1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

CONSUMER COMPLAINT CONCERNING VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE . *TS THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE ON 8/25/06. THE RECALL REPAIR FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS SCHEDULED FOR 8/28/06. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE SWITCH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THE BLUE BOOK VALUE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *NM

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, V8, AWD, VIN [XXX] WITH 142,000 MILES. I PARKED THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY ON FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 14, 2006 WHERE THE CAR REMAINED UNUSED UNTIL SUNDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 16, 2006. ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 16, 2006, AROUND 1:00 PM THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE, ALSO CATCHING MY HOUSE ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND THE HOUSE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE IN ONE AREA. THE CAR WAS NOT USED BETWEEN THE TIME IT WAS PARKED AND CAUGHT FIRE. *NM UPDATED 07/12/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO. IT HAD 60,000 ON THE ODOMETER. THE BACK WINDSHIELD WIPER NEVER WORKED, AND DOES ONCE IN A WHILE AND THE RADIO LIGHT NEVER STAYS ON. ONCE IN A WHILE IT WILL SHOW THE STATION OR THE TIME. MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN LOOSE. MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A YEAR AFTER I GOT IT AND IT WILL NOT GO OFF. IT SAY EGR FLOW INSUFFICIENT AND YET I HAVE REPLACED ALL OF THOSE AND HAD THE COMPUTER RESET. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR DOES NOT LOCK UNLESS I LOCK IT BY HAND AND THEN YOU CAN'T OPEN IT. THE BACK SEATS SOMETIMES LOCK AND OTHER TIMES WON'T. MY SEAT WAS RECALLED AND I TOOK IT, AND NOW IT IS BROKEN. THESE CARS ARE NOT MADE VERY WELL AND I THINK WE SHOULD GET LETTERS ON THE RECALLS. I HAVEN'T RECEIVED BUT ONE LETTER AND I TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY, BUT I SEE THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER RECALLS AND I WASN'T NOTIFIED. WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW? *JB

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON. I HAVE HAD VARIOUS SHOPS USE THEIR COMPUTER TO FIND OUT WHY THE LIGHT WAS ON AND HAVE PAID FOR CLEANING VALVES, SENSORS, AND HOSES AS WELL AS HAVING NEW SENSORS INSTALLED. THE FIRST INSTANCE OCCURRED AT 90,000 MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE. TODAY, THE SHOP WHERE I NOW TAKE MY VEHICLE FOR SERVICING USED THEIR COMPUTER TO SEE WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON YET AGAIN AND IT GENERATED A TSB FROM FORD, ARTICLE 04-7-5 WHICH SUPERSEDES ARTICLE TSB 03-25-1. THIS ARTICLE STATES THE ISSUE AS "SOME 1998 EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.0L ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE(S) P0420 (CATALYST SYSTEM EFFICIENCY BELOW THRESHOLD-BANK 1) AND/OR P0430 (CATALYST SYSTEM EFFICIENCY BELOW THRESHOLD - BANK 2). THE ACTION LISTED FOR CORRECTION OF THIS PROBLEM IS STATED AS "TO SERVICE, REPROGRAM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) TO THE LATEST CALIBRATION USING WDS RELEASE B28.3 OR HIGHER. REPLACEMENT OF CATALYST'S IS NO LONGER NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF THIS CONDITION." THIS SOUNDS LIKE A PROBLEM FORD INSTALLED ON THESE 1998 MOUNTAINEERS AND I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BEAR THE COST OF REPROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE FOR THE VEHICLE TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AND SAFELY. THE WORKER AT THE SHOP TOOK THE TIME TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THIS ARTICLE MEANT AND THE POSSIBLE RAMIFICATIONS TO THE FUNCTIONING OF MY VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM CAUSED BY FORD NOT HAVING THE CORRECT COMPUTER PROGRAM RUNNING IN THE VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC IS TELLING ME THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS 3 CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND WILL COST ABOUT $3000 FOR THE PARTS ALONE. BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM MY VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS OR INSPECTION. I WENT 1 YEAR WITH THIS PROBLEM AND NOW IT IS BACK AGAIN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. A REPORT WAS FILED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH OVER HEATING. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AWAITING THE REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL AND SURROUNDING DAMAGED PARTS. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 99V062001, REGARDING THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ERUPTED IN FLAMES, AN HOUR AND A HALF AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE CARPORT. THE CONTACT'S HOUSE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED AND THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN. THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS UNABLE TO COME TO A FINAL DETERMINATION ABOUT THE FIRE, BUT STATED IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE FIRE STARTED IN THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V388000, REGARDING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HOOD LATCH CORRODED AND THE LATCH PIVOT WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN FOR INSPECTION. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 99V164000, REGARDING THE HOOD LATCH. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A FIRE ERUPTED FROM THE VEHICLE. IT WAS PARKED FOR OVER THIRTY MINUTES. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR'S WRITTEN REPORT STATED THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING VEHICLES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DEEMED IT TOTALED.

WHEN THE 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WAS RUNNING ON HWY 121 SOUTH MERGING INTO HWY 114 WEST, THE 1998 MERCURY SUDDENLY BECAME OUT OF CONTROL AT A SPEED LESS THAN SPEED LIMIT. THE CAR WAS BEING ACCELERATED EVEN IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS OFF. THE DRIVER APPLIED BREAK TO STOP THE CAR BUT THE BREAK DID NOT WORK. THEN THE DRIVER HAD TO STEER THE CAR INTO THE BUSH OFF ROAD TO AVOID COLLISION TO OTHER CARS. THE DRIVER CHANGED THE AT TO P (PARKING) TO STOP THE CAR. THE ENGINE SURGED AND STARTED FIRE UNDERNEATH OF THE CAR. THEN THE DRIVER REMOVED THE KEY AND EVACUATED FROM THE CAR. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIREMAN. *NM

WHEN THE 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WAS RUNNING ON HWY 121 SOUTH MERGING INTO HWY 114 WEST IN GRAPEVINE, TX, THE 1998 MERCURY SUDDENLY BECAME OUT OF CONTROL AT A SPEED LESS THAN SPEED LIMIT. THE CAR WAS BEING ACCELERATED EVEN IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS OFF. THE DRIVER APPLIED BREAK TO STOP THE CAR BUT THE BREAK DID NOT WORK. THEN THE DRIVER HAD TO STEER THE CAR INTO THE BUSH OFF ROAD TO AVOID COLLISION TO OTHER CARS. THE DRIVER CHANGED THE AT TO P (PARKING) TO STOP THE CAR. THE ENGINE SURGED AND STARTED FIRE UNDERNEATH OF THE CAR. THEN THE DRIVER REMOVED THE KEY AND EVACUATED FROM THE CAR. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIREMAN. *NM