1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

WHEN GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR CAME OFF, AND COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF DRIVING OR STANDING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

MERCURY CLAIMS A RECALL WAS MAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS, A YEAR APART. OTHER RECALLS WERE RECEIVED AND WORK COMPLETED. OTHER MERCURY OWNERS REPORTING SAME PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THIS RECALL. NHTSA WEBSITE HAS NO INFORMATION ABOUT SUCH A RECALL OR WARRANTY ON THE TIMING CHAIN OF THIS VEHICLE.*AK

THE FLOORBOARD GOT SO HOT IN A SIX MILE DRIVE THAT THE PASSENGER COULD NOT SIT WITH FEET ON THE FLOOR. I MY WARRANTY WAS ALMOST UP AND I HAD NO SUCESS WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT LES JACOBS FORD IN FIXING THIS IN THEIR OVER 10 ATTEMPTS. I THEN TRADED THE VEHICLE OFF TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT ACCORDING TO THE CARFAX REPORT IT WAS WRECKED IN 3/22/98. I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS AT THE TIME OF THE PURCHASE OF THIS AUTO. I HAVE FILED A REPORT WITH THE MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND I HAVE NOTIFIED LES JACOBS FORD & MERCURY. I HANDED A COPY OF THE CARFAX REPORT TO THE FORMER SERVICE MANAGER NOW GENERAL MANAGER, [XXX]. NOTICE THE NAME IS THE SAME AS THE DEALERSHIP. HE IS THE SON OF THE OWNER. I HAVE ALSO TALKED TO TWO 98 EXPLORER OWNERS WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND I HAVE ENCOURAGED THEM TO ALSO FILE WITH YOU.*AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING. I PURCHASED A NEW BULB WHICH ACCORDING TO THE PARTS BOOK SHOULD WORK. THIS BULB WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE "SOCKET." THE ONLY BULB IN THE STORE THAT WOULD FIT WAS A SIGNAL LIGHT BULB WHICH PROMPTLY BURNT OUT. I THEN WENT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND REQUESTED A BULB. THE PARTS MANAGER LOOKED UP THE PART AND I GOT A NEW BULB WHICH WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE BRAKE LIGHT SOCKET. I THEN ASKED FOR A FORD MECHANICS ASSISTANCE IN REPLACING THE BULB. HE COULD NOT GET IT TO GO INTO THE SOCKET AND HE THEN LOOKED UP THE BULB NUMBER. I WAS GIVEN THE CORRECT BULB. IT WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE SOCKET. THE MECHANIC THEN GROUND ONE SIDE OF THE BASE'S NOTCH OFF SO THAT IT WOULD SLIDE INTO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY SO THAT I GO HOME. THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS WORKING AT THAT TIME. I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME OR TOOLS TO GROUND A PIECE OF THE BULB BASE OFF EVERY TIME I NEED A BRAKE LIGHT REPLACED. THIS MAKES ME WONDER HOW MANY MORE NON-STANDARD PARTS I HAVE ON THIS "AMERICAN MADE" PRODUCT.*AK

THE BRAKCET FOR THE SLIDING SEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD GOT SO HOT THAT IT BLISTERED MY THUMB WHEN I BUMPED IT TRYING TO GET THE INHALER THAT I DROPPED. MY DAUGHTER HAD BEEN HAVING ASTHMA ATTACKS IN THIS AUTO. I NOW HAVE HER RIDE WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND THE ATTACKS HAVE STOPPED. BECUASE THE MERCURY'S FLOORBOARD GETS SO HOT, I NO LONGER ALLOW MY CHILDREN TO RIDE IN IT.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE BEHIND THE CONSUMER RAN INTO THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND THE WHOLE REAR BUMPER WAS DAMAGED, $800 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE, THE OTHER VEHICLE WHICH WAS A MALIBU HAD ONLY MINOR SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE'S BUMPER FACIA. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. NLM TT

THE RADIO DISPLAY LED READ OUT WILL GO BLACK INTERMITTANTLY, THE DEALER REPLACED THE MAIN CIRCUIT BOARD DUE TO A BAD DESIGN. THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED THEY HAD IT TOO CLOSE TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE DISPLAY WHERE THE CAPACITORS WOULD GIVE OFF HEAT AND CAUSE OVER HEATING AND BLACK OUTS. *JG NLM

HANDLE TO ADJUST VERTICAL SEAT ALIGNMENT BROKE OFF. DEALER SAID IT WAS COMMON VEHICLE PROBLEM.*AK

THE FRONT FLOORBOARD OVERHEATED. THE FRONT SEATS BECAME WARM AS IF A SEAT HEATER WAS TURNED ON. THE VEHICLE HAS NONE. THE FRONT TIRES BEGAN MAKING A WHOMPING SOUND AS IF FLAT. I PULLED OVER CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE. IT WAS NORMAL. I CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION. THE ABS LIGHT AND AIRBAG LIGHT THEN BEGAN TO FLASH. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE. UPON REACHING MY DESTINATION, I REACHED UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT TO GET THE KEYS I DROPPED. I ACCIDENTLY BUMPED THE SEAT BRACKET WITH MY LEFT TALL FINGER BLISTERING IT.

ON WARM DAYS, ESPECIALLY WHEN AIRCONDITIONER IS USED THE FLOORBOARD AND SEAT BRACKETS GET HOT. I HAVE MELTED PLASTIC GAME PIECES, CRAYONS, AND HEATED FOOD ITEMS BY LAYING THEM ON THE FLOOR BOARD NEXT TO THE BRACKETS. I BUMPED THE SEAT BRACKET WHEN I PICKED UP MY KEYS AND BLISTERED MY HAND. I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER REALTIONS DEPARTEMENT FOR MERCURY WHO TOOK A REPORT AND PROMISED TO FOLLOW UP. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM OR MY DEALER. I ONLY HAVE 10,000 MILES LEFT ON MY WARRANTY. THIS WILL ONLY BE THREE MONTHS FOR ME. THE LOCAL SERVICE MANANGER AND THE MECHANICS HAVE TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR AN SUV. IF THIS IS THE CASE, WHY ARE THEY ON THE ROAD? MY FEAR IS THAT THIS AUTO WILL BURST INTO FLAMES AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET MY KIDS OUT. THE FUMES WHEN THIS AUTO GETS HOT ALSO CAUSE MY DAUGHTER TO HAVE ASTHMA ATTACKS. I CAN NOT TRADE THE AUTO BECAUSE I OWE TO MUCH ON IT. THIS IS WHAT THE LOCAL SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED. I FEEL THAT I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHER MOTORISTS TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE ISSUE OF THIS AUTO BEING A SAFTY HAZARD TO MYSTELF AND OTHERS. *AK