2000 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A STOP SIGN AND STRUCK THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING A ROLLOVER. IN THE ACCIDENT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO ONE WAS INJURED, SEATBELTS WERE WORN AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.

PUT CAR IN REVERSE, HAD VERY FAST SUDDEN HIGH ACCELERATION WITHOUT TOUCHING THE THROTTLE. HELD BRAKES WITH BOTH FEET UNTI I COULD TURN IGNITION OFF. AFTER LOOKING FOR OBVIOUS SIGN OF PROBLEM (FOUND NONE), TURNED CAR BACK ON AND IT ACTED NORMAL. ALMOST RAN OVER MY SON. *NM

LCD DISPLAY ON STEREO/CLOCK ONLY WORKS OCCASIONALLY MOST OF THE TIME THERE IS NOT A TIME DISPLAY AVAILABLE. AND WE HAVE VARIOUS GAUGES THAT WILL NOT WORK AND THEN WILL WORK FOR A BRIEF TIME AND THEN AGAIN STOP WORKING. *JB

OCTOBER 18, 2005 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION NVS-210, 400 7TH STREET SW WASHINGTON, DC 20590 DEAR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: I AM WRITING BECAUSE OF A SAFETY CONCERN WITH MERCURY 2000 MOUNTAINEER. MY MOUNTAINEER, VIN #[XXX], HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A DESIGN DEFICIENCY. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL FLASHES SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN COMES ON STEADY. I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AND THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE FORD DEALER TOLD ME THE WIRING HARNESS WAS BAD. THEY SAID THAT TESTS SHOWED THAT THE HARNESS WAS CORRODED. SINCE THE HARNESS RUNS UNDER THE CARPET ON THE FLOOR, WATER AND SALT HAD PROBABLY ENTERED THE HARNESS AND CORRODED IT. THEY SAID THAT MY AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS UNRELIABLE. I BELIEVE IT IS UNREASONABLE AND DANGEROUS TO INSTALL A CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEM COMPONENT IN A KNOWN LOCATION OF CORROSIVES AND MOISTURE, UNLESS THAT COMPONENT IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT AGAINST THOSE HAZARDS. IT APPEARS THAT THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS IS NOT SO DESIGNED. AS THESE VEHICLES AGE, THIS COULD BECOME MORE AND MORE OF A PROBLEM. THE REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE, I WAS QUOTED $970. THE TRADE IN VALUE OF MY VEHICLE IS ABOUT $8600. AS THESE VEHICLES AGE THEY WILL HAVE LESS AND LESS VALUE AND THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BECOME A LARGER AND LARGER PERCENTAGE OF VEHICLE VALUE. I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD QUERY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND FIND OUT HOW PREVALENT THIS PROBLEM IS AND SEE IF THE FREQUENCY OF THE PROBLEM IS INCREASING. IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED AS THESE VEHICLES AGE. PERHAPS MERCURY SHOULD ACT TO REPLACE THESE HARNESSES BEFORE THEY BECOME INOPERATIVE. [XXX] *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

CONSUMER LOST USE OF ALL ACCESSORIES IE. LIGHTS, MIRRORS, POWER DOOR LOCKS, WIPERS POWER WINDOWS ETC. THE CONSUMER HAD GEM MODULE AND WIPER MOTOR REPLACED. *TS *NM

INTERMITTENT AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON. WHEN I TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, IT WAS ALWAYS OUT, AND INSTEAD OF PAYING EXTRAVAGANT DIAGNOSTIC FEES THEY SAID MAY NOT SHOW PROBLEM, I DID NOT GET IT LOOKED AT. IT WAS REPAIRED TODAY....A HARNESS ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE WHICH I FEEL SHOULD NOT BE CHARGED TO THE CUSTOMER. THE SHORT IS FOR SOMETHING THAT ONLY A CERTIFIED TECH REPAIRS. AIRBAGS HARNESSES ON THIS VEHICLE PER THE REPAIR TECH GO OUT REGULARLY, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A DEFECT TO ME. THE REPAIR PASSED ON TO ME WAS MORE THAN $300! ALSO, IAC ATTACHED WITH TOO LITTLE SILICONE, WHICH CAUSES THE IAC TO BURN AND MALFUNCTION. IT WAS ALSO REPAIRED. I DO NOT HAVE PARTS.....DEALERSHIP KEPT THEM. *NM

LAST NIGHT WHILE TRAVELING HOME ON THE NYS THRUWAY, APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES FROM MY EXIT, THE CRUISE CONTROL DIDN'T DISENGAGE. IT WAS LATE, AND WE CAME UPON SOME ROAD WORK, SO I DEPRESSED THE COAST BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES TO LOWER MY SPEED. I HAVE DONE THIS NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE WITHOUT ANY MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/SOFTWARE PROBLEM. WHEN THIS DIDN'T LOWER MY SPEED, I DEPRESSED THE OFF BUTTON NUMEROUS TIMES-THIS DIDN'T WORK-SO I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE-AND THIS DIDN'T WORK. I BECAME SCARED AND IMMEDIATELY PUT THE SUV IN NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE RPM WENT HIGH OVER 5 ON THE TACHOMETER SO I PUT THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO DRIVE. THE SPEED CONTROL INDICATOR DASH LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ON BUT THE SUV'S RPM WAS STILL HIGHER THAN NORMAL LIKE THE SPEED CONTROL WAS STILL ENGAGED. THE SUV NOW WAS NOT TRYING MAINTAIN PREVIOUS SPEED BUT IT WAS STILL PULLING AHEAD WITHOUT AND ANY GAS PEDAL. USING A LOT OF BRAKES, I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN WAY IN ADVANCE AND STOP. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AND STOP IN MY DRIVEWAY (APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM THE THRUWAY EXIT). I PURCHASED MY 2000 MOUNTAINEER NEW AND HAVE NEVER ABUSED IT. NO OFF ROAD - MOSTLY JUST WINTER DRIVING. LESS THAN 47 K MILES. I NOTICED A RECALL FOR THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE WHICH CAN BECOME FLARED AT THE END. THIS IS FOR CERTAIN MOUNTAINEERS EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L SOHC ENGINES. MY ENGINE IS A V-8; THE OLDER 5.0L THAT EARLIER MUSTANGS HAD. I AM THANKFUL THAT THIS HAPPENED LATE AT NIGHT WITH NO TRAFFIC ON THE THRUWAY AND VERY LITTLE IN THE VILLAGE OF SAUGERTIES. SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THIS GLITCH IS-POSSIBLY THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE IS FLARED AND WILL NOT LOOSEN TO ALLOW REGULAR IDLE, OR SOMETHING ELSE IN THE SPEED CONTROL SOFTWARE OR SOMETHING ELSE. I CONSIDER MYSELF AN ABOVE AVERAGE DRIVER. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC IF THIS HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC WITH A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER. GOOD LUCK AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. NOT AN EASY THING TO DO CONSIDERING EVERYTHING YOU DO. THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR DAILY LIVES SAFER. *NM

I HAVE A 2000 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER AND MY STABILIZER BARS HAVE BROKEN TWICE NOW WHEN I SPOKE TO FORD MECHANICS THEY STATED THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR THAT TO HAPPEN WHEN I LOOKED FOR RECALLS ON INTERNET I FOUND THAT (FORD CORP) HAD RECALLED 95-97 FOR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM AS A SUV CAN TURN OVER. WHEN I CONTACTED (FORD) THEY SAID SORRY NOT OUR PROBLEM THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 2000 NOW THEY WANT ME TO REPAIR IT AGAIN AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE AT ANY POINT AND I BELIEVE THAT TO BE WRONG AND HOW MANY OTHER MOUNTAINEERS OR EXPLORERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUES AND WONT KNOW ABOUT IT TILL THERE VEHICLES TURN OVER AND TAKE A LIFE IS THIS WHAT FORD WAITS FOR BEFORE THEY ACT AND RECALL A VEHICLE PLEASE HELP I FELT SO ALONE WHEN I SPOKE TO FORD. I BELIEVE THAT FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THERE PRODUCT . THANK YOU. *NM

I HEARD ON THE RADIO THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO 2002 MY FORD EXPLORERS AND MERCURY MOUNTAINEERS. I HAVE A 2000 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER THAT SEEMS TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM.

DT: AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY GOING AT 35-40MPH.STATES HE DID HAVE AN ACCIDENT WHICH TOTALED HIS FRONT END, BUT NEITHER AIR BAG (L OR R) DEPLOYED.