERKS INTO REVERSE, O/D FLASHES, CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT COMES ON , HARD JERKS AND SHUDDERS INTO 3RD GEAR....COME ON HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE TO GIVE UP HARD EARNED MONEY TO FIX FORDS MISTAKES??? IN PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND A TRANSMISSION SHOP TO TAKE THIS HEAP OF JUNK TO. *TR

I HAD NOTICED THE STANCE OF THE VEHICLE HAD CHANGE AND DURING A ROUTINE NEW YORK STATE INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR SPRINGS ON MY 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER HAD BROKEN. THE REAR SPRING DEFECT ALSO CAUSE THE REAR SHOCKS TO PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND NEED REPLACEMENT. THE SPRINGS WERE CRACKED ENTIRELY IN HALF. IT APPEARS AS IF THERE WERE A DEFECT RELATING TO THE METALLURGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE METAL USED OR POSSIBLY A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SPRINGS. AT NO TIME WAS THIS VEHICLE DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR USED TO TOW ANYTHING. THE VEHICLE SIMPLY WAS USED BY MY WIFE TO DRIVE BACK AND FORTH TO WORK( 20 MILE ROUND TRIP ON THE HIGHWAY) THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY ABOUT 2 YEARS AND HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT. A FORD REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR THEM TO INSPECT IT, THERE CONCLUSION WAS THE SAME. TWO REAR BROKEN SPRINGS, AS WELL AS 2 REAR SHOCKS THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT . THEIR COST ....OVER $1000.00. THERE IS NO WAY THIS ITEM SHOULD BREAK...GOD FORBID IT HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGH SPEED, .... A SPRING BREAK AT HIGHWAY SPEED WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AND POSSIBLY CAUSE A HIGH SPEED CRASH. SPRINGS ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN THERE BROKEN.....THERE IS A SUDDEN AND UNFORESEEN UNSETTLING OF THE VEHICLE.....WHICH IN MY OPINION IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF FORD VIA THEIR 800 TELEPHONE # - (800-392-3673)...THEIR RESPONSE WAS..."WE ARE UNDER NO LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE CAR....." I BELIEVE FORD HAS A RESPONSIBILITY, NOT ONLY ME, BUT TO ALL IT'S CUSTOMERS WHO OWN THIS VEHICLE OR ITS COUSIN THE FORD EXPLORER. I EXPECTED MORE FROM A LARGE COMPANY SUCH AS FORD. I'M SURE THEY HAVE A PROTOCOL TO DOCUMENT THIS INCIDENT, BUT I WONDER IF THEY JUST SWEPT THIS INCIDENT UNDER THE FORD CARPET. I FEEL I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LET OTHERS KNOW...THIS IS WHY I MADE THIS COMPLAINT. *TR

2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 66000 MILE AND 1 MONTH AFTER EXTENDED WARRANTY. CALLED FORD COSTUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AND THE PERSON SAID SHE HAS NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. WENT ON-LINE (EDMUNDS.COM, CARSURVEY.ORG, ETC. AND SAW ONE AFTER ANOTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THE CHECK TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT FIRST WENT ON AT 59000 MILE (STILL UNDER WARRANTY). BUT I READ THE MANUAL FIRST BEFORE TAKING IT TO DEALER. THE MANUAL STATED SUV WAS UP FOR FLASHING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AT 60000 MILES. FLUSHED THE FLUID AND WARNING LIGHT WENT AWAY. SIX MONTHS LATER TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT IS BACK (WARRANTY HAS JUST EXPIRED). FOUND OUT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE SAME TRANSMISSION ON THE EXPLORER BUT THE MOUNTAINEER (WHICH IS SAME TRUCK WITH DIFFERENT BRANDING) DOES NOT. SO WHY IS THIS THE CASE? LUCKILY FOR ME I WAS NOT IN THE FREEWAY WENT THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. *TR

NORMAL DRIVING LEAD TO PARTS FAILURE. FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, HOWEVER MY MECHANIC STATED THAT THE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE WAS THAT SEVERE THAT HAD I BEEN TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY, THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER (FORD EXPLORER) WITH WHEEL BEARING/HUB FAILURE ON ALL 4 WHEELS AT DIFFERENT MILEAGE INTERVALS. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF OWNERS WITH THE SAME FAILURES. PLEASE RESEARCH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE WINDOW LIFTGATE SHATTERED WHEN IT WAS CLOSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 04V442000 (STRUCTURE:BODY: HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS), 01I010000 (VISIBILITY: GLASS, SIDE/REAR), AND 07E104000 (VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR); THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. UPDATED 09/15/08 *BF UPDATED 09/17/08. *JB

BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS HAVE BROKEN IN TWO PLACES FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHICH OVER TIME RUINED MY REAR WHEEL BEARINGS MY WIFE DRIVES THIS VEHICLE DAILY AND HAS NEVER TOWED A TRAILER OR HAULED HEAVY LOADS. *TR

COMPLAINT IN DETAIL FOR, MERCURY MOUNTAINEER : JULY 24, 2007 I PURCHASED A 'AS IS WARRANTY' 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER FROM TOYOTA OF SCION IN CONCORD, NC. THIS CAR WAS ADVERTISED ON THEIR WEBSITE FOR $11,995 AND REPORTED MILEAGE OF 51,972. SUBSEQUENT TO MY PURCHASE BELOW IS AN OUTLINE OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE VEHICLE: I REVIEWED THE CAR-FACTS VERY METICULOUSLY, AND ARRIVED AT THE FINDINGS NOTED BELOW WITH REGARD TO THE REPORTED MILEAGE: 1.11/20/2004 SOURCE: NC MOTOR VEHICLE DEPT. INDIAN TRAIL NC TITLE # 771444062507118 MILEAGE WAS REPORTED AT 48,000. 2.12/15/2005 SOURCE: NEW YORK MOTOR VEHICLE DEPT., HICKSVILLE, NY MILEAGE WAS REPORTED AT 39,412 WHICH SIGNIFY A DECREASE OF -8,588. 3.9/7/2006 SOURCE: NC MOTOR VEHICLE DEPT. INDIAN TRAIL, NC, MILEAGE WAS REPORTED AT 45,200 WHICH SIGNIFY AN INCREASE OF +5,788. 4.AS MENTIONED ABOVE ON 7/24/08 I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH REPORTED MILEAGE OF 51, 972 WHICH SIGNIFY AN INCREASE OF +6772. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT AROUND 100,000 MILES. HAD TRANSMISSION REBUILT IN JULY 2007. NOW TRANSMISSION IS FAILING AGAIN THIS JULY 2008. I'VE HAD MANY SHIFTING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND NOW THERE ARE TIMES IT WON'T SHIFT AT ALL. *TR