2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Complaints

I DRIVE MY HUSBAND'S 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER IT HAS 69000 MILES ON IT NOW AND WE BOUGHT IT USED DEC 2004. WHEN THE SUV SHIFTS INTO 3 OR 4TH GEAR IT CLUNKS OR SHUTTERS. WE HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DEALERS SEVERAL TIMES HAVING IT RETURNED AND TOLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. IN DECEMBER 2007 WE TOOK IT IN AGAIN WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT AND THEY DID A TRANSMISSION FLUSH. NOW WHEN ACCELERATING UP TO 35 THE RPM WOULD RAISE UP TO 4,000, LIKE IT WAS SLIPPING.THEN IT SHIFT INTO WRONG GEAR. THE OVERDRIVE OFF LIGHT ON THE DASH STARTED FLASHING. NEXT DAY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON. WE TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP THEY CLAIM THEY WON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT UNTIL THEY TAKE IT APART AND IT COULD COST ANY WHERE FROM $3,000 TO $4,000. WE REPEATEDLY TOOK IT TO THE SAME DEALER AND THEY WOULD NEVER FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND NOW THAT THE WARRANTY IS EXPIRED WE HAVE A MAJOR EXPENSE NOT COVERED.WE ENDED UP TAKING IT TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. THE OVERDRIVE PISTON PUT IN AT THE ASSEMBLY FACTORY WAS MADE OF ALUMINUM AND IS A DEFECTIVE PART. SO AFTER 1 WEEK WITHOUT A CAR, THE NEW OVERHAUL KIT, OVERDRIVE PISTON AND TORQUE CONVERTER WE SPENT A GRANT TOTAL $1,895.83. THIS IS SOMETHING THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE FIXED WHEN WE FIRST COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. I CAN HONESTLY SAY WE WILL NEVER GO BACK THAT DEALER AGAIN. *TR

THE HEATER STOP WORKING 3 DIFFERENT TIMES, THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT, 2ND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, DEALER THINKS MIGHT BE INTAKE MANIFOLD OR HEAD GASKET, 3RD TIME SAY MUST TAKE IT APART TO FIGURE OUT BUT PRESSURE TEST ARE WITHIN NORMAL RANGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK NEXT TO THE EMBLEM ON THE REAR HATCH DOOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SPECULATED THAT COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $700 BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS OVER THREE YEARS OLD. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 04-20-09 *BF UPDATED 04/24/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHEN THE TRUNK LID UNDER THE WINDOW WAS OPENED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK IN THE TRUNK LID. THE TRUNK LID WAS REPAIRED TWO YEARS AGO BY THE DEALER AND NOW A CRACK HAS REAPPEARED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AFTER THE CONTACT TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A SECOND REPAIR. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $85; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WANTS A FREE REPAIR BECAUSE IT IS A DEFECT AND WILL PROBABLY CRACK AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000. UPDATED 02/05/09. *LJ UPDATED 02/10/09. *JB

THE FAILURE IS FOR A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE FAILURE IS A CRACK IN THE LIFT GATE THAT OCCURS RIGHT ALONGSIDE THE MERCURY EMBLEM OR LOGO ON THE BACK OF THE TAILGATE OR LIFT GATE. THIS CRACK HAS BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES HERE AND IN ONLINE FORUMS. TO ME SEEMS LIKE A DEFICIENCY OR A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL THAT MAKES UP THIS PANEL THAT IS A PART OF THE LIFT GATE GLASS AND THE TAILGATE AS A UNIT'.. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT THE 2002-2006 MERCURY MOUNTAINEERS AND THE FORD EXPLORER SHARE THIS SAME TAILGATE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MERCURY AND FORD ARE SOLELY TO BLAME FOR PRODUCING THIS FAULTY PART OF THE TAILGATE OR LIFT GATE AND SHOULD STEP UP AND RECALL THEM'.. I NOTICED MY FAILURE OR CRACK IN JUNE OF 2008 WITH LESS THAN 60K MILES ON IT. I AM AN ORIGINAL OWNER SINCE 2003. A BIG CONCERN IS SAFETY, SOMEONE WALKING BY THE SUV AND GETTING CUT ON THE SHARP PLASTIC, JUST LOOKING AT THE CRACK IS DISTURBING. HERE IN SOUTHERN CA. FAIRWAY FORD WANTS $425.00 AND CERRITOS FORD LINCOLN MERCURY WANTS $625.00 TO FIX THE SAME PROBLEM'.. I WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN 2004. WE WERE PICKING UP THE SUV AFTER HAVING THE REAR GLASS HINGES REPLACED PER THE RECALL. AT THAT TIME THE SERVICE WRITER AT VILLA FORD TOLD ME, TRY NOT TO PUSH ON THE EMBLEM TO CLOSE THE GLASS, THE PANEL WILL CRACK IN TIME'.. (1.) I WONDER HOW MANY OF THESE PANELS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE CRACK? (2.) WHY FORD OR MERCURY NEVER DISCLOSED THE PROBLEM? I DID CALL MERCURY, THEY TOOK THE COMPLAINT AND SAID THEY WOULD PUT IT ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE, BUT THEY NEVER DID''''''*TR

PURCHASED THE 2003 MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER, AWD VEHICLE NEW ON 6/17/03. ON 05/10/06 AT 50515, THE LEFT FRONT HUB BEARING HAD TO BE REPLACED. A VISUAL EXAM INDICATED WATER DAMAGE WITH BEARING SEIZURE. ON 11/24/08 AT 88826, THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE EARLIER HUB REPLACEMENT WAS DIAGNOSED. AT THIS TIME BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT BEARING HUBS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE RIGHT FRONT HUB WAS PRACTICALLY FROZEN AND SHOWED SIGNS OF HEAT FATIGUE TO THE OUTER CASING. BOTH HUBS SHOWED RUST AND PITTING. I MAINTAINED POSSESSION OF BOTH HUBS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT HAD THE HUB LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, (70MPH) A POTENTIAL FOR A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT EXISTED. ON 11/21/06, A REAR DIFFERENTIAL NOISE WAS DIAGNOSED. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS REBUILT. ON 11/24/08 THE NOISE WAS AGAIN HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR. APPARENTLY THE NOISE FROM THE FRONT BEARINGS DAMAGE SHIELDED THE REAR DIFF. NOISE. I NOTICE ONLY ONE OTHER COMPLAINT FOR THE PARTICULAR MODEL YEAR, HOWEVER THE BASIC DRIVE TRAIN DESIGN HAS NOT CHANGED FOR MERCURY OR FORD EXPLORER FOR SOME TIME AND OTHER MODEL YEARS MAY ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS NO REASON THAT A REAR DIFFERENTIAL SHOULD NOT GO 100000 PLUS MILES WITHOUT A PROBLEM AND LIKEWISE THERE IS NO REASON THAT THE FRONT HUBS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ROLL UP 100,000 MILES WITHOUT A PROBLEM. THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW. *TR

I OPENED REAR LIFTGATE AND REMOVED SOME ITEMS AS USUAL. UPON TRYING TO LET THE GATE DOWN 1/4 WAY DOWN THE GLASS SHATTERED. THE STRUTS HUNG NOT ALLOWING ME TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE GATE. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. I JUST RECENTLY FOUND OUT FROM A MECHANIC THAT THE RACKET PINION STEERING COLUMN IS LEAKING AND THE MECHANIC FEELS IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN LOOK AT IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED 3 TIMES WITHIN 16 MONTHS. ON OCTOBER 1, 2008, WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL BEARING FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN ON DIRT ROADS, ONLY IN THE CITY. SHE FEELS THAT EITHER THE WHEEL BEARING IS DEFECTIVE OR THE FORD DEALER DID NOT PROPERLY CORRECT THE PREVIOUS FAILURES. THE FORD DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE WHEEL BEARING IS ONLY GOOD FOR 12,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER TOOK A REPORT AND STATED THAT THEY WILL FORWARD HER INFORMATION TO THE DEALER. FROM THERE, THE DEALER WILL DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,494 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000. UPDATED 11/14/08 *CN THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR WAS HANGING DOWN, THE VEHICLE STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE LOWER BALL JOINTS AND OUTER TIE ROD ENDS WERE REPLACED. THE REAR HATCH WINDOW CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WOULD CRANK, BUT IT WOULD NOT START. UPDATED 11/18/08. *JB

REAR COIL SPRINGS ON MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 2003 JUST BROKE IN TO TWO PIECES. *TR