2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

BOUGHT USED FROM A DEALER 10-05 WITH 71328 MILES. CHECKED OUT BY MECHANIC. NO PROBLEMS W/ DRIVE TRAIN, TRANNY, OR SUSPENSION, EXCEPT TO CHANGE FLUIDS IN DIFFERENTIALS (REAR & FRONT). DID THIS FIRST WEEK WE OWNED IT & WATER FOUND IN REAR DIFFERENTIAL. 1ST OWNER'S RECORDS CAME WITH CAR. ALL SERVICES WERE DONE (NO MENTION OF PROBLEMS). I SERVICED IT EVERY 2-3000 MILES. ON 4-27-06 THE TRANNY FLUSHED, & THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL & TRANSFER CASE SERVICED. MILEAGE WAS 85857. 2 NEW TIRES PUT ON FRONT ON 5-25-06 (FLAT TIRE). ON WAY HOME (18 MI. INTO 35 MI. DRIVE), FRONT END STARTED TO FAIL. COULDN'T FIND SOURCE OF LEAKING FLUID. DRIVE HOME. NEXT MORNING, TRIED TO RETURN TO MECHANIC WITH CAR. MADE IT ABOUT 25 OF THE 35 MILES TO TOWN BEFORE FRONT END FAILED. MECHANIC SHOWED US THE GEARS FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL--THE "TEETH" WERE SHEARED COMPLETELY OFF 1/3 OF IT--REMAINING TEETH SHEARED DOWN BY AT LEAST 50%. FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPLACED, ALSO 4 BALL JOINTS, SEALS FOR BOTH SHAFTS, BRAKE PADS (FROM DIFFERENTIAL FLUID DAMAGE) WERE REPLACED. ALL 4 WHEELS HAD BEARINGS REPACKED. 2 MORE TIRES BOUGHT. WITHIN 1 WEEK, BEGAN HEARING NOISE AGAIN FROM DRIVE TRAIN. CAR BACK AT MECHANIC ON 6-20-06. THE NOISE NOW FROM REAR TRANSFER CASE. IT WAS FLUSHED 2 TIMES (FLUID FILLED WITH FINE METAL FRAGMENTS). THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FLUID ALSO CHANGED. MECHANIC SAID 4-6 MONTHS UNTIL REAR END FAILED. I'VE NOW LOST THE REAR END--ALSO HAVE TO REPLACE ALL 4 SETS OF WHEEL BEARINGS & REPLACE ALL AXLES. WILL RE-ASSESS FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AFTER REAR IS FIXED. WE'VE CONTACTED FORD, NO RECALLS FOR OUR CAR. THEY'LL NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS OR REIMBURSE FOR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. I'M NOT ORIGINAL OWNER & WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. IT DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR STATE LEMON LAW (MILEAGE). THERE'S AT LEAST 31 PROBLEMS AND 18 COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT I'VE HAD IN THE 1 YEAR SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. THIS IS A FORD ISSUE. I JUST WANT TO RE-COUP MY $4000+ IN REPAIR COSTS & TRADE IT OFF FOR A NON-FORD SUV. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO ROTATE THE TIRES, THE MECHANIC NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEALS. NO WARNING LIGHT ALERTED THE CONTACT OF THE LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND INFORMED THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS IN TWO ACCIDENTS AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. IN THE FIRST ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED IN JULY 2005, THE VEHICLE WAS STOLEN WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SECOND ACCIDENT IN OCTOBER 2006, THE VEHICLE WAS HIT AT AN INTERSECTION AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE OTHER VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT AT 50 MPH WHEN IT IMPACT THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS IMMOBILE. THE OTHER VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER AND THERE WERE THREE INJURIES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES IN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO, DURING OR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE SERVICE DEALER AFTER THE FIRST ACCIDENT WHO DETERMINED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAGS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER AFTER THE SECOND ACCIDENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED.

I OWN A 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER MILEAGE 72465. AT THIS TIME IT STARTED TO SHUDDERING DURING UP SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. I TOOK IT TO PITCOCK AUTO REPAIR IN RICHARDSON, TX. THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND FOUND NO CODES THEY FLASHED THE COMPUTER TO RESET ALL SETTINGS AND I DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS AND RETURNED IT TO THEM WHO THEN TOOK IT TO A EAGLE TRANSMISSION IN PLANO TX. THEY ALSO DID A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK BUT THE TRANSMISSION HAD NO CODES! IT WAS THEN REMOVED AND OVER HAULED IT WAS THEN FOUND OUT THAT THE #1,2 CLUTCHES WERE ALMOST GONE AND THE # 3 WAS COMPLETELY WORN OUT. THE TRANSMISSION WAS OVER HAULED AND TEST DRIVEN WHEN A OVER DRIVE LIGHT CAME"ON" THE TRANSMISSION WAS AGAIN REMOVED AND ALL ITEMS WERE CHECKED AGAIN REINSTALLED DURING THE TEST DRIVE AGAIN THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT CAME "ON". THEY REMOVED AND REPLACED THE VALVE BODY TEST DRIVEN AND THE SAME PROBLEM THE TRANSMISSION WAS AGAIN REMOVED AND THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE CHANGED(# OF TIME CHANGED) VALVE BODY (2),CONVERTER(2),FLASHED COMPUTER (2), REPLACED THE SEALS/GASKETS (3) AND MANY TEST DRIVES WITH SAME PROBLEM! EAGLE TRANSMISSION WAS ON THE NET WITH OTHER TRANSMISSION REPAIR PEOPLE AND ALL OF THEM COULD NOT HELP THEM TROUBLE SHOOT THIS PROBLEM AS NONE OF THEM HAD EVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN! THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO AFTER DOING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST TOLD EAGLE THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ALL ITEMS AGAIN! THE MANGER OF EAGLE HAD JUST RECEIVED THE GEARS , SEPTEMBER 2006 AND IN IT THEY HAD THE CORRECTION FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH A KIT FROM SONNAX WITH THE PART NUMBER OF 56947J-15K, THEY ORDER THE KIT AND IT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM! ALL THIS HAPPENED JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. TO HAVE A FORD DEALER WHO HAD NO IDEA OR WHAT TO DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM WAS SOME THING THAT I OR EAGLE DIDN'T EXPECT! I WAS LUCKY THAT I HAD TAKEN IT TO EAGLE AND PITCOCK AS I COULD HAVE PAID TWICE WHAT I AGREED TO WHICH WAS $2500.00. *JB

POWERTRAIN ISSUE. AT 79,700 MILES, MY 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER REQUIRED A TRANSMISSION REBUILD WHICH COST ME 2500.00. APPARENTLY THERE IS A BAD SOLENOID AND BANDS THAT TOTALLY BUSTED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER SEEING OTHER REPORTS ON THIS, I WANTED TO ADD MINE TO THE LIST. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TAILGATE WAS CRACKED BELOW THE WINDOW. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE TAILGATE WAS ALREADY CRACKED. THE SERVICE DEALER REPAIRED THE CRACK. A YEAR LATER, THE TAILGATE BEGAN CRACKING AGAIN AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY BECOME WORSE; ITS CRACKED ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH THE PLASTIC PANEL BELOW THE WINDOW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDOW COMES DOWN SO HARD THAT IT MAY BE THE REASON FOR THE CRACKING TAILGATE.

I HAD PROBLEMS GETTING THE KEY TO TURN ON THE STEERING WHEEL AFTER I INSERTED THE KEY INTO THE KEYHOLE. I HEAR A VIBRATING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER A WHILE I COULD NOT HARDLY GET THE SHIFTER TO GO INTO REVERSE, NEUTRAL, OR DRIVE. I EXPERIENCED THE NOISE FOR A WHILE. I WAS PARKED ON A SLIGHT HILL AND THE SHIFTER WAS HARD TO GO INTO ANY GEAR. I FINALLY GOT THE GEAR SHIFTER TO GO TO DRIVE. THE NEXT TIME THE STEERING AND SHIFTER LOCKED UP WAS WHILE I WAS WITH MY FAMILY AT THE LOCAL STORE. IT LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT GO TO ANY GEAR. I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND TRIED IT AGAIN, THEN THE SHIFTER FELL OFF IN MY HAND. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO CHARLIE HENDERSON FORD (THE LOCAL DEALER).I FEEL THIS IS A PROBLEM IN A LOT OF THESE MODELS. I HAVE ANOTHER RELATIVE WHO HAD THIS PROBLEM TOO. PLEASE CHECK INTO THESE 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S FRONT DRIVER SIDE MADE A WOBBLING SOUND WHILE DRIVING 8 MPH. THE SOUND ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. ON 08/08/06 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO INSPECTED THE TIRES AND DETERMINED THAT THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE BAD. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED ON THE SAME DAY AND EXPRESSED THAT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.*AK

OF THE MANY PROBLEMS I'VE HAD SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE, THE LATEST TAKES THE CAKE. HERE'S THE SKINNY OF ALL MY PROBLEMS, WITH THE LATEST MOTIVATING ME TO REPORT A COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA. HOPEFULLY, SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. HERE'S A WEBSITE OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/CGI-BIN/FIX_COMMENT.PL WHERE DO I START. I PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH 38K MILES AND IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARE. FIRST THING TO GO WAS A WHEEL BEARING AT 41K, GOT THAT FIXED @ $200. NEXT TO GO @ 48K WAS THE TWO CALIPERS AND NEW ROTORS ON THE FRONT, COST $800. NEXT @ 52K WAS THE A/C NEEDED TO BE RECHARGED, $150. NEXT @ 58K, THE TWO CALIPERS IN THE BACK HAS TO BE REPLACED, COST $300 (I FOUND A GOOD MECHANIC/FRIEND). FOR THE GRAND FINALE... I NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION @ 61K, COST RANGE FROM $1,800 TO $3,400. I WILL FIX IT AND DUMP IT RIGHT AWAY AND SELL IT. A COMPLETE LEMON!!! IT SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE NHTSA FOR AN INVESTIGATION. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE ENTIRE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY FELL OFF ONTO THE FLOOR. THIS OCCURRED ON INTERSTATE. *NM