2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK ON THE PANEL OF THE LIFTGATE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PANEL, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSIS THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, SHE NOTICED ANOTHER CRACK ON THE LIFTGATE PANEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD ORDER THE PART AND REPLACE THE PANEL. AS OF JULY 2, 2007, THE PANEL HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CLOSE DOOR LIGHT TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 68,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

LOUD ROARING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT LEFT WHEEL. FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED WHEEL BEARING AS PART HAD FAILED. AFTER REPLACING FRONT WHEEL BEARING THE MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING HAD FAILED AS WELL DUE TO A ROARING NOISE COMING FROM REAR END RIGHT WHEEL. BOTH ARE BEING REPLACED FOR $500.00. WHO KNOWS WHEN THE OTHER TWO WHEEL BEARINGS ARE GOING TO FAIL AND NEED REPLACED. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 81,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS UNCOMMON TO HEAR OF A WHEEL BEARING FAILING WITH SO FEW MILES. THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH 2002 THROUGH 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEERS OR FORD EXPLORERS FROM OTHER COMPLAINTS READ AND THE DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I AM HAVING THE WORK DONE AT STATED THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM THEY HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH. I WOULD THINK WITH SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT A RECALL WOULD HAVE OR WILL OCCUR. I WOULD UNDERSTAND IF IT WAS A VEHICLE WITH OVER 100,000 MILES IF NOT MORE THAN 150,000 MILES, BUT VEHICLES WITH AS FEW AS 10,000 MILES THIS IS PROBLEM THAT COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES. *TR

RIGHT REAR PARKING BRAKE PAD FELL APART AS MECHANIC WAS ATTEMPTING TO DO A REAR BRAKE JOB. WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN BOTH 2002 THROUGH 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEERS AND FORD EXPLORERS. CAN'T BELIEVE A PARKING BRAKE PAD WOULD JUST FALL APART IN PIECES WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE IS NEVER USED. *TR

2002 MOUNTAINER HAD REAR AXLES REPLACED TWICE, FRONT ONCE , STILL LEAKS DIFFERNTIAL FLUID . ALL SEALS REPLACED TWICE, DEALER SAID IT WASN'T ONGOING PROBLEM ,BUT MOST 2002 MOUNTAINEER OWNERS SEEMED TO HAVE SIMLIAR PROBLEMS. THIS WAS 1ST YEAR AWD MODELS WERE PRODUCED, NOW 3 MONTHS AFTER LAST REPAIR STEEERING BUCKLES IN LOW RANGE TIRES SEEM TO FIGHT TURNING. CAR ISN'T SAFE.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHILE DRIVING 35MPH AND LOSING CONTROL, THE VEHICLE WAS IN A DITCH ON A DIRT ROAD. THE TIE ROD BROKE AND TWO FRONT TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE TRUCK IS DAMAGED. THE CONTACT HAS PAID OVER $6000.00 IN REPAIRS SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO REPAIR THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL, LOWER BALL JOINTS, SEALING FOR BOTH SHAFTS, FOUR BRAKE PADS, BEARINGS ON ALL FOUR TIRES, AND THE REAR TRANSFER CASE WAS FLUSHED TWICE. FORD STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAN BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED AND REQUEST THAT THE DEALER PURCHASE THE VEHICLE FROM HER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE MOUNTAINEER AND THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE O/D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. WE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY SAID WE PROBABLY NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. WE THEN TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALISTS AND THEY CONFIRMED WE NEEDED TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. THEY REPLACED ALL SEALS AND VALVES, TORQUE CONVERTER, SOLENOID PACK, TRANSFER CASE, PRNDL SWITCH, AT A COST OF $2500. AFTER READING ABOUT SEVERAL TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS FOR THIS MODEL YEAR OF MOUNTAINEER, I FELT I SHOULD REPORT THIS COMPLAINT. *TR

THE FRONT END GEAR BOX HAS GONE BAD AND NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE AND SOUNDS LIKE THE TIRES ARE READY TO POP OFF. I JUST REPLACED THE REAR END LAST NOVEMBER 2006 ,AND NOW HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AGAIN.*AK

I HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE IN THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE, SIMILAR TO THE SOUND GIVEN WHEN BRAKE REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED. I TOOK THE 2002 MOUNTAINEER TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR BRAKE REPLACEMENT. WHEN THE RIGHT REAR ROTOR WAS PULLED THE FRONT PARKING BRAKE PAD FELL OUT. ON INSPECTION THE METAL AREA THAT ATTACHED THE PAD TO THE BRAKE MECHANISM RUSTED THROUGH, ALLOWING THE PAD TO FALL FREELY INTO THE DRUM. THE MECHANIC SAID THE PAD SCRAPPING THE DRUM WHEN I WAS BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE WAS THE NOISE I WAS HEARING AND IT ROTATED WITH THE WHEEL. HE SAID THE CAR COULD NOT PASS NY STATE INSPECTION BECAUSE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WOULD NOT HOLD THE CAR WHEN APPLIED , RENDERING THE BRAKE UNUSABLE IN AN EMERGENCY ,AND DEMONSTRATED THAT TO ME. MY WIFE HAS DRIVEN THE CAR 98% OF THE TIME SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN JANUARY 2003. SHE NEVER ENGAGED THE PARKING BRAKE SO THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PADS, THOUGH RUSTY, WERE IN GOOD SHAPE.*AK

I WAS DRIVING HOME IN MY 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER ON MONDAY EVENING IN LYNDHURST, NJ AROUND THE TIME OF 7 PM. I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY SOME RATTLING WHICH SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAS OCCURRED. I WAS VERY NERVOUS BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO APPLY PRESSURE TO MY BREAK TO STOP WITHOUT THE TRUCK IDLING VERY ROUGH LIKE IT WANTED TO STALL. THE TRUCK LOST ALL POWER. I CAREFULLY PROCEEDED TO A LOCAL GAS STATION IN RUTHERFORD AND DROPPED MY CAR OFF FOR THE MACHINING TO LOOK AT IN THE MORNING. I RECEIVED A CALL THE FOLLOWING MORNING FROM (THE MECHANIC) WHO STATED THE #5 SPARK PLUG RIPPED OUT OF MY ALUMINUM ENGINE HEAD. FOR A COST OF $366.00 HE RE-THREADED THE SPARK PLUG, INSTALLED A NEW COIL AND DID A TUNE-UP. HE TOLD ME THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN V8 AND V10 FORD ENGINES. IT CAN OCCUR AGAIN, OR THE SAME PLUG MAY RIP OUT AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE TO GO ON TWO HIGHWAYS TO GET TO WORK EVERYDAY. THE SOUND WAS LIKE I WAS BEING FIRED ON BY NATO. IMAGINE LOSING POWER ON THE HIGHWAY WITH PEOPLE BEHIND YOU AT 65 MPH. I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY COMPLIANTS BY FORD CUSTOMERS WHO HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES, CAUSING THEM TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. FORD DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY, SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THEM REPLACE THESE DANGEROUS ENGINES. SPARK PLUGS JUST FIRE THE ENGINE, THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SHOOT OUT OF THE ENGINE LIKE SMALL ROCKETS. WHAT IF MY HOOD WAS OPEN AND THIS HAPPENED? SOMEONE COULD HAVE GOTEN KILLED. IF THIS WERE A BABY SEAT, CRIB OR CHILD TOY IT WOULD BE RECALLED. WE CAN'T WAIT TILL THERE IS A DEATH FROM THIS PROBLEM. *AK

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 02 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WITH 58K MILES. A FEW DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT, I NOTICED A "GROAN" FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE WORKED ON MANY VEHICLES BEFORE AND IT WAS OBVIOUS IT WAS THE DIFFERENTIAL. I PLANNED TO HAVE THE BEARINGS IN THE REAR END REPLACED, BUT AFTER DOING SOME INVESTIGATION ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE REALIZED THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TO GET IT FIXED WITH NO GOOD RESULTS. EVEN WITH A USED CAR PURCHASE, I THINK FORD SHOULD BE EMBARASSED AT THE FACT THAT I AM EMBARASSED FOR MAKING THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. I WISH FORD WOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND RE-GAIN OUR TRUST IN THEM AND FIX OUR VEHICLES THE RIGHT WAY. THEY HAVE KNOWS SINCE DAY ONE THAT THEY WERE NOT RIGHT AND HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THEM. I WON'T BUY ANOTHER FORD UNTIL THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I KNOW THEY DON'T CARE, BUT RIGHT NOW I OWN THREE FORDS AND THEY WILL BE THE LAST IF THIS IS NOT RECTIFIED. THANKS FOR LISTENING!!!