2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WITH GOODYEAR EAGLE LS (ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT). THE TWO FRONT TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED BUBBLES IN THE SIDEWALL. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 15000 MILES. *NLM

VEHICLE RELEASES EXTREMELY BAD/ OVER POWERING SULFUR SMELL AT UNEVEN INTERVALS WHILE DRIVING OR STOPPED. IT CAN EVEN BE SMELLED INSIDE THE CABIN. HAPPENS 5 OR 6 TIMES ON A NORMAL DAY. MERCURY SAYS THEY ARE AWARE OF PROBLEM AND HAD IT ON A FEW OTHER VEHICLES, BUT DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. MERCURY TOLD ME TO SWITCH BRANDS OF GAS- THAT HAS NOT WORKED. *JB

THE SIDE AIR BAGS IN MY 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. ALTHOUGH NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED BECAUSE THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR AT THE TIME, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS SITUATION. FORD'S RESPONSE HAS BEEN LESS THAN SATISFACTORY. DESPITE THE FACT THAT I PROMPLTLY NOTIFIED FORD OF THE INCIDENT, NO ONE AT FORD'S CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HAS CONTACTED ME TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM AS PROMISED. IN FACT, WHEN I CALLED FORD ON MARCH 1, 2003 TO FOLLOW-UP, A TELEPHONE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT FORD'S COMPUTER RECORDS SHOW THAT A CONSUMER AFFAIRS AGENT HAD CONTACTED ME ON FEBRUARY 27, 2003. I RECEIVED NO SUCH CALL AND I AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM AN AGENT FROM THAT DEPARTMENT. IN ADDITION, FORD DID NOT AUTHORIZE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF MY DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE UNTIL FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2003. *JB

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SUFFERED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE COLLIDES WITH LIGHT POLE DAMAGING THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. AND NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

CONSUMER LEFT HER REAR BACK HATCH OPEN, AND CLOSED THE GARAGE DOOR. THE HATCH GLASS EXPLODED UPON IMPACT OF THE GARAGE DOOR. CONSUMER FEELS THAT "THE GLASS IN UNSAFE , CAUSE IF THE GLASS HAD IMPLODE IN AN ACCIDENT, IT COULD OF CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANT. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS ORIG PART OF LIFTGATE INVEST, BUT LATER DET. TO BE NOT RELATED TO INVESTIGATION_PCO

THE EXHAUST PIPE HAD SOME WAY BENT WHICH CAUSED THE PIPE TO GET CLOSE TO THE REAR FENDER. THE REAR FENDER WAS MADE OF SOME SORT OF PLASTIC WHICH MELTED FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE OWNER WAS TOLD "THE ONLY WAY THAT THE PIPE COULD HAVE BEEN DISFIGURED IF YOU RAN OVER A SPEED BUMP". THE OWNER DOES NOT RECALL DOING THAT OR OVER LOADING THE TRUCK. TS RECONDITIONED BUMPER, ABSORBER, REFLECTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING A PROBLEM WITH A STRONG VIBRATION ON THE WHOLE VEHICLE AND ALSO ON THE STEERING WHEEL.DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY FIRST STATED THAT THERE WERE THE TIRES THEN ALSO THE SHOCKS ON THE BACK WERE CAHNGED AND THE VEHICLE STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. PH

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT BEEN IN COLISION AND LOSING TOTAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE IMPACT. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. TS

THE FIRST TIME THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I-275 GOING TO JURY DUTY. IT WAS RUSH HOUR, STOP & GO TRAFFIC. I WAS EXCELLERATING AND AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR, THE TRUCK LIKE "SLAMMED" INTO GEAR. IT STARTED ME & I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED. I CONTACTED THE DEALER ON MY CELL PHONE AND ASKED TO BRING IT IN. I WAS TOLD SINCE I WAS IN JURY DUTY, I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MY SERVICE ENDED AND THEN BRING IT IN. I ASKED IF THE TRANSMISSION OR DRIVETRAIN COULD FURTHER DAMAGE & WAS TOLD NO. I WAS AFRAID TO KEEP DRIVING IT BUT DID NOT HAVE A CHOICE AT THE TIME. I KEPT TRACK OF THE TIMES THE TRUCK "SLAMMED" INTO GEAR WHICH UP UNTIL THE TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN, WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS WARM & IT WAS ON EXCELLERATIONS AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS & TIMES. THE SERVICE PEOPLE SAID IT DID NOT DO IT WHILE THEY TEST DROVE IT BUT FORD'S KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH IT & THE REPAIR WAS TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER CHIP & THAT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM IT DID NOT. I HAD TO RE-SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO FIX IT. THIS TIME THE DEALER PLACED A RECORDING DEVICE ON THE TRUCK & WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE IT ACTING UP. THE SERVICE PERSON TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION & THAT'S WHAT HE'D LIKE TO DO TO REPAIR IT BUT I'D HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FORD'S RETRIEVED THE DATA. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND IT ONLY HAD 800 MILES ON IT! WHILE WAITING FOR A DETERMINATION, I HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE ABOUT 6 OR 7 MILES AND AN AWFUL ODOR FILLED THE CAB. IT SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING BURNING UNDER THE VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER & CHECKED UNDER THE TRUCK FOR A FIRE. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS BURNING. I CALLED THE DEALER & COMPLAINED AGAIN ABOUT IT SLAMMING INTO GEAR & NOW THE AWFUL SMELL. I WONDERED IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS BURNING. I WAS TOLD IT WAS ANOTHER COMPLAINT OTHERS MADE AS WELL. IT WAS COMING FROM THE EXHAUST (VALVE?) FOR THE 3RD TRY, THESE 2 ISSUES & OTHERS ARE NOW BEING REPAIRED. DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT THEY HIT THE GAS PEDAL INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AS A RESULT OF THEM BEING LOCATED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER ALMOST RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. MR