2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, V8, AUTOMATIC, AWD. VIN DU86W84ZJ23248, PURCHASED AUGUST 2004. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 22000. MID DECEMBER 2004 I STARTED EXPERIENCING ODD OR ROUGH SHIFTS GOING FROM 2ND TO 3RD. IT STARTED HAPPENING OCCASIONALLY THEN IT BECAME MORE CONSTANT. I ALSO EXPERIENCED HARSH REVERSES, ONE WAS HARD ENOUGH THAT MY HUSBAND SAID IT COULD GIVE YOU WHIP LASH! WHAT WAS IRONIC ABOUT THE WHOLE THING WAS I WAS GOING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL GARAGE WHEN I GOT A LETTER FROM FORD (JANUARY 2005) INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WHICH MIGHT CAUSE A HARSH REVERSE. SO I TOOK IT TO A FORD GARAGE JANUARY1 5,2005, AND THEY INSTALLED THE ADDITIVES. I DROVE THE TRUCK ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER THAT AND DIDN'T FEEL IT FIXED THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE GARAGE AND THIS TIME THEY SAID THEY RECONFIGURED THE COMPUTER. AFTER I PICKED IT UP AND DROVE IT FOR A WEEK OR SO, IT WASN'T ANY BETTER. I'M TAKING IT BACK TO THE GARAGE AGAIN BECAUSE IT STILL HAS THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS A LOT LIKE YOUR OTHER COMPLAINTS ESPECIALLY #10103034. I THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD LOOK INTO BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT ESPECIALLY THOSE OWNERS THAT DRIVE IN WINTER WEATHER. *AK

2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, V6, AUTOMATIC, 2WD. VIN 4M2ZU66K8UJ13274. PURCHASED MARCH 2004. CURRENTLY MILEAGE 9821. STARTING APPROXIMATELY 12/1/04, WHEN REVERSE GEAR DOES NOT ENGAGE FOR 2 OR 3 SECONDS, THEN ENGAGES WITH A VERY HARD JOLT THAT SHAKES THE WHOLE VEHICLE. THIS OCCURS WHEN FIRST STARTING THE VECHICLE AND ALSO MID-DAY WHEN BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE. ALSO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ROUGH SHIFTS IN FREEWAY SLOW TRAFFIC BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH. FORD MOTOR CO. CONSUMER HOTLINE SAID ON 12/15/04 THAT MY VEHICLE VIN NUMBER HAS NO RECALLS. FROM PRESS RELEASES, I KNOW OF FORD'S 11/22/04 ANNOUNCEMENT OF 740,000 EXPLORERS AND MOUNTAINEERS WITH THIS SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM.*AK

THE REVERSE GEAR TENDS TO POP AND SWITCH TO ANOTHER GEAR, MAKING THE VEHICLE JUMP. TAKEN TO DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK

WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP POSITION IT CAUSED A MOMENTARY PULSE BEFORE THE VEHICLE WENT INTO MOTION. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PAUSE WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT JERKS ALL PASSENGERS HEADS . THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION HAD A HARSH SHIFT AND CLUNK WHEN GOING INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPAIRED. *TC

THE VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM DID NOT DUPLICATE ITSELF. *JB *SC

PURCHASED A 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER BACK IN MARCH. NOTICED A CHIRPING NOISE AT ABOUT 1500 MILES WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER CYCLED ON AND OFF. DEALER REPLACED COMPRESSOR. CHIRPING CAME BACK AT ABOUT 3500 MILES, SO I TOOK IT BACK AND THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE CLUTCH AIR GAP. THEY SAID IT WAS FINE, BUT FOUND THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME IT WAS STILL DOING IT. DEALER SAID IT HAS NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND HAS SO FAR NOT OFFERED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN STARTING VEHICLE AND PLACING IT IN REVERSE VEHICLE HESITATED, THEN JUMPED INTO GEAR. ALSO, VEHICLE SOMETIMES JUMPED INTO GEAR WHEN PLACING IT IN DRIVE, BUT NOT AS BAD AS PLACING IT IN REVERSE. CONSUMER CALLED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS NOT A RECALL. CONSUMER WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A COLLISION BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION BUT WAS AFRAID THAT ONE DAY HE MAY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND ABOVE EXPERIENCED NOISE IN TRANSMISSION CHAIN. RETURNED TO DEALER AND THEY ARE ORDERING A GEAR FOR THE RWEAR END. AM AWAITING APPROX A WEEK FOR DELIVERY TO SCHEDULE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A VERY LOUD NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD, AND CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE BECAUSE OF MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. NOISE RECURRED THE FOLLOWING DAY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT WAS DEFECTIVE, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP BEING INSPECTED. *AK

THE NEW VEHICLE I PURCHASED ON JULY DOES NOT HAVE A CERTIFICATION AFFIXED. (THE INCIDENT DATE LISTED BELOW IS THE DATE OF PURCHASE.)*AK