2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

VEHICLE PURCHASED USED 6/3/07. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER, NOTICED A POPPING NOISE FROM REAR HATCH AREA WHEN TURNING ON SLIGHT INCLINES (EG. PARKING LOTS. AROUND OCT 21, 2007, ON OPENING REAR HATCH, LEFT HINGE BOLT CAME OUT- GLASS DROPPED AND WAS CAUGHT. DEALER SAID HATCH RECALL DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS VIN #. PAID OUT OF POCKET FOR REPAIR. *TR

SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN "SAFETY RECALL 04S20" CONCERNING LIFTGATE GLASS HINGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHILE LIFTING THE REAR LIFT GATE, THE HINGE DETACHED AND CAUSED THE GLASS TO FALL FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER ATTEMPTED TO CATCH THE GLASS AND HER HAND GOT CAUGHT BETWEEN THE GLASS AND THE BUMPER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HINGES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

I OWN A 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. ON 6/23/07, I PLACED SEVERAL ARTICLES INTO THE CARGO AREA THROUGH THE LIFTGATE WINDOW HATCH. WHEN I ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE HATCH THE HINGES GAVE WAY AND THE ENTIRE WINDOW HATCH FELL INTO MY ARMS. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO HOLD ONTO IT AND DISCONNECT THE PISTONS THAT SUPPORTED THE WINDOW. THE HINGE PINS HAD SHEARED OFF AND BROKE THROUGH THE UPPER PIVOT OF THE HINGE. HAD A CHILD BEEN CLOSING THIS HATCH IT COULD HAVE KILLED THEM. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AND SHIFTING GEARS, THE VEHICLE HESITATED. THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 75MPH. THE SERVICE MANAGER DROVE WITH THE CONTACT AND OBSERVED THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE ACCELERATOR ALSO DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY WHEN INCREASING SPEED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL BRAIN FAILED AND ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR IT ON TWO OCCASIONS. AN EXPERT FROM OUT OF STATE ALSO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKES FAILED AND ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON STATE HIGHWAY 295 MILEMARK 54 WHEN ALL 5 LUGS BROKE ON THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE OF THE 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE TIRE FELL OFF AND THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT. I COMPENSATED AND STEERED LEFT TO THE CENTER GRASS MEDIAN, LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER. UPON INSPECTION,1 OF THE LUGS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAD FAILED. THE MECHANICS AID IT WAS EVIDENT IT WAS NOT FROM OVER TIGHTENING , BUT A FLAW IN THE LUG ITSELF. SINCE I AM 2000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY FORD WILL DO NOTHING. HAD I BEEN IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION I AM SURE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT IF PEOPLE HAVEN'T ALREADY, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I TOOK ALL THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED FOR INSPECTION. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK NEAR THE REAR HATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ,BUT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.*AK

AFTER NOT DRIVING MY VEHICLE FOR 2 DAYS THE BATTERY LEVEL IS LOW, THE RED INDICATOR LAMP ON BATTERY IS SHOWING, AND MY VEHICLE WILL NOT TURN OVER. I CONNECT MY JUMP-IT AND IT STARTS RIGHT UP. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO MIDLAND FORD SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY TELL ME THAT THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE AND THEY CANNOT REPLACE ANY PARTS UNLESS THEY CAN FIND A PROBLEM. THEY WANT ME TO LEAVE MY VEHICLE THERE FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS TO TRY TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT REFUSE TO PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE OR RENTAL CAR OR I HAVE THE OPTION TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED IN TO MIDLAND FORD AT MY EXPENSE SO THEY CAN VERIFY THAT THE BATTERY IS ACTUALLY LOW IN ORDER TO REPLACE IT. MY 2004 MOUNTAINEER ONLY HAS ONLY 21000 MILES ON IT AND THE PROBLEM STARTED OCCURRING AROUND 200 MILES AND IS GETTING WORSE AS TIME PASSES. LAST WEEKEND AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM WORK I DECIDED TO VACUUM OUT MY VEHICLE USING ELECTRICAL FROM MY HOUSE FOR ABOUT A 1/2 HOUR AND I DID NOT EVEN PLAY THE RADIO OR HAVE THE IGNITION KEY TURNED ON. WHEN I WAS FINISHED, I CLOSED UP THE DOORS AND DID NOT ENTER THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I WAS LEAVING FOR WORK AND AGAIN THE BATTERY WAS DEAD WITH THE RED LIGHT ON. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND MIDLAND FORD SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND THEY CANNOT REPLACE THE BATTERY. I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT IF THE WARRANTY WERE TO EXPIRE THEY WOULD NOT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE BATTERY AT MY EXPENSE. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WITH 5000 FAILURE MILEAGE)AT 20 MPH AND TURNING AROUND IN A PARKING LOT THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH THE FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE ONLY WENT APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO HAD NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,000. *AK

IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO START 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. AS A RESULT, WE COULD NOT START CAR. WE HAD NOT NOTICED ANY PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER DRILLED OUT IGNITION CYLINDER AND BUILT AND INSTALLED NEW CYLINDER, WHICH APPEARED TO FIX PROBLEM. *JB