mercury mountaineer Problems

mercury mountaineer 2004 Complaints

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

while driving, the engine check light illuminated on the dashboard. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership (4) times, but the problem still existed. *ak *jb

Reported in: PITTSBURGH PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K34U

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

on january 01, 2004, while driving 25-30 mph over icy roads the consumer lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle flipped over twice yet the air bags did not deploy at any time. please provide any additional information. *nm

Reported in: ROSHOLT WI || Crash: N || VIN #: FILL IN

EQUIPMENT

consumer noticed that while the dvd/ television set was engaged the rear mirrors became inoperative. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic informed consumer that the problem could not be fixed because it was designed that way. *ak *nm

Reported in: TOBYHANNA PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 2MRDA20294B

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

consumer noticed that while the dvd/ television set was engaged the rear mirrors became inoperative. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic informed consumer that the problem could not be fixed because it was designed that way. *ak *nm

Reported in: TOBYHANNA PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 2MRDA20294B

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

the new vehicle i purchased on july does not have a certification affixed. (the incident date listed below is the date of purchase.)*ak

Reported in: AMBRIDGE PA || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

while driving there was a very loud noise from the front of the vehicle. consumer pulled off the road, and called road side assistant. vehicle was towed to the dealer, who performed an oil change because of mileage at the time of the incident. noise recurred the following day. vehicle was taken back to the dealership, who indicated that the driveshaft was defective, and needed to be replaced. vehicle is currently at the dealership being inspected. *ak

Reported in: WEST CHESTER PA || Crash: N || VIN #:

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

while driving there was a very loud noise from the front of the vehicle. consumer pulled off the road, and called road side assistant. vehicle was towed to the dealer, who performed an oil change because of mileage at the time of the incident. noise recurred the following day. vehicle was taken back to the dealership, who indicated that the driveshaft was defective, and needed to be replaced. vehicle is currently at the dealership being inspected. *ak

Reported in: WEST CHESTER PA || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

while driving at 35 mph and above experienced noise in transmission chain. returned to dealer and they are ordering a gear for the rwear end. am awaiting approx a week for delivery to schedule the replacement of the gear.*ak

Reported in: POWDER SPRINGS GA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K94U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

consumer stated that when starting vehicle and placing it in reverse vehicle hesitated, then jumped into gear. also, vehicle sometimes jumped into gear when placing it in drive, but not as bad as placing it in reverse. consumer called dealer and manufacturer and was told that they were aware of the problem, but it was not a recall. consumer was not involved in a collision because of this malfunction but was afraid that one day he may.*ak

Reported in: BREEZY POINT NY || Crash: N || VIN #:

EQUIPMENT:AIR CONDITIONER

purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer back in march. noticed a chirping noise at about 1500 miles when the air conditioner cycled on and off. dealer replaced compressor. chirping came back at about 3500 miles, so i took it back and the dealer adjusted the clutch air gap. they said it was fine, but found that while driving the vehicle home it was still doing it. dealer said it has no idea what the problem is and has so far not offered to do anything about the problem.*ak

Reported in: WESTERVILLE OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W54U

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

the vehicle stalls intermittently. the consumer has taken the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the problem did not duplicate itself. *jb *sc

Reported in: DIXON IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

when applying the accelerator pedal from a stop position it caused a momentary pulse before the vehicle went into motion. vehicle had been to the dealer on numerous occasions, and they were unable to locate the problem. *ak the consumer stated that the pause was so severe that it jerks all passengers heads . the vehicle also had transmission problems. the transmission had a harsh shift and clunk when going into reverse or drive. the transmission has been repaired. *tc

Reported in: SHAWANO WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86K64U

POWER TRAIN

when applying the accelerator pedal from a stop position it caused a momentary pulse before the vehicle went into motion. vehicle had been to the dealer on numerous occasions, and they were unable to locate the problem. *ak the consumer stated that the pause was so severe that it jerks all passengers heads . the vehicle also had transmission problems. the transmission had a harsh shift and clunk when going into reverse or drive. the transmission has been repaired. *tc

Reported in: SHAWANO WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86K64U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

the reverse gear tends to pop and switch to another gear, making the vehicle jump. taken to dealer, but the cause was undetermined.*ak

Reported in: CROYDON PA || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 mercury mountaineer, v6, automatic, 2wd. vin 4m2zu66k8uj13274. purchased march 2004. currently mileage 9821. starting approximately 12/1/04, when reverse gear does not engage for 2 or 3 seconds, then engages with a very hard jolt that shakes the whole vehicle. this occurs when first starting the vechicle and also mid-day when backing into a parking space. also the automatic transmission rough shifts in freeway slow traffic between 20 and 30 mph. ford motor co. consumer hotline said on 12/15/04 that my vehicle vin number has no recalls. from press releases, i know of ford's 11/22/04 announcement of 740,000 explorers and mountaineers with this same transmission problem.*ak

Reported in: EL CAJON CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K84U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 mercury mountaineer, v8, automatic, awd. vin du86w84zj23248, purchased august 2004. current mileage is 22000. mid december 2004 i started experiencing odd or rough shifts going from 2nd to 3rd. it started happening occasionally then it became more constant. i also experienced harsh reverses, one was hard enough that my husband said it could give you whip lash! what was ironic about the whole thing was i was going to make an appointment with my local garage when i got a letter from ford (january 2005) indicating a problem with the transmission fluid which might cause a harsh reverse. so i took it to a ford garage january1 5,2005, and they installed the additives. i drove the truck about 2 weeks after that and didn't feel it fixed the problem. i took it back to the garage and this time they said they reconfigured the computer. after i picked it up and drove it for a week or so, it wasn't any better. i'm taking it back to the garage again because it still has the problem. this problem is a lot like your other complaints especially #10103034. i think this is a problem that ford should look into before it causes an accident especially those owners that drive in winter weather. *ak

Reported in: WESTFIELD NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W84Z

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

while driving in 20 mph in congested traffic the vehicle suddenly accelerated and lunged forward. owner had to steer the vehicle off the road to avoid hitting another vehicle. owner shifted to park in order to stop vehicle. no injuries or accident occurred. *ak

Reported in: GUILFORD CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W24U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

while shifting into reverse transmission hesitated three to four minutes before engaging. then, vehicle shook. driver drove vehicleto the dealer, and mechanic determined that transmission needed to be replaced. *ak

Reported in: RED LION PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K34U

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK

consumer complained about a brake problem. when applying the brakes pedal sank in intermittently. vehicle was taken to dealer for service, but dealer could not duplicate the problem. *ak

Reported in: FALLSBURG NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 2MRDA20214B

OTHER

while driving our 2004 mercury mountaineer, all of the sudden it will stall and a light will come on showing "engine fail safe mode". there is no power at all and the car needs a few minutes before starting up again. this has happened 3 times now and all in traffic. we have had to pray that we would not be hit or worse yet, killed. we have taken it to the dealerdhip twice now (the 1st time they said it was bad gas and sent us on our way) and all they can say the last two times is "we can't duplicate the problem". this is very unsafe and we are very afraid to drive this vehicle.

Reported in: PHOENIX AZ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K94Z

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

dt:the consumer stated during braking the vehicle stalls. when the cvonsumer went to restart and put it in drive it stalled again. took vehicle to the service department 3 times. the second time they replaced the fuel pump, the first time they updated the engine controller software.*ak for the 4th time total loss of vehicle power when braking from 55 mph. dealer replaced maf sensor. driver rear door molding catching front door molding at times when opening. *tt

Reported in: MILFORD MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86KX4Z

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

dt:the consumer stated during braking the vehicle stalls. when the cvonsumer went to restart and put it in drive it stalled again. took vehicle to the service department 3 times. the second time they replaced the fuel pump, the first time they updated the engine controller software.*ak for the 4th time total loss of vehicle power when braking from 55 mph. dealer replaced maf sensor. driver rear door molding catching front door molding at times when opening. *tt

Reported in: MILFORD MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86KX4Z

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

dt:the consumer stated during braking the vehicle stalls. when the cvonsumer went to restart and put it in drive it stalled again. took vehicle to the service department 3 times. the second time they replaced the fuel pump, the first time they updated the engine controller software.*ak for the 4th time total loss of vehicle power when braking from 55 mph. dealer replaced maf sensor. driver rear door molding catching front door molding at times when opening. *tt

Reported in: MILFORD MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86KX4Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

dt:the consumer stated during braking the vehicle stalls. when the cvonsumer went to restart and put it in drive it stalled again. took vehicle to the service department 3 times. the second time they replaced the fuel pump, the first time they updated the engine controller software.*ak for the 4th time total loss of vehicle power when braking from 55 mph. dealer replaced maf sensor. driver rear door molding catching front door molding at times when opening. *tt

Reported in: MILFORD MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86KX4Z

OTHER

i purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer v6 in april, 2004. i immediately started to notice a harsh jerk when putting the car in reverse and sometimes while driving forward. it sometimes felt like driving a 5-speed vehicle. in late september, 04 while backing out of my driveway, me and my 13 yr old daughter experienced a very harsh jerk as if someone had slammed in the back of the car. we were both shaken. i started to experience neck problems. i made my first dr. appt. in early to mid october 2004 and was told that my vertabre was out of place. when the recall notice came in february 2005 (i believe) to me, i took my car to be repaired and i was told that it would take at least 4 hours to fix. it actually took the dealship 3 days to fix it. the auto technician told me that my car was worse off than others that he'd seen before with the same problem and additonal parts had to be ordered. my car is working okay now that it has been fixed. on the other hand, i have been to the doctor several times with this neck injury. i have had x-rays, mri and ultra sound completed. the jerking of my vehicle has caused injury to the #2 vertabre in my neck. i experience head aches, severe neck pain, and shoulder and back pain. i have been to physical therapy- recommended by my doctor and to the chiropractor. i have a very hard time sleeping and working due to this pain. i called ford motor company to alarm them of my injury due to the defective transmission in the vehicle that they manufactured. the individual that i spoke with was very rude, non- caring of my injury and spoke to me in a negative tone. i was told that there were no medical provisions on this particular recall. to this day, i am still in constant pain. i have suffered long enough and i feel that it is time for ford motor company to own up to the rresponsibility that their defective vehicle has caused an injury.

Reported in: INDIANAPOLIS IN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

i purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer v6 in april, 2004. i immediately started to notice a harsh jerk when putting the car in reverse and sometimes while driving forward. it sometimes felt like driving a 5-speed vehicle. in late september, 04 while backing out of my driveway, me and my 13 yr old daughter experienced a very harsh jerk as if someone had slammed in the back of the car. we were both shaken. i started to experience neck problems. i made my first dr. appt. in early to mid october 2004 and was told that my vertabre was out of place. when the recall notice came in february 2005 (i believe) to me, i took my car to be repaired and i was told that it would take at least 4 hours to fix. it actually took the dealship 3 days to fix it. the auto technician told me that my car was worse off than others that he'd seen before with the same problem and additonal parts had to be ordered. my car is working okay now that it has been fixed. on the other hand, i have been to the doctor several times with this neck injury. i have had x-rays, mri and ultra sound completed. the jerking of my vehicle has caused injury to the #2 vertabre in my neck. i experience head aches, severe neck pain, and shoulder and back pain. i have been to physical therapy- recommended by my doctor and to the chiropractor. i have a very hard time sleeping and working due to this pain. i called ford motor company to alarm them of my injury due to the defective transmission in the vehicle that they manufactured. the individual that i spoke with was very rude, non- caring of my injury and spoke to me in a negative tone. i was told that there were no medical provisions on this particular recall. to this day, i am still in constant pain. i have suffered long enough and i feel that it is time for ford motor company to own up to the rresponsibility that their defective vehicle has caused an injury.

Reported in: INDIANAPOLIS IN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14U

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

i flipped in my 2004 mercury mountaineer and hung upside down for an hour till someone came by because my seat belt would not release. the emt's could not even get it to release so they had to cut it off of me. i the thing released i could have crawled out the window and would not have had to have $12,000.00 damage to my car because they would not let me crawl out and had to use the jaws of life to get me and the board out. i was told that this is how they are designed and i feel this is not a good thing. had i landed in water or caught on fire i would have been dead before i was found. *nm

Reported in: GLIDDEN IA || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K84U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

vehicle jerks into reverse. vehicle was placed in shop to have additive placed in transmission fluid to correct the problem. the problem has not abated. the transmission is also very loose. after being placed in park it lunges 3 to 4 inches in the direction of the slope it is parked on. *jb

Reported in: BILOXI MS || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K94U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

my 2004 mercury mountaineer shifts rough, lunging forward with a hard shift, and sometimes dragging. also, when shifting from park to reverse experience a very hard clunk followed by a thrust backwards. *nm

Reported in: PORTLAND OR || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K94Z

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

i have had repeated problems with the transmission i.e. a noticeable clunk when the transmission shifts from overdrive to low upon approaching a stop sign. additionally, when backing and shifting to forward the transmission hesitates and slips before going into forward drive. this causes some anxiety when you have to back from a commercial business into a busy traffic way and the transmission slips leaving you not knowing if your going to be able to avoid approaching traffic from the rear. i have reported the problem to colorado river ford in on at least two different occasions and have had the transmission fluid replaced in accordance with mercury's recall. however, the problem continues. subsequently,i have changed to bradly ford for repairs. on one occasion immediately after a rain storm and while traversing a highway wash, i slowed the vehicle and straddled the center line (no traffic) to avoid any standing water. admittedly, there was mud residue on the far side of the wash. regardless, as i exited the wash and accelerated the transmission shifted from overdrive to low gear causing the rear wheels to spin and i went into a broad side skid to the right and back to the left and to the right again, all of which was as close to a near accident as i want to experience. as a retired arizona highway patrolman i will admit that my speed was too fast for the conditions (estimated speed 30 to 40 mph). however, i am also of the opinion that the shifting pattern of the vehicle added to the momentary loss of control. regardless, at this point the vehicle registers 35,500 miles and bradly ford in lake havasu city is going to attempt to rectify the problem. they will be tearing down the transmission for examination. this is after they have already replaced a pressure solenoid and the problem still continues. i do not believe the repair will relieve the problem and will result in my taking a financial loss when i trade the vehicle in. *nm

Reported in: LAKE HAVASU CITY AZ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66W04U

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

rear axle failure at 11,000 (side bearings) and 48,000 miles(bearings and rear axle). due to design mistakes, and probably cost reduction programs, mud can trap open a breather valve for the rear axle. then water goes through the valve and into the axle, and destroys the side bearings,and clutch flange,and pinion. the replacement cost of these items is nearly$1,300. *jb

Reported in: MILFORD MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W34Z

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 mercury mountaineer purchased new sept. 2004. transfer case was leaking while under warranty - all rear seals replaced. started leaking again and vehicle was taken in for routine service @ 39,000 miles. told large chunks of metal in transmission pan - transmission needs replaced. vehicle no longer under warranty after 30,000 miles; ford and dealer agreed to "share" some of the cost, $500 to owner. believe leak is related to transmission problem that was not checked during original complaint when seals were replaced. *jb

Reported in: MOUNT GILEAD OH || Crash: N || VIN #:

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

vehicle speed control: while preparing to back up, before shifting, vehicle jumped, and then suddenly accelerated forward, brakes were applied but vehicle wouldn't stop and engine was roaring as if the accelerator was stuck. vehicle went airborne over an embankment, through a lawn, hit a rock/debris area, tire blew before hitting curve, landed on right rim, was then able to put vehicle in park. vehicle towed away, dealership currently states nothing is wrong with the vehicle. help!! *jb

Reported in: WAUNAKEE WI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2DU86W14Z

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

i purchased my 2004 mercury mountaineer in oct 2003. the vehicle was making a roaring noise, once taken in ford replaced the rear differential and rear drive shaft, also complained of rough shifting of transmission around 30-35 mph changing from 2nd to 3rd gear. the solenoid was replaced, additive added, many reprograms but after 6 trips to dealer still is not corrected. 18 months later roaring noise appeared again and same rear drive shaft was replaced. the vehicle has less than 30,000 miles. *jb

Reported in: SHELBYVILLE TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W64Z

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

i purchased my 2004 mercury mountaineer in oct 2003. the vehicle was making a roaring noise, once taken in ford replaced the rear differential and rear drive shaft, also complained of rough shifting of transmission around 30-35 mph changing from 2nd to 3rd gear. the solenoid was replaced, additive added, many reprograms but after 6 trips to dealer still is not corrected. 18 months later roaring noise appeared again and same rear drive shaft was replaced. the vehicle has less than 30,000 miles. *jb

Reported in: SHELBYVILLE TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W64Z

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

i purchased my 2004 mercury mountaineer in oct 2003. the vehicle was making a roaring noise, once taken in ford replaced the rear differential and rear drive shaft, also complained of rough shifting of transmission around 30-35 mph changing from 2nd to 3rd gear. the solenoid was replaced, additive added, many reprograms but after 6 trips to dealer still is not corrected. 18 months later roaring noise appeared again and same rear drive shaft was replaced. the vehicle has less than 30,000 miles. *jb

Reported in: SHELBYVILLE TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W64Z

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

both problems happen when backing up. 2004 mercury mountaineer,upon putting it in reverse, will hesitate and then fly backwards. the recall solenoid was put in and the problem stopped for about a year. it has started up again, infrequently. just 1 week ago, upon backing out of the garage, there was a metal on metal screeching noise and a burning smell. the wheels, wheel wells and undercarriage were checked for foreign objects, and none were found. i left the truck outside that night, and the next day the noise happened again and now happened once in third gear. the same burning smell happened again. i parked the truck and didn't use it all that day. when i went to take it to the dealer the next day, the noise was gone. the dealer wouldn't even look at it as "it wasn't doing it at that time". *nm

Reported in: BRIDGEWATER NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86E24Z

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

dt*: the contact stated the hinges came lose on the back window. the window was being held together with duct tape. the dealership was made aware.

Reported in: WASHINGTON DC || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K24Z

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

we put two new tires on the front of the vehicle in july 2006 on our 2004 mercury mountaineer awd. in dec 2006 we took the vehicle into the dealer south hills lincoln mercury for a transmission problem and state and emission inspection. the dealer fixed problem with transmission, and did inspections. then two weeks later,on new years eve, we broke down. vehicle was towed to nearest ford dealer in bedford, pa. the bedford dealer said due to the different "circumference" of the new tires on the front and the older tires in the rear it ruined the differential and transfer case on the highway. our manual states nothing about this only says to put on the same style and type of tire which we did. they said the circumferences of the tires can not be more than 1/4" different. the factory rep says if we would have taken the car to the dealer for tires they would have told us this. they are blaming the tire dealer for not knowing this tolerance. the tire dealer says 1/4" tolerance is ridiculous. the cost of the repairs and rental car is over $5000.00 south hills lincoln mercury in pittsburgh was going to honor the warranty secretly for me, because they sympathized with my problem and i think the service mgr there knows ford has a bad engineering drivetrain. however bedford ford notified the ford factory rep and now south hills mercury is backing out of honoring warranty. my complaints are: why doesn't the manual state anything about the tire circumferences? is this really the cause? 1/4" tolerance is way to small in the engineering of the drivetrain? - if one tire gets damaged after 10,000 miles you have to replace all four tires i guess? why was one dealer going to honor warranty and the other not? why didn't the dealer notice this problem when they inspected the car and worked on the transmission problem? part of the inspection process is to measure tread depth. if there was a big difference shouldn't that have been a red flag. *jb

Reported in: PITTSBURGH PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W54Z

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

brake pedal rubber cover came off during braking. foot slipped to accelerator causing car to learch forward hitting rear of parked car and causing damage to that car. *jb

Reported in: SCARBOROUGH ME || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2DU86W34Z

OTHER

brake pedal rubber cover came off during braking. foot slipped to accelerator causing car to learch forward hitting rear of parked car and causing damage to that car. *jb

Reported in: SCARBOROUGH ME || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2DU86W34Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tailgate has a "stress fracture crack" below the wiper assembly and traveling approximately 6" down to the logo on the tailgate. there was no identified reason for crack to occur. vehicle taken to dealership local service manager indicated that there have been approximately 500 reported incidents of this type however ford/mercury has not issued a recall. recommended buying a new tailgate for $500. the crack indicates a manufacturer's defect that compromises the structural integrity of the tailgate assembly. i'm concerned about putting people in third row bench and/or the consequences of getting struck from the rear with the existing tailgate.*jb

Reported in: VIRGINIA BEACH VA || Crash: N || VIN #:

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

throttle position sensor failed in 2004 mercury mountaineer. car abruptly stopped accelerating while traveling and came to a stop. fortunately i was in a near-empty parking lot when this occurred. it could have been a very dangerous situation had this occurred while i was on the road. after the car came to a stop, i was unable to move it forward for more than about 100 yards. it had to be towed. dealer determined that loss of acceleration was due to "tp open intermittent." dealer fixed problem. *jb

Reported in: PORT TOBACCO MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W14Z

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ignition key would not turn when we attempted to start 2004 mercury mountaineer. as a result, we could not start car. we had not noticed any previous problems with the ignition. car had to be towed to dealer. dealer drilled out ignition cylinder and built and installed new cylinder, which appeared to fix problem. *jb

Reported in: PORT TOBACCO MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W14Z

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 2004 mercury mountaineer with 5000 failure mileage)at 20 mph and turning around in a parking lot the vehicle slowed down to a complete stop with the foot on the brake. the vehicle was turned off and restarted. the vehicle only went approximately 100 yards. the vehicle had to be towed to the dealer, who had not determined the cause of the problem. the current mileage was 44,000. *ak

Reported in: PORT TOBACCO MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W14Z

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BATTERY

after not driving my vehicle for 2 days the battery level is low, the red indicator lamp on battery is showing, and my vehicle will not turn over. i connect my jump-it and it starts right up. i have taken it in to midland ford several times and they tell me that they cannot find anything wrong with my vehicle and they cannot replace any parts unless they can find a problem. they want me to leave my vehicle there for at least two days to try to replicate the problem, but refuse to provide a replacement vehicle or rental car or i have the option to have my vehicle towed in to midland ford at my expense so they can verify that the battery is actually low in order to replace it. my 2004 mountaineer only has only 21000 miles on it and the problem started occurring around 200 miles and is getting worse as time passes. last weekend after driving home from work i decided to vacuum out my vehicle using electrical from my house for about a 1/2 hour and i did not even play the radio or have the ignition key turned on. when i was finished, i closed up the doors and did not enter the vehicle until the next morning when i was leaving for work and again the battery was dead with the red light on. i took it in again and midland ford said they could not find anything wrong and they cannot replace the battery. i feel very confident that if the warranty were to expire they would not have an issue with replacing the defective battery at my expense. *jb

Reported in: MIDLAND MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86K74Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that there was a crack near the rear hatch. the vehicle was taken to the dealer ,but was no longer under warranty. the current mileage was 25,000, and failure mileage was 24,000.*ak

Reported in: PENNINGTON NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W14U

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS

i was driving on state highway 295 milemark 54 when all 5 lugs broke on the passenger front tire of the 2004 mercury mountaineer. the tire fell off and the car pulled to the right. i compensated and steered left to the center grass median, luckily no one was hurt. i had it towed to the closest dealer. upon inspection,1 of the lugs on the driver's side had failed. the mechanics aid it was evident it was not from over tightening , but a flaw in the lug itself. since i am 2000 miles out of warranty ford will do nothing. had i been in a different location i am sure it would have been much worse. before someone gets hurt if people haven't already, i think this should be investigated. i took all the parts that were replaced for inspection. *ak

Reported in: COLTS NECK NJ || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E64U

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while driving in reverse and shifting gears, the vehicle hesitated. the cruise control engaged without warning and the vehicle stalled while driving 75mph. the service manager drove with the contact and observed the failure; however, he stated that the vehicle was operating normally. the accelerator also does not engage properly when increasing speed. the dealer stated that the electrical brain failed and attempted to repair it on two occasions. an expert from out of state also inspected the vehicle; however, they were unable to diagnose the failure. while approaching a stop sign, the brakes failed and almost caused a crash. the dealer stated that the master cylinder failed. the failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 52,000.

Reported in: PALM BAY FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K64U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

i own a 2004 mercury mountaineer. on 6/23/07, i placed several articles into the cargo area through the liftgate window hatch. when i attempting to close the hatch the hinges gave way and the entire window hatch fell into my arms. fortunately i was able to hold onto it and disconnect the pistons that supported the window. the hinge pins had sheared off and broke through the upper pivot of the hinge. had a child been closing this hatch it could have killed them. *ak

Reported in: RICHMOND IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while lifting the rear lift gate, the hinge detached and caused the glass to fall from the vehicle. the contact's daughter attempted to catch the glass and her hand got caught between the glass and the bumper. the dealer stated that the hinges needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 60,000.

Reported in: ASHBURN VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K04U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

transmission - no overdrive. *jb

Reported in: ROCHESTER HILLS MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W24Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

same problem as described in "safety recall 04s20" concerning liftgate glass hinge.

Reported in: LEIPSIC OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K04U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

vehicle purchased used 6/3/07. about 2 months later, noticed a popping noise from rear hatch area when turning on slight inclines (eg. parking lots. around oct 21, 2007, on opening rear hatch, left hinge bolt came out- glass dropped and was caught. dealer said hatch recall does not include this vin #. paid out of pocket for repair.

Reported in: SMYRNA TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W44Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

we purchased our mercury in february of 2007. at the time of purchase it had around 36,000 miles. it currently has around 46,000 miles. i have a concern on the vehicle that i believe is a defect in material workmanship or a flaw in the design of the vehicle. the rear of the vehicle has a crack on the rear liftgate trim. the crack starts right below the rear wiper and cracks along what appears to be the weak points of the rear body trim. i have noticed several vehicles with the same problem that are mercury mountaineers and ford explorers with the same body style and approximate time of manufacture. there is no reason for the plastic trim to crack in such a place. it is like a stress fracture in the hatch. i believe this to be a factory defect in the design and workmanship of the vehicle, and i do not believe that a vehicle which is 3 years old and has low mileage should have such a stress fracture. i believe that ford motor company should look into this matter and correct this problem. it is my understanding that ford is aware of this problem and is avoiding taking responsibility to repair this issue.

Reported in: NATCHEZ MS || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU66W54U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

when backing up will hesitate and then fly backwards. feel of delay in transmission when have come to a stop and going from one gear to next. is increasing getting worse.

Reported in: STONE MTN GA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86K44Z

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

driver sets cruise control at 35mph vehicle speed is at 35mph for about 90 secs. suddenly vehicle's warning lights come on. (service engine soon. battery alert. low oil pressure alert , and temp. alert ) vehicle loses all power. no brakes, steering locks up, no power. driver (by the grace of god) brings vehicle to side of road right before a t in the road. vehicles at the intersection can be traveling at 45mph. there was a school bus approaching as well. driver turned on hazard lights. driver phones husband. he had our 15 year old son (who was with me) check belts. they were intact. he then asked me if i had used the cruise control. i then remembered that this had happened to my husband several times when we had first bought the vehicle. since then he has not set the cruise control for less than 40mph. obviously i had forgotten that. i got back into the vehicle and turned on the engine and all was well. this morning, i called the ford dealership where we had purchased the vehicle. the service manager recalled that they had serviced a ford explorer one other time with the same problem. he said that there was not any record of a manufacturer recall. i told him that i wanted to make a report, as i knew that the situation yesterday could have resulted in a serious accident if i had lost power any closer to that intersection. he told me to make a report here. (by the way, i do not know what oem means concerning the component i listed. i even tried to look it up in tmy owners' manual and on the help portion of your website. i just left it marked "no." ).

Reported in: PORT ORCHARD WA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K44Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

i filed a much more serious complaint this evening regarding an issue with the cruise control causing a complete shutdown of power on our vehicle. please be advised that i do not make a habit of filing these complaints. i was not even aware of this website until today. however, after i filed the complaint, i checked to see if you had record of other consumers with the same problem. when i looked at the complaints that had been registered for this vehicle's make and model i saw that at least 2 others have registered complaints for what seems to be a manufacturers defect. i thought that i would make you aware that our vehicle also has this same issue. one other complainant wrote that he was told that ford was aware of this defect, but was refusing to acknowledge that it was a defect. on the liftgate, just below the center of the window, adjacent to the mercury logo there is an approximate 6 inch crack in the body of the door. it has been there for about 6 months. since the vehicle only had about 45,000 miles on it at the time, my husband and i agree that this should not have occurred.

Reported in: PORT ORCAHRD WA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K44Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

noticed this crack that formed in the window panel, of the liftgate. it runs from the bottom edge of the window, down to the mercury logo, then around it to the bottom.

Reported in: PLEASANTVILLE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86WX4Z

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

whining noise coming from rear end (rear differential) of vehicle. it appears that ford motor company is aware of this problem but are not willing to repair this issue for free. this problem is widespread, over many model years.

Reported in: BRONX NY || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

small crack started on rear hatch between wiper blade and mercury logo, within 2 weeks crack wrapped around the logo and continued through the bottom of the panel. i contacted ford when the crack first occurred since then i have taken photos with my camera phone of other mercury mountaineers with the same problem. i have a total of 14 photos so far.

Reported in: RED LION PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W44U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

transmission delay and then slamming into gear, sometimes causing the vehicle to lunge forward or backward.

Reported in: URBANA OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K54U

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

2004 mercury mountaineer stalls when cruise control is used. oftentimes it seem related to going downhill or lower rpms. this has happened to me on two separate 2004 mercury mountaineers. one had a v-6 and the other has a v-8. both were the premiere edition.

Reported in: HUNTERTOWN IN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86E54Z

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

2004 mercury mountaineer stalls when cruise control is used. oftentimes it seem related to going downhill or lower rpms. this has happened to me on two separate 2004 mercury mountaineers. one had a v-6 and the other has a v-8. both were the premiere edition.

Reported in: HUNTERTOWN IN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W54U

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

when using the cruise control the vehicle died: all gauge lights came on (battery, engine, etc.) engine died, no power steering, etc. had to roll to the side of the road, put vehicle in park or neutral and restart. this problem repeats itself ever time i use the cruise control. and, i see there are other owners of this model that have posted the same complaint. problem first occurred in january of 2008 however continues today. fortunately when the engine has died every time i have used the speed control it has not caused an accident.... yet!

Reported in: STANHOPE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W64Z

STRUCTURE

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. when attempting to shut the liftgate glass, the hinges fractured and allowed the glass to fall. the contact's daughter was nearly injured. the dealer stated that the glass strut brackets and glass hinges needed to be replaced. the contact is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer stated that although she is experiencing the same failure as referenced in nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/lift gate:hinge and attachments), her vin was excluded from the recall. the contact would be responsible for the repair costs, which exceeded $355. the failure and current mileages were 59,600.

Reported in: WICHITA KS || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K14U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

last year i had the same failure on the hinge that holds the glass in the hatch. i was attempting to close the glass when it cracked. i couldn't put the window down, so proceeded to drive to the auto body shop where he stated he had never seen this type of problem. i got it replaced and am a little worried this will happen again.

Reported in: SAINT JOHN IN || Crash: N || VIN #:

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

failed brake light switch, ford pn f00b13480-ba this switch failed because the bi-metal switch contact fractured from metal fatigue, which caused the switch to become inoperable: which causes the brakes lights to not function as well as prevent the transmission selector to properly engage. and in addition to noting the internal failure inside the switch the contact points inside appear to be pitted. vehicle mileage is only 44,700. this switch design appears to be shared with other ford and mercury products, however it is interesting that there are no known sources in the after market; ford oem only !

Reported in: STANHOPE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W64Z

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

speed control; mercury mountaineer, 2004. intermittent function. sometimes should not turn off or on.

Reported in: MATTHEWS NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K24U

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

i just purchase a used 2004 mercury mtnr...everytime i set the cruise control the cars lights come on and gauges and the vehicles turns off i have to wait several minutes before it restarts.

Reported in: LAWRENCEVILLE GA || Crash: N || VIN #:

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

on august 29, 2008, at about 9:30 p.m., i was going home from a vacation. i was going 55 miles per hour and the vehicle power completely stopped. i was able to get off the freeway safely and after several attempts the vehicle started up again. this was very frightening because we try our best to maintain the vehicle to its optimal i.e. oil,tires. this needs to be investigated further by this agency as soon as possible. thank you

Reported in: MONTEBELLO CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66W04U

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

vehicle has 75,000 miles. for the last 5,000 miles or so, the car will have a complete power failure and turn off. we have to coast to a stop, put it in park, and then start the car. this has happened five or six times. the dealership says they cannot duplicate the problem.

Reported in: LA GRANGE NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W64U

STRUCTURE

2004 mercury mountaineer premier, 45,049 miles - rear liftgate hinge broke right in half & liftgate fell while vehicle owner reaching for bag in cargo area. injuries to back of head, neck, right shoulder, elbow, wrist, thoracic spine, right scapula, right hip, knee & ankle. dealer (west herr) removed & replaced both liftgate hinges & reassembled liftgate glass.

Reported in: DEPEW NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86K34U

STRUCTURE:BODY

crack at mercury emblem on back panel glass section. this suddenly appeared. was advised by local mercury dealership, northpark lincoln mercury that there is no recall. also had this examined by a bodyshop and was told it appeared to be a defect.

Reported in: BULVERDE TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K94U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

my wife was closing the rear window portion of the rear hatch and the 2 hinges snapped off and the whole window fell down to the bumper she had to get a chair to put under it so it didn't crash to the floor all this by herself trying to take the kids to school she could not go anywhere i think what it actually is the struts are bad and they are what caused the problem.

Reported in: SAN DIEGO CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14Z

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

my wife was closing the rear window portion of the rear hatch and the 2 hinges snapped off and the whole window fell down to the bumper she had to get a chair to put under it so it didn't crash to the floor all this by herself trying to take the kids to school she could not go anywhere i think what it actually is the struts are bad and they are what caused the problem.

Reported in: SAN DIEGO CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

while parked outside my office door the back liftgate window and liftgate blew out for no apparent reason. glass inside and outside the vehicle. had the children been seated in the 3rd seat they would have been seriously injured. ford motor co refused to acknowledge any responsibility, the insurance company handles it as a comp claim and i was out $250. and without an answer as to why it happened and would it happen again!??

Reported in: BAY CITY MI || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY

crack on rear hatch from top of hatch down and around the emblem (under the rear window). vehicle is a 2004 mercury mountaineer with 75k miles.

Reported in: LA GRANGE NC || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

transmission slipping and recently within this month noticed a crack in the liftgate and the liftgate will not rise fully.

Reported in: RICHMOND VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E14Z

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

transmission slipping and recently within this month noticed a crack in the liftgate and the liftgate will not rise fully.

Reported in: RICHMOND VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E14Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

2004 mercury mountaineer rear window panel cracked and hinges will not stay tight. ford dealer said this is a common problem but ford will not repair if vehicle is not under warranty. vehicle has 53,000 miles but i had dealer check vehicle while it was under warranty and they said all it needed was adjusting.

Reported in: CLIO AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K74U

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

2004 mercury mountaineer rear window panel cracked and hinges will not stay tight. ford dealer said this is a common problem but ford will not repair if vehicle is not under warranty. vehicle has 53,000 miles but i had dealer check vehicle while it was under warranty and they said all it needed was adjusting.

Reported in: CLIO AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K74U

STRUCTURE:BODY

crack appeared in body of vehicle in the back above and around the mercury emblem. it contracts and expands depending on the temperature. there was no crash, impact or anything that caused this failure. it is a defect in the body. the consequences of this are the inability to use the hatch, the repair bill and the depreciation of the vehicle.

Reported in: EDMOND OK || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY

the failure is for a 2004 mercury mountaineer and 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 on online forums and to me seems like a deficiency in the material that makes up the lift gate or tailgate. (i.e. - the logo is so big and the material around the logo emblem so thin that it cracks under pressure and change in temperature) i would also like to add that i have been told that the ford explorer has a recall for this exact type of problem, yet mercury has yet to issue a recall for the mountaineer. the vehicles that have incurred this type of problem have been around the same years (2004-2006 models - or at least the vehicles that i have seen this problem occur in.) 1. the events that have led up to this failure includes: mercury and ford are solely to blame for producing a faulty tailgate or lift gate on these vehicles and should recall them. the change in temperature along with average usage of shutting or closing the tailgate would cause a vibration to promote the tailgate to crack. i noticed my failure or crack in mid-august of 2008, i've owned my vehicle since 2004 but it has been garaged all of those years except for last year, which could explain why it happened last year (change in temperature more severe). 2. i have noted how the failure occurs, its consequences include a crack in the lift gate of the vehicle, which is aesthetically non-appealing, and this could lead to a larger crack in the lift gate that could eventually cause major problems for the vehicle. this crack (which is not minor, 3 - 5 inches usually) could also reduce or lead to compromising the vehicles structural integrity and reduce crash test ratings. this is a big concern for your safety. 3. i personally spent over $400 to replace the entire lift gate. i should be reimbursed and mercury should recall this problem.

Reported in: PLENTYWOOD MT || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W24Z

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

transmission is slipping. i noticed when putting vehicle in reverse it jerks real hard into gear. also coming to a stop and when taking off from a stop the truck will jerk.

Reported in: BALTIMORE MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86K34Z

AIR BAGS

my 2004 mercury mountaineer has a crack in the lift gate that appeared a year after i brought it from the dealership. at first i thought it was something i might have done but every one i ran across has the same identical crack in the same area. people i spoke with said it just showed up one day. is there a recall on this defect?

Reported in: CHESAPEAKE VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1FAFP13P5XW

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact noticed a crack in the rear liftgate panel of her vehicle. the crack curves around the mercury logo located on the rear panel. the contact called the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that they would give her 20% off the repair since her vehicle was out of warranty. the failure mileage was 60,000. updated 03/12/09. *lj updated 03/13/09. *jb

Reported in: BOCA RATON FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K64U

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

our vehicle was purchased in june 2008 at dealership nearby. we were driving home and there was a grinding and popping sound in the rearend of the vehicle. it was me , my husband, 3 mth old and 2 yr old occupying the car. my husband got out of the car and stated to get the babies out of the car in a hurry it was on fire. we got the babies out and ran in to call 911 and the fire dept. the fire was contained and took to a local garage at that time i contacted my auto insurance to see if this was something that would be covered. they sent an auto adjuster out to look at it. our insurance did help to repair the rear differential. the rear differential had got so hot it exploded causing the fire. then after the car was repaired we began to have problems again at that time i contacted ford motor company. they explained they could not replace the car but if i took to a local ford dealer for diagnostic they may consider repairing. so i did and the whole transfer case has to be replaced and ford is not paying for the cost. i just don't want this experience to happen to anyone else and to risk their lives just driving this car as a result to a fire. the fire was close to the fuel tank. i don't think this car is safe for us to drive i always have that fear in my mind and worrying about my babies. now i have this new problem with the vehicle to deal with. i have talked to several people and one particular company that has the same type of vehicles with the same problems. something really needs to be done about this.

Reported in: PENNINGTON GAP VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K44U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

my vehicles transmission had slipped once and took it in as soon as it happened to a mercury dealer for service and they changed fluid and filter now it don't have reverse or forward gears unless i shift it manually the dealer said if they change fluid it will get worse and it did so they are aware of the problem why wasn't a recall given for this vehicles transmission plus there is no dip stick on the transmission to check the fluid now i have a vehicle that needs a transmission that has to be replaced at a cost of 3500 dollars and is out of warranty i am very disappointed that a car company can get away with this.

Reported in: IUKA MS || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W84Z

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

i started my 2004 mercury mountaineer the other day, and the engine started making a horrible noise, like a lawn mower, right when it started. i shut it off immediately and eventually had to get a tow truck to bring me to the ford dealer. luckily i wasn't driving this time when it happened. it turns out that the engine spat out a spark plug. this seems to be a chronic problem with ford motor company suv's and pick-ups. the temporary solution is to plug the socket because the threads wore out. however the spark plug was factory-installed and the issue is definitely a ford problem. the next time, it could be either lead to a terrible accident or thousands of dollars to repair, or both.

Reported in: CORTLANDT MANOR NY || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while the vehicle was turned off, the contact's two year old son grabbed the key and placed it in the ignition. he attempted to start the vehicle, but the engine never ignited. the child then proceeded to place the shifter in either neutral or drive and the vehicle began to roll approximately 350 feet down a hill. the vehicle crashed into a brush-hog and a honda vehicle before finally coming to a stop when it crashed into a building. the child sustained a contusion and lacerations to his head, chest, and legs. the vehicle was towed and is currently at a salvage yard. the police stated that even though the vehicle was not started, the gears were able to be shifted, which should not have occurred. a police report was filed. the contact believes that the failure was due to a manufacturer defect and they should be held accountable. the speed was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 59,000.

Reported in: PINEVILLE MO || Crash: Y || VIN #: 2MRDA20234B

STRUCTURE:BODY

rear lift gate on 2004 mercury mountaineer would not close. noticed hinge attachment for glass looked as though it was falling off. gate would not close and is damaged.

Reported in: SILVER SPRING MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E74U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. when the contact closed the rear liftgate door, it suddenly cracked underneath the window. the dealer stated that it was due to a manufacturer defect, but there was no recall. the contact believes that the manufacturer should be responsible for the repair cost. the current and failure mileages were 58,000.

Reported in: HOBE SOUND FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E74U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

2004 mercury mountaineer-the rear hatch hinge broke. looks like it is corroded. have not found out how much this costs because of lack of money. have found numerous reports online and even a recalls for the year before this for the same thing. why isn't this being recalled? i am a 5ft 2 inch woman, and i had to catch this when it fell off. it could have broken my legs.

Reported in: JONESTOWN PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K744

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

during the later part of june 2008, i purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer from carmax at the chicago ridge location in illinois which had 28,579 miles. according to the carfax report and sales person, this vehicle had successfully passed the 100 point inspection, and under normal driving condition this car had no major mechanical or electrical defects. within the first 30 days i noticed a slight delay between shifting gears began to manifest, so naturally, i took the car immediately back to carmax. since the problem exceeded their ability to fix it, i was instructed by carmax to take the car back to its original manufacturer, which is your organization, ford. on july 1st 2008 a ford mechanic at the 95th western location reported that they reprogrammed the truck, replaced vibration damper, and worked on the pulley-crankshaft. the delay ceased for a short period of time. within the next few months, the problem reappeared in an even greater capacity than before as now the gears between the forward and reverse proceeded to produce a kick back motion. i decided to get a second written mechanical opinion from meineke transmission and muffler on 107th western, only to be told that the transmission was bad. since the 100 point inspection on the carfax did not indicate such, as i would like to believe that carmax would not have sold me the car in that condition, i decided to get yet another written opinion. once again, by another independent mechanic at lucha¿s auto repair in south chicago, i was told that not only was the transmission bad but that it had to have been that way upon my original purchase as the year of the car (2004) is not commensurate with the degree of damage to the transmission as the car is less than six years old. let me also state that the car is also under 50,000 miles.

Reported in: SOUTH HOLLAND IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

rear axle failure at 35,000 miles. replaced both rear axle shafts, bearings, seals, cv boots, and complete differential with used parts per the extended warranty coverage.

Reported in: MILWAUKEE WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W24Z

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

while driving 35-45 mph, car suddenly shut down. check engine light and battery light came on. loss of power steering, power brakes, acceleration. maneuvered vehicle to nearby parking lot, waited, and then restarted the vehicle. no problem in restarting vehicle and all warning lights were off. used cruise control prior to incident. intermittent problem; unable to re-create for ford dealer to diagnose. new battery was installed by ford dealer in winter 2009.

Reported in: GRAND RAPIDS MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W34U

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

while driving 35-45 mph, car suddenly shut down. check engine light and battery light came on. loss of power steering, power brakes, acceleration. maneuvered vehicle to nearby parking lot, waited, and then restarted the vehicle. no problem in restarting vehicle and all warning lights were off. used cruise control prior to incident. intermittent problem; unable to re-create for ford dealer to diagnose. new battery was installed by ford dealer in winter 2009.

Reported in: GRAND RAPIDS MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W34U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

problems with transmission in my 2004 mercury mountaineer. when in park and shifting in reverse it delays and then a loud hard clunk. it also clunks from going into second gear. my car is out of the standard 36,000 miles/ 3 year warranty. i am very disappoint in ford. the car hasn't even hit 30,000 miles yet.

Reported in: CAMPBELL CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66W44U

AIR BAGS

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while idling at a stop light, the air bags deployed without any prior warnings. an inspector from the insurance agency concluded that the failure was caused by a manufactures defect. the manufacturer was notified, and a representative requested the control restraint module from the dealer to investigate the failure. no repairs were made. she was awaiting a response from the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 60,000. updated 11/13/09.*lj the front and rear air bags deployed. updated 11/16/09

Reported in: JULIUSTOWN NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W04Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

my lift gate glass hinges have started to fail, the pin holding the top and bottom part of the hinges together have come out on one side of both hinges causing them to turn and start letting the other side come out. eventually within the next couple of months the glass will fall out all together. because of this the latch does not line up right and has cause the exterior trim molding to completely crack from top to bottom. i have ordered the hinges to be replaced and i will have to pay for this repair myself before something bad happens, even though there is a recall for this on the previous years of my vehicle.

Reported in: WASILLA AK || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W44Z

STRUCTURE

the glass in the lift rear gate fell out into my son's hand. thank god, he did not suffer any injuries. i had to take it in and have the hinges replaced. this repair cost me $100 because i had a warranty. previous incidents similar to mine have been reported. the car manufactures need to come up with a better design.

Reported in: ELGIN IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W94Z

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

while driving 40-45 mph and using the cruise control, car suddenly shut down. check engine light and battery light came on. loss of power steering, power brakes, acceleration. was able to steer suv to off the road but was very difficult to do so. nearly ran off a 10 to 12 foot drop off into a drainage ditch. this has happened several times before. car max (where we bought suv could not duplicate the issue so they sent it to metro ford in independence, mo and on the first time it happened replace the throttle position sensor but that did not fix the problem). the wrench and fail safe mode came on this last time but the persons repairing it indicated they found no codes for it and were unable to re-create to diagnose. from research i know this is a problem with other vehicles of this type (both the loss of electrical power and the no code found situation) but we came very close to an injury related accident because of this.

Reported in: BLUE SPRINGS MO || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W34Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments - the left hinge on the liftgate on my 2004 mercury mountaineer fractured, causing the glass liftgate to swing out. the right hinge held but shows corrosion. this appears to be the same issue in nhtsa campaign 04v442000 for model years 2002 - 2003. the liftgate is no longer operational. i have not yet replace the parts.

Reported in: LEOMINSTER MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W04U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments - the left hinge on the liftgate on my 2004 mercury mountaineer fractured, causing the glass liftgate to swing out. the right hinge held but shows corrosion. this appears to be the same issue in nhtsa campaign 04v442000 for model years 2002 - 2003. the liftgate is no longer operational. i have not yet replace the parts.

Reported in: LEOMINSTER MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W04U

STRUCTURE:BODY

i own a 2004 mercury mountaineer. recently, i found the back panel to the liftgate near the emblem is completely cracked. this is causing a safety concern for me on the road as it could be dangerous to myself and others while driving. i contacted ford and they refuse to recall this product. hundreds of similar complaints can be found online and by service mechanics.

Reported in: RIVER FALLS WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86KX4Z

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

here is the e-mail i sent to ford regarding what is going on. : my name is leanne freeman i own a 2004 mercury mountaineer,i have been having transmission trouble with the car since i bought it. i am concerned that i am not the only person having this trouble i looked on the internet and was able to find 25,000 pages of people having the same trouble many of which have made contact with ford. i am concerned that ford knows there is a problem and has done nothing to fix it. why have they not done some kind of recall i could see if this problem had only happened to a hand full of people but there is over 25,000 pages with each page having over 50 post per page of owners having this same problem ???? i have saved all the info from all the people having this problem if you would like me to forward it to you i will be happy to thank you for your time leanne freeman http://www.carcomplaints.com/mercury/mountaineer/2002/transmission/od_light_came_on.shtml http://wiki.answers.com/q/why_would_the_transmission_on_a_mercury_mountaineer_keep_shifting_hard http://www.ford-problems.com/explorer-transmission-problems.htm http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1c1b35 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ei=jsuks6k0ens0tgeig4jjbw&sa=x&oi=spell&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0cdyqbsga&q=transmission+problems+on+mercury+mountaineer&spell=1 http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/mercury/mountaineer/r65436/comments/page-2/ http://www.carcomplaints.com/mercury/mountaineer/2002/transmission/transmission_failure.shtml http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/mercury/mountaineer/r65436/comments/ http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0ff573.

Reported in: HENDERSONVILLE TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W44U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 mercury mountaineer with 64,000 miles, transmission started to make noises, about a week later it would not shift. shop said some grove in something in the transmission. had it fixed for $3,000. later found out the transmission was out at 10,000 miles before we bought it. also had a 2004 lincoln aviator with 54,000 on it and had to fix the transmission, shop said there was some grove on some part in the transmission. very expensive problems with low miles.

Reported in: FOND DU LAC WI || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY

rear back panel cracked. was parked in garage for 2 days, temp was -15f low/22f high. fine one day, cracked rear panel (around the rear hatch window). dealer states no recall, see this all the time. $500 to fix.

Reported in: ELK RIVER MN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W74Z

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 mercury mountaineer sometimes jerk really hard when put in reverse gear. twice, it jerked so hard, i had to slam on the brakes, cause it was backing back fast. really scared me. other times, it jerks hard, but stays put until i press the gas. i never know when this will happen, there is no warning. took truck to mercury dealer once, over a year ago. said they checked, but couldn't find anything. vehicle is paid for. no longer have warranty. about 3 weeks ago when the last jerk occurred.

Reported in: LONG BEACH CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU66K74Z

AIR BAGS

my 2004 mercury mountaineer accelerated on it's own as i was pulling into a parking space. the vehicle made a roaring sound. my foot never left the brake pedal and i could not stop it. i jumped the curb, went over a grassy area, over the sidewalk and did not stop until i hit a concrete building at approximately 25-30 miles per hour. it caused significant damage to the building and to the car. airbag did not deploy. i have had the body damage repaired and my auto insurance has paid over $3,000 for that. my husband took it to our nearest ford dealer where they ran a diagnostic and it showed an electronic malfunction. they said the throttle body assembly needs replacing. the technician did not give us a print-out and said he couldn't find it when we checked back later. we contacted ford motor company to see if they would pay for the replacement because our insurance would not. they also will not pay for it, but sent us to another ford dealer to run a diagnostic on the airbags. after explaining my ordeal to the technician, he agreed to also check the throttle body. he said their diagnostic test shows no problems with the airbag or the throttle body! he also stated that the first dealer could have wiped it from the memory of the computer. after my husband spoke with a customer service rep at ford motor company today, she said she would request that the dealer who ran the first diagnostic test send us a copy of the print-out that he couldn't find for us. the car is going back into the shop tomorrow at a local private mechanic (not a ford dealer technician) and we will take it from there. as of today, nothing has been repaired other than the body damage.

Reported in: NEW TAZEWELL TN || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W74Z

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

my 2004 mercury mountaineer accelerated on it's own as i was pulling into a parking space. the vehicle made a roaring sound. my foot never left the brake pedal and i could not stop it. i jumped the curb, went over a grassy area, over the sidewalk and did not stop until i hit a concrete building at approximately 25-30 miles per hour. it caused significant damage to the building and to the car. airbag did not deploy. i have had the body damage repaired and my auto insurance has paid over $3,000 for that. my husband took it to our nearest ford dealer where they ran a diagnostic and it showed an electronic malfunction. they said the throttle body assembly needs replacing. the technician did not give us a print-out and said he couldn't find it when we checked back later. we contacted ford motor company to see if they would pay for the replacement because our insurance would not. they also will not pay for it, but sent us to another ford dealer to run a diagnostic on the airbags. after explaining my ordeal to the technician, he agreed to also check the throttle body. he said their diagnostic test shows no problems with the airbag or the throttle body! he also stated that the first dealer could have wiped it from the memory of the computer. after my husband spoke with a customer service rep at ford motor company today, she said she would request that the dealer who ran the first diagnostic test send us a copy of the print-out that he couldn't find for us. the car is going back into the shop tomorrow at a local private mechanic (not a ford dealer technician) and we will take it from there. as of today, nothing has been repaired other than the body damage.

Reported in: NEW TAZEWELL TN || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W74Z

VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER

i own a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the hinges holding the rear winsdhield in place broke and my windshield fell out. i understand there was a recall on the ford explorer for the same issue but not for the mercury mountaineer. since there are no recalls for my vehicle i am responsible for paying on the repairs and i feel this is a safety recall issue. *dt

Reported in: GLEN BURNIE MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K64Z

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

brake light safety switch failed twice

Reported in: STANHOPE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W64Z

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

2004 mercury mountaineer has hub bearing defects, transmission defects, drive train defects, rear axle and differential defects. there are thousands of complaints about these components of mercury mountaineer and ford explorer yet nhtsa does nothing. ford will not fix these problems and has been doing band aid fixes under warranty. they deny there is a problem yet there are thousands of complaints on the various web sites. it makes me believe nhtsa is in bed with the auto manufacturers and really don't care about the public. wheels fall off cars cause hub bearings fail yet there is no recall.. ford puts the wrong transmission fluid in cars, transmission fails...there is no recall. rear axle seal fails and no recalls why!!!

Reported in: AKRON OH || Crash: N || VIN #:

SUSPENSION

2004 mercury mountaineer has hub bearing defects, transmission defects, drive train defects, rear axle and differential defects. there are thousands of complaints about these components of mercury mountaineer and ford explorer yet nhtsa does nothing. ford will not fix these problems and has been doing band aid fixes under warranty. they deny there is a problem yet there are thousands of complaints on the various web sites. it makes me believe nhtsa is in bed with the auto manufacturers and really don't care about the public. wheels fall off cars cause hub bearings fail yet there is no recall.. ford puts the wrong transmission fluid in cars, transmission fails...there is no recall. rear axle seal fails and no recalls why!!!

Reported in: AKRON OH || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

transmission rebuild at 100,000 miles, 6 yrs old. feel like it is too soon to have this kind of problem. i understand this has been a quite a common problem too. the body panel under the back glass is also cracked.

Reported in: COALING AL || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE

glass lift gate strut froze when it was opened when i tried to close it, the force broke the hinge at the top. if i had not immediately supported the lift gate it would have fallen. the hinge on the other side was cracked and bent and about to give. the emblem on the gate has also been cracked for quite awhile. i did have the transmission fluid issue addressed when the vehicle was still under warranty, but still experience transmission slamming into gear in reverse at various times.

Reported in: KATY TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66KX4U

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

i drove a 2004 mercury mountaineer suv and as i was turning into the apartment complex from a complete stop, the gas pedal clamped down & i couldn't get the brake to work. my suv was totaled & i ran into a full-sized pick-up truck, which was totaled too. i reported the problem to the police & my insurance company. the insurance company told me not to tell anyone else about it. it was late evening, so no kids were out, but being unable to control my vehicle, which totaled two full-sized trucks is scary!

Reported in: MACON GA || Crash: Y || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while the vehicle was parked, the contact manually closed the rear hatchback and the window glass shattered unexpectedly onto her arm. the small pieces of glass scattered inside and outside of the vehicle. there was no personal injury. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician informed that the cause of failure was contributed to the hatchback defective latch. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was unknown.

Reported in: DE PERE WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K34Z

VISIBILITY

rear glass hinge failure on 2004 mercury mountaineer. hinge pin failed on my rear glass hinge.

Reported in: PORTAGE IN || Crash: N || VIN #:

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

to ford motor company (fmc) via website: your inquiry: has any mechanic every came across a situation similar to my 2004 mountaineer cruise control problem as follows: every time i set the cruise control between 27-45mph and descend a hill, the engine shuts down! that's right; no power steering, no power brakes, no engine running! this is definitely a safety/warranty issue to me? the mercury service manager said that he never heard of such a problem and it's going to cost me at least $70.00, just for him to figure out what's wrong! from fmc: thank you for contacting the ford motor company customer relationship center regarding the cruise control concern on your 2004 mercury mountaineer. i sincerely understand the frustration that this experience has brought you. please be advised that complete vehicle service records are maintained at the servicing dealership only. as dealerships are independently owned and operated, we do not have access to other vehicles' service records; thus, cannot determine if this is considered to be a common occurrence. moreover, our dealers determine how the diagnostic fee will be applied when assigning technicians to service vehicles. in this instance, the $70 diagnostic fee that was quoted to you and the manner in which it would apply, is a standard practice for this dealership. i invite you to speak with the customer relations manager or the service manager, as he/she would be in the best position to address your diagnostic fee. at this time, i recommend that your vehicle be inspected by a lincoln-mercury dealership to determine the cause of any symptoms your vehicle may be experiencing. they have factory-trained technicians, the most current engineering service information, and the specialized equipment required to resolve your vehicle concerns. if there is no coverage under applicable warranties, recalls or extended service plans, repairs and services would be your responsibility. make an appointment with fmc dealer.

Reported in: WEXFORD PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W34Z

SUSPENSION:FRONT

2004 mercury mountaineer with 40k miles had driver side upper and lower ball joint failure. this was uncover during a normal state inspection. replacement of both joints was required to safely drive this car.

Reported in: ANDOVER MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E44U

STRUCTURE

in july 2008 filed my first complaint when the entire back lift gate and window blew out while vehicle was parked. insurance repaired it, i paid a 200.00 deductible. again the medallion has cracked 3/4 of the way and i am wondering if this is the start of another lift gate blow out/glass all over, etd.

Reported in: BAY CITY MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K64Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while parked he noticed there was a crack below the mercury emblem on the rear lift gate. the vehicle was not taken to be examined for the cause of failure and was not repaired. the failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage was 79,000. the vin was unavailable.

Reported in: FALL RIVER MA || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 mercury mountaineer. transmission failing 69,469 miles on vehicle. tailgate cracked also. not sure if worth repairing.

Reported in: TARENTUM PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact noticed that when driving, the transmission was unable to be shifted into second or fifth gear. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. the contact called the manufacturer who took a complaint but offered no further assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

Reported in: CEDAR GROVE IN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W04U

STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE

i own a 2004 mercury mountaineer has four thousand miles. the vehicle was storage in garage for four and half years. i started to use the vehicle on last fall of 2009. on september i see the tailgate developed a crack around the emblem and the rear glass. the heater is not working also. this is obvious manufacture defects!

Reported in: WESTMINSTER CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K84U

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

2004 mercury mountaineer - harmonic balancer failed. it was noticed when a squeaky noise was coming from the engine. although is was caught before any serious injury occurred, this failure may have led to one. if the balancer had completely failed, it could have resulted in loss of steering and at highway speeds would have been catastrophic. steering is lost because drive belt would have come lose. unit was replaced at a cost of $475. old part was saved for inspection.

Reported in: ANDOVER MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E44U

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

just purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer today. driving home, using cruise/speed control at around 30mph and driving on a slight decline, the vehicle shut down. all indicator lights went on, and i had to coast to the side of the road. i put vehicle in park and restarted it without problem. there were no indicator lights (check-engine, etc.) lit up. immediately went to local ford dealership and they had no clue, especially since the computer did not have any codes indicating a problem.. i'm canceling the check and returning the vehicle tomorrow.

Reported in: NORTHFIELD MN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K24Z

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

just purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer today. driving home, using cruise/speed control at around 30mph and driving on a slight decline, the vehicle shut down. all indicator lights went on, and i had to coast to the side of the road. i put vehicle in park and restarted it without problem. there were no indicator lights (check-engine, etc.) lit up. immediately went to local ford dealership and they had no clue, especially since the computer did not have any codes indicating a problem.. i'm canceling the check and returning the vehicle tomorrow.

Reported in: NORTHFIELD MN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K24Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

i own a 2004 mercury mountaineer. about a week ago i noticed a crack in the rear liftgate panel of my vehicle. the crack curves around the mercury logo located on the rear panel. i contacted the dealer and he said ford is very aware of this problem and he repairs many cracked liftgates on ford/mercury suv's, especially in the winter due to expanding and contracting of plastic. it is almost halfway down the back and am afraid that the window will pop out while driving and cause an accident or injure someone. it is a safety hazard. ford needs to recall these vehicles and fix this problem. it should not be the responsibility of the consumer, since it is a defect of the suv.

Reported in: MARIETTA GA || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 mercury mountaineer v8, 47,000 miles. transmission is shot. it slipped in and out or reverse (creating a very dangerous situation since i could not control the vehicle when it was in reverse) and it struggled to shift gears in drive. no warning light before the problems began. the vehicle aged out of warranty in july 2010. ford will not pay for anything (although the dealer is cutting me a break on the service costs).

Reported in: MOUNTAIN VIEW CA || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

have a little over 67,000 miles on vehicle. driving at highway speed transmission indicator came on, o/d indicator flashes and service engine indicator came on. transmission shifts roughly from 1st gear to 2nd, and does not have overdrive. service station ran diagnostic which resulted in 4 service codes: po732, po735, po775, and po1744. these codes were also confirmed by aamco transmission. the result appears to be transmission solenoid pack, along with rebuild of the transmission.

Reported in: HARRISBURG PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86EX4U

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

we were driving down the road at about 55mph in a 2004 mercury mountaineer and suddenly both side curtain airbags deployed...no accident, no impact, no potholes, no veering off the road...just cruising when this happened. we almost wrecked. our local ford dealer says we have to pay $80 for a diagnostics test to determine why this happened and determine why the airbag light did not light up ahead of time to warn us if there was a malfunction or problem with airbag sensors or module. however, the dealer says that no matter what they find, ford motor company will not pay for repairs. we will have to pay for them (which we can't afford) and now we have no working airbags at all.

Reported in: FLINTVILLE TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W24Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that there was a hairline fracture below the rear window near the rear liftgate latch. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired for the defect. the failure mileage was 55,000. the vin was unavailable.

Reported in: DEEP RUN NC || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the vehicle began to experience a very hard shift when changing gears and driving any speed. the vehicle would also surge forward slightly during the hard shifts. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the contact also stated that the gear shift lever felt abnormally loose whenever operated. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 68,000 and the current mileage was 71,000. updated 3/7/11 *cn updated 03/14/11

Reported in: ALBUQUERQUE NM || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86KX4Z

STRUCTURE

i have two complaints involving the back liftgate on my 2004 mercury mountaineer. in 2008, with approx 45k miles on it, a crack developed above and below the emblem on the liftgate (like several others i've noticed on this website). the dealer didn't even look at it but said they were aware of the problem and it would cost me $500 for a new liftgate! i declined at that time. more recently, the back window hinges broke and my wife was there to catch it. she spoke to the dealer and there was no recall for it and, once again they wanted to sell a new hatch to us for over $1000 including parts and labor. we took it to our local body shop and they fixed it for $183 and got the new hinges directly from the mercury dealer we spoke to earlier. these items should have been recalled and people reimbursed for their expenses relating to getting them fixed on their own. i cannot bring myself to buy another ford product if they don't accept responsibility for their defects.

Reported in: WEST DES MOINES IA || Crash: N || VIN #:

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

i was driving on the highway at about 55mph in a 2004 mercury mountaineer and suddenly both side curtain airbag deployed. there was no accident, no impact, no potholes, no veering or running off the road; just driving and it happened. scared me half to death. i was able to compose myself well enough to not wreck. furthermore, there was no warning from the dash for the airbag to inform me of any malfunctions or problem with the airbag sensor or module.

Reported in: NASHVILLE TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W74Z

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while having the vehicle serviced for routine maintenance at an authorized dealer the contact could smell a burning odor. the contact was told the engine manifold was cracked and leaking. the vehicle was repaired. a few days later the vehicle began shaking while stopped. the vehicle was taken back to an authorize dealer where the contact was told the engine coils and spark plugs needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 46,845. updated 03/24/11*lj updated 1/4/11 *cn

Reported in: HOLLYWOOD FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU66W84Z

STRUCTURE

rear door panel cracked, visual, then found several more 2004 mountaineers with the same crack, now a lawsuit has been filed as class action, i hear a noise mechanical grind from rear of vehicle, stop by a ford dealer to get a trade in price, and see if anything is mentioned, they tell me to get my car fixed, !! no mention they knew of the problems, now i read transmission problems, glass visibility problems, cruise control fire, problems my car's cruise quit working, on and on it goes, lists of lists of problems, i know cars wear out but to know there are problems and hide them, needs action.

Reported in: KANSAS CITY MO || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W13Z

POWER TRAIN

rear door panel cracked, visual, then found several more 2004 mountaineers with the same crack, now a lawsuit has been filed as class action, i hear a noise mechanical grind from rear of vehicle, stop by a ford dealer to get a trade in price, and see if anything is mentioned, they tell me to get my car fixed, !! no mention they knew of the problems, now i read transmission problems, glass visibility problems, cruise control fire, problems my car's cruise quit working, on and on it goes, lists of lists of problems, i know cars wear out but to know there are problems and hide them, needs action.

Reported in: KANSAS CITY MO || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W13Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that there was a fracture in the panel of the rear liftgate from the bottom of the window to the base of the liftgate. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis or repairs. the contact stated that the rear liftgate was inoperable. the failure and current mileage was 70,000.

Reported in: RICHMOND VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E44U

STRUCTURE:BODY

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the vehicle was parked when the contact noticed that there was a large crack on the rear lift-gate door panel. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 85,000. the current mileage was 98,000. the vin was unavailable.

Reported in: ANNISTON AL || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate was fractured from the decal up to the middle of the rear glass. the vehicle was neither inspected nor repaired for the failure. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current and failure mileage was 51,029.

Reported in: DOVER DE || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W84U

STRUCTURE:BODY

the rear panel is cracked around the logo of my mercury mountaineer. i see this on most other mountaineers and explorers from this generation and ford has done nothing to remedy it.

Reported in: EVANS GA || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

automatic transmission shifter completely broke off when changing from park to drive on a 2004 mercury mountaineer.

Reported in: SAN ANTONIO TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K24Z

POWER TRAIN

automatic transmission shifter completely broke off when changing from park to drive on a 2004 mercury mountaineer.

Reported in: SAN ANTONIO TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K24Z

SUSPENSION

i have a used 2004 mercury mountaineer i purchased in 12/2008 it had 53,000 miles. i have done all of the required maintenance oil changes,brake pads,fluid changes, and 60,000-mile service package. i have nothing but problems with the vehicle. the failures i have are as follows: 1. front/rear brake pads,front/rear rotors,spark plugs,-defected parts 2. battery 3. tires-constant flats 4. lug torque-driver front/rear 5. hood shocks,tire pressure sensor light 6. transmission fluid leak/ front pump seal leak 7. noise at harmonic balancer 8. roar noise and shakes at all speeds 9. hub assemblies making noise front left/right side; unless replaced vehicle unsafe to drive per ford dealership 10. brake pads- front/rear need to be replaced going bad (second time needing to be replaced) 11. needs front alignment-pulls to the right side 12. fuel filter 13. needs all new tires 14. ignition coil -defective needs to be replaced 15. vehicle gear shifter is stuck while driving won't shift at all sometimes stays stuck at certain speed won't move 16.universal joints 17. axle housing gasket repairs and corrections done on vehicle: 1.new brake pads on front/rear,replaced spark plugs, resurfaced front/rear rotors.- 8/2009 2.battery replaced- 4/2010 3.tires-flats repaired/patched -8/2010,11/2010,2/2011 4.have not repaired/replaced 5.have not repaired/replaced 6.replaced seal, transmission filter and fluid changed,replaced seal-oil-6/2011 7.have not repaired/replaced 8. vehicle is shaking and loud roar noise hasn't been fixed-6/2011 9.hub assemblies front left/right side replaced -6/2011 10.have not replaced/repaired 11.have not replaced/repaired 12.fuel filter replaced-6/2011 13. bought brand new set of tires -6/2011 14.ignition coil replaced-10/2009 15. have not repaired/replaced 16. have not repaired/replaced 17. axle housing gasket replaced-04/2011.

Reported in: THE WOODLANDS TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K34U

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

i have a used 2004 mercury mountaineer i purchased in 12/2008 it had 53,000 miles. i have done all of the required maintenance oil changes,brake pads,fluid changes, and 60,000-mile service package. i have nothing but problems with the vehicle. the failures i have are as follows: 1. front/rear brake pads,front/rear rotors,spark plugs,-defected parts 2. battery 3. tires-constant flats 4. lug torque-driver front/rear 5. hood shocks,tire pressure sensor light 6. transmission fluid leak/ front pump seal leak 7. noise at harmonic balancer 8. roar noise and shakes at all speeds 9. hub assemblies making noise front left/right side; unless replaced vehicle unsafe to drive per ford dealership 10. brake pads- front/rear need to be replaced going bad (second time needing to be replaced) 11. needs front alignment-pulls to the right side 12. fuel filter 13. needs all new tires 14. ignition coil -defective needs to be replaced 15. vehicle gear shifter is stuck while driving won't shift at all sometimes stays stuck at certain speed won't move 16.universal joints 17. axle housing gasket repairs and corrections done on vehicle: 1.new brake pads on front/rear,replaced spark plugs, resurfaced front/rear rotors.- 8/2009 2.battery replaced- 4/2010 3.tires-flats repaired/patched -8/2010,11/2010,2/2011 4.have not repaired/replaced 5.have not repaired/replaced 6.replaced seal, transmission filter and fluid changed,replaced seal-oil-6/2011 7.have not repaired/replaced 8. vehicle is shaking and loud roar noise hasn't been fixed-6/2011 9.hub assemblies front left/right side replaced -6/2011 10.have not replaced/repaired 11.have not replaced/repaired 12.fuel filter replaced-6/2011 13. bought brand new set of tires -6/2011 14.ignition coil replaced-10/2009 15. have not repaired/replaced 16. have not repaired/replaced 17. axle housing gasket replaced-04/2011.

Reported in: THE WOODLANDS TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K34U

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

i have a used 2004 mercury mountaineer i purchased in 12/2008 it had 53,000 miles. i have done all of the required maintenance oil changes,brake pads,fluid changes, and 60,000-mile service package. i have nothing but problems with the vehicle. the failures i have are as follows: 1. front/rear brake pads,front/rear rotors,spark plugs,-defected parts 2. battery 3. tires-constant flats 4. lug torque-driver front/rear 5. hood shocks,tire pressure sensor light 6. transmission fluid leak/ front pump seal leak 7. noise at harmonic balancer 8. roar noise and shakes at all speeds 9. hub assemblies making noise front left/right side; unless replaced vehicle unsafe to drive per ford dealership 10. brake pads- front/rear need to be replaced going bad (second time needing to be replaced) 11. needs front alignment-pulls to the right side 12. fuel filter 13. needs all new tires 14. ignition coil -defective needs to be replaced 15. vehicle gear shifter is stuck while driving won't shift at all sometimes stays stuck at certain speed won't move 16.universal joints 17. axle housing gasket repairs and corrections done on vehicle: 1.new brake pads on front/rear,replaced spark plugs, resurfaced front/rear rotors.- 8/2009 2.battery replaced- 4/2010 3.tires-flats repaired/patched -8/2010,11/2010,2/2011 4.have not repaired/replaced 5.have not repaired/replaced 6.replaced seal, transmission filter and fluid changed,replaced seal-oil-6/2011 7.have not repaired/replaced 8. vehicle is shaking and loud roar noise hasn't been fixed-6/2011 9.hub assemblies front left/right side replaced -6/2011 10.have not replaced/repaired 11.have not replaced/repaired 12.fuel filter replaced-6/2011 13. bought brand new set of tires -6/2011 14.ignition coil replaced-10/2009 15. have not repaired/replaced 16. have not repaired/replaced 17. axle housing gasket replaced-04/2011.

Reported in: THE WOODLANDS TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K34U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

i have a used 2004 mercury mountaineer i purchased in 12/2008 it had 53,000 miles. i have done all of the required maintenance oil changes,brake pads,fluid changes, and 60,000-mile service package. i have nothing but problems with the vehicle. the failures i have are as follows: 1. front/rear brake pads,front/rear rotors,spark plugs,-defected parts 2. battery 3. tires-constant flats 4. lug torque-driver front/rear 5. hood shocks,tire pressure sensor light 6. transmission fluid leak/ front pump seal leak 7. noise at harmonic balancer 8. roar noise and shakes at all speeds 9. hub assemblies making noise front left/right side; unless replaced vehicle unsafe to drive per ford dealership 10. brake pads- front/rear need to be replaced going bad (second time needing to be replaced) 11. needs front alignment-pulls to the right side 12. fuel filter 13. needs all new tires 14. ignition coil -defective needs to be replaced 15. vehicle gear shifter is stuck while driving won't shift at all sometimes stays stuck at certain speed won't move 16.universal joints 17. axle housing gasket repairs and corrections done on vehicle: 1.new brake pads on front/rear,replaced spark plugs, resurfaced front/rear rotors.- 8/2009 2.battery replaced- 4/2010 3.tires-flats repaired/patched -8/2010,11/2010,2/2011 4.have not repaired/replaced 5.have not repaired/replaced 6.replaced seal, transmission filter and fluid changed,replaced seal-oil-6/2011 7.have not repaired/replaced 8. vehicle is shaking and loud roar noise hasn't been fixed-6/2011 9.hub assemblies front left/right side replaced -6/2011 10.have not replaced/repaired 11.have not replaced/repaired 12.fuel filter replaced-6/2011 13. bought brand new set of tires -6/2011 14.ignition coil replaced-10/2009 15. have not repaired/replaced 16. have not repaired/replaced 17. axle housing gasket replaced-04/2011.

Reported in: THE WOODLANDS TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K34U

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

i have a used 2004 mercury mountaineer i purchased in 12/2008 it had 53,000 miles. i have done all of the required maintenance oil changes,brake pads,fluid changes, and 60,000-mile service package. i have nothing but problems with the vehicle. the failures i have are as follows: 1. front/rear brake pads,front/rear rotors,spark plugs,-defected parts 2. battery 3. tires-constant flats 4. lug torque-driver front/rear 5. hood shocks,tire pressure sensor light 6. transmission fluid leak/ front pump seal leak 7. noise at harmonic balancer 8. roar noise and shakes at all speeds 9. hub assemblies making noise front left/right side; unless replaced vehicle unsafe to drive per ford dealership 10. brake pads- front/rear need to be replaced going bad (second time needing to be replaced) 11. needs front alignment-pulls to the right side 12. fuel filter 13. needs all new tires 14. ignition coil -defective needs to be replaced 15. vehicle gear shifter is stuck while driving won't shift at all sometimes stays stuck at certain speed won't move 16.universal joints 17. axle housing gasket repairs and corrections done on vehicle: 1.new brake pads on front/rear,replaced spark plugs, resurfaced front/rear rotors.- 8/2009 2.battery replaced- 4/2010 3.tires-flats repaired/patched -8/2010,11/2010,2/2011 4.have not repaired/replaced 5.have not repaired/replaced 6.replaced seal, transmission filter and fluid changed,replaced seal-oil-6/2011 7.have not repaired/replaced 8. vehicle is shaking and loud roar noise hasn't been fixed-6/2011 9.hub assemblies front left/right side replaced -6/2011 10.have not replaced/repaired 11.have not replaced/repaired 12.fuel filter replaced-6/2011 13. bought brand new set of tires -6/2011 14.ignition coil replaced-10/2009 15. have not repaired/replaced 16. have not repaired/replaced 17. axle housing gasket replaced-04/2011.

Reported in: THE WOODLANDS TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K34U

STRUCTURE

i have a used 2004 mercury mountaineer i purchased in 12/2008 it had 53,000 miles. i have done all of the required maintenance oil changes,brake pads,fluid changes, and 60,000-mile service package. i have nothing but problems with the vehicle. the failures i have are as follows: 1. front/rear brake pads,front/rear rotors,spark plugs,-defected parts 2. battery 3. tires-constant flats 4. lug torque-driver front/rear 5. hood shocks,tire pressure sensor light 6. transmission fluid leak/ front pump seal leak 7. noise at harmonic balancer 8. roar noise and shakes at all speeds 9. hub assemblies making noise front left/right side; unless replaced vehicle unsafe to drive per ford dealership 10. brake pads- front/rear need to be replaced going bad (second time needing to be replaced) 11. needs front alignment-pulls to the right side 12. fuel filter 13. needs all new tires 14. ignition coil -defective needs to be replaced 15. vehicle gear shifter is stuck while driving won't shift at all sometimes stays stuck at certain speed won't move 16.universal joints 17. axle housing gasket repairs and corrections done on vehicle: 1.new brake pads on front/rear,replaced spark plugs, resurfaced front/rear rotors.- 8/2009 2.battery replaced- 4/2010 3.tires-flats repaired/patched -8/2010,11/2010,2/2011 4.have not repaired/replaced 5.have not repaired/replaced 6.replaced seal, transmission filter and fluid changed,replaced seal-oil-6/2011 7.have not repaired/replaced 8. vehicle is shaking and loud roar noise hasn't been fixed-6/2011 9.hub assemblies front left/right side replaced -6/2011 10.have not replaced/repaired 11.have not replaced/repaired 12.fuel filter replaced-6/2011 13. bought brand new set of tires -6/2011 14.ignition coil replaced-10/2009 15. have not repaired/replaced 16. have not repaired/replaced 17. axle housing gasket replaced-04/2011.

Reported in: THE WOODLANDS TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K34U

TIRES

i have a used 2004 mercury mountaineer i purchased in 12/2008 it had 53,000 miles. i have done all of the required maintenance oil changes,brake pads,fluid changes, and 60,000-mile service package. i have nothing but problems with the vehicle. the failures i have are as follows: 1. front/rear brake pads,front/rear rotors,spark plugs,-defected parts 2. battery 3. tires-constant flats 4. lug torque-driver front/rear 5. hood shocks,tire pressure sensor light 6. transmission fluid leak/ front pump seal leak 7. noise at harmonic balancer 8. roar noise and shakes at all speeds 9. hub assemblies making noise front left/right side; unless replaced vehicle unsafe to drive per ford dealership 10. brake pads- front/rear need to be replaced going bad (second time needing to be replaced) 11. needs front alignment-pulls to the right side 12. fuel filter 13. needs all new tires 14. ignition coil -defective needs to be replaced 15. vehicle gear shifter is stuck while driving won't shift at all sometimes stays stuck at certain speed won't move 16.universal joints 17. axle housing gasket repairs and corrections done on vehicle: 1.new brake pads on front/rear,replaced spark plugs, resurfaced front/rear rotors.- 8/2009 2.battery replaced- 4/2010 3.tires-flats repaired/patched -8/2010,11/2010,2/2011 4.have not repaired/replaced 5.have not repaired/replaced 6.replaced seal, transmission filter and fluid changed,replaced seal-oil-6/2011 7.have not repaired/replaced 8. vehicle is shaking and loud roar noise hasn't been fixed-6/2011 9.hub assemblies front left/right side replaced -6/2011 10.have not replaced/repaired 11.have not replaced/repaired 12.fuel filter replaced-6/2011 13. bought brand new set of tires -6/2011 14.ignition coil replaced-10/2009 15. have not repaired/replaced 16. have not repaired/replaced 17. axle housing gasket replaced-04/2011.

Reported in: THE WOODLANDS TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K34U

STRUCTURE:BODY

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated the lift gate glass hinge disengaged and impacted her ability to drive. the contact did not sustain any injuries. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 120,000.

Reported in: MENDOTA IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W04U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked, with the rear lift gate opened, when it began to roll backwards. while attempting to enter the moving vehicle, the contact was knocked down and sustained injuries. the vehicle continued to roll backwards until crashing into a tree. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. there was an investigation open under nhtsa action number: ea09013 (steering power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl) steering:column steering:column locking:anti-theft device) that may be related to the failure. the failure mileage was 82,000. the vin was unavailable.

Reported in: NEW LONDON WI || Crash: Y || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

2004 mercury mountaineer, rear hatch molding with mercury emblem. two winters ago the molding cracked after a very cold freeze. vehicle was under warranty and the entire hatch had to be replaced. dealer had vehicle 3 or 4 days as new hatch was sent out to a local body shop to be painted, matching the vehicle color. now, the same molding has begun de-laminating from the hatch. dealer states hatch has to be replaced and will cost $1000.00. *kb

Reported in: FAIRLESS HILLS PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W64U

STRUCTURE:BODY

2004 mercury mountaineer, rear hatch molding with mercury emblem. two winters ago the molding cracked after a very cold freeze. vehicle was under warranty and the entire hatch had to be replaced. dealer had vehicle 3 or 4 days as new hatch was sent out to a local body shop to be painted, matching the vehicle color. now, the same molding has begun de-laminating from the hatch. dealer states hatch has to be replaced and will cost $1000.00. *kb

Reported in: FAIRLESS HILLS PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W64U

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that a loud popping noise could be heard whenever the vehicle was shifted into reverse. the contact also stated that the vehicle would jerk into reverse and a burning odor was present during one of the occurrences. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop on various occasions and the contact was informed that the transmission fluid needed to be replaced. the transmission fluid was replaced on numerous occasions, but the failure continued. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. updated 10/4/11 *cn updated 10/21/11

Reported in: MURPHY NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K74U

STEERING

transfer case defect causes steering difficulty on slow turns. transmission issue reported to ford in 2005 at 38,000 miles. again at 51,000. i opted for an aamco transmission when ford refused to cover. now transfer case is making driving dangerous. turning ability greatly reduced.

Reported in: MANALAPAN NJ || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E04U

POWER TRAIN

transfer case defect causes steering difficulty on slow turns. transmission issue reported to ford in 2005 at 38,000 miles. again at 51,000. i opted for an aamco transmission when ford refused to cover. now transfer case is making driving dangerous. turning ability greatly reduced.

Reported in: MANALAPAN NJ || Crash: Y || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E04U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

wife was closing liftgate and it broke from the hinges. the left side fell and hit her on the head. was trying to hold lift gate so glass wouldn't fall and break. called ford and they said it was not a recall issue. looking online it seems this happens a lot. *kb

Reported in: PRINCETON IN || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN

transmission failed at 58,000 and was rebuilt ( not replaced) under warranty. now less than 24,000 miles and 27 months later at 84,000 miles, transmission has failed again. the rebuilt transmission has not even hit the 30,000 miles major transmission service time.

Reported in: FORT WORTH TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14Z

POWER TRAIN

the transmission failed on my 2004 mountaineer the first time in july 2009 with only approx 58,000 miles. it was under warranty. i was told by the mercury dealership that my transmission would have to be rebuilt for the transmission was on national back order for a brand new transmission. i made an inquiry as to why a transmission would be on national back order??. now at approx 84,000 miles the warranty rebuilt transmission has failed again . that is only 24,000 miles put on the rebuilt transmission. my rebuilt transmission has not even hit the 30,000 miles major transmission service time. my warranty expired at 75,0000 miles . my dealership has informed me i have no warranty on a transmission that was rebuilt under warranty past 75,0000 miles.

Reported in: FORT WORTH TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14Z

POWER TRAIN

being having problems with rear lift gate [ not staying close, opens anytime, it wants to by itself. my transmission problems erratic shifting, hard shifting up and down shifting and in and out shifting on reverse from park to reverse pulls very hard. when i bought the car i told them they looked at like i didn't know what i was saying they made an appointment for mechanic to check it and said it was good but it wasn't. i have 84,000 miles on it never pull a trailer with it i've made 38 payments on it. why does ford puts a product like that and asks alot of money for the car that can't even make to 100,000 miles they should be out of act. hope ford will take care of this cars.

Reported in: WEISER ID || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W14Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

being having problems with rear lift gate [ not staying close, opens anytime, it wants to by itself. my transmission problems erratic shifting, hard shifting up and down shifting and in and out shifting on reverse from park to reverse pulls very hard. when i bought the car i told them they looked at like i didn't know what i was saying they made an appointment for mechanic to check it and said it was good but it wasn't. i have 84,000 miles on it never pull a trailer with it i've made 38 payments on it. why does ford puts a product like that and asks alot of money for the car that can't even make to 100,000 miles they should be out of act. hope ford will take care of this cars.

Reported in: WEISER ID || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W14Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

came out one morning to discover the rear hatch had a crack around the emblem of my 2004 mercury mountaineer. car was parked in driveway and was not hit or involved in an accident. started noticing that every mercury mountaineer of the same body type had similar cracks in the same location. contacted ford but did not have vin #. eventually contacted ford again with vin # and was told there was no recall and that ford was not accepting any responsibility . i told ford that it is an obvious defect to no avail. i will never buy another ford product if this is how they treat their customers. this should be a recall and ford should repair this defect. the value of my car has decreased because of this. i got a $500.00 estimate to repair it but was told it would probably happen again.

Reported in: PHILADELPHIA PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E84U

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

shut off while driving lost power steering etc.

Reported in: WETHERSFIELD CT || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the center piece emblem of the hatch back started to fracture. the vehicle was previously repaired with a new hatch back door approximately two years prior to the recent failure. the vehicle had not been inspected since the recurrence of the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. updated 04/26/12 *bf updated 05/10/12

Reported in: RICHMOND VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K94U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the center piece emblem of the hatch back started to fracture. the vehicle was previously repaired with a new hatch back door approximately two years prior to the recent failure. the vehicle had not been inspected since the recurrence of the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. updated 04/26/12 *bf updated 05/10/12

Reported in: RICHMOND VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K94U

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while traveling 5 mph in reverse, the contact noticed a thumping sound coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. moments later, the contact noticed that the vehicle would no longer accelerate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rear differential was replaced. the contact stated that the failure was recurring. the current and failure mileages were 143,000.

Reported in: JESSUP MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E34Z

POWER TRAIN

in april 2008 our transmission went. it was rebuilt with all ford parts. it's has gone again in july 2012. ford will not do anything to help me. i would like a recall on this make and year and model . this is the 3rd transmission. unacceptable!!!!!!! i want reimbursement for all 3 transmissions!

Reported in: SOUTHINGTON CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E24U

ENGINE

in april 2008 our transmission went. it was rebuilt with all ford parts. it's has gone again in july 2012. ford will not do anything to help me. i would like a recall on this make and year and model . this is the 3rd transmission. unacceptable!!!!!!! i want reimbursement for all 3 transmissions!

Reported in: SOUTHINGTON CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E24U

STRUCTURE:BODY

rear hatch back glass body-side hinge broke on right side in normal opening of glass. hinge is composed of a black plastic or nylon retaining clip with a metal pin. the plastic appears to have failed from fatigue. recent high heat (100+ degrees for several days) may be a factor. plastic broke through over the pin channel, allowing the pin to pop out. the glass is heavy and torqued by the remaining hinge and two hydraulic lifts. no injuries, but easily could have fallen, broke or shattered on the operator. the heavy glass is a danger especially to children or smaller adults. the operator fortunately had a wood slat in the back big enough to prop up the glass and support it until help arrived. even with two adults it was hard to hold and control the glass to close it and take to the dealer. retention clip really should have embedded metal reinforcement around the pin.(the larger expedition appears to have just that in the equivalent part.) reading online there are many cases of similar failure that included damage and or at least minor injuries. repair was $270 at a ford dealer. appears to be common enough failure to be a design flaw not to be repeated. admittedly this appeared on a high mileage nine year-old vehicle which has otherwise provided very good service, but the weight of the falling glass and torque involved were both dangerous and could easily have resulted in serious injury. operator felt lucky to catch and control it without breaking the glass or getting hurt.

Reported in: CLEAR LAKE IA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K54Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

as i went to shut the back lift gate window hatch, the hinge broke leaving the window to fall. luckily i caught it, but it came down hard. the shear pin broke straight off.

Reported in: WEST JORDAN UT || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W84Z

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while driving approximately 65 mph, the contact deactivated the cruise control when the vehicle suddenly stalled. the failure also recurred when driving at slower speeds or when decelerating with the cruise control activated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated there was a recall and referred the contact to the manufacturer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated there was a manufacturer's voluntary recall issued but the contact's vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. updated 9/21/12 *cn the consumer stated when the failure occurred, there was a total shutdown of the onboard computer, because the power steering and power brakes also failed. recovery required getting the vehicle stopped on the shoulder and turning off the ignition. updated 10/04/12

Reported in: BURLINGTON VT || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E64U

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while driving approximately 65 mph, the contact deactivated the cruise control when the vehicle suddenly stalled. the failure also recurred when driving at slower speeds or when decelerating with the cruise control activated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated there was a recall and referred the contact to the manufacturer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated there was a manufacturer's voluntary recall issued but the contact's vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. updated 9/21/12 *cn the consumer stated when the failure occurred, there was a total shutdown of the onboard computer, because the power steering and power brakes also failed. recovery required getting the vehicle stopped on the shoulder and turning off the ignition. updated 10/04/12

Reported in: BURLINGTON VT || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E64U

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

i opened the window hatch on the back of the vehicle and the window hinge broke and the window started to slip down almost braking my nose.

Reported in: PORT SAINT LUCIE FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K14U

POWER TRAIN

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the shifter would not shift into park due to a defective shift cable. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic where the mechanic advised that the shifter cable needed to be replaced. the contact did not have the shifter cable replaced. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Reported in: BROKEN BOW OK || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K04U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that she was opening the rear door when the rear lift gate window fractured and dropped on the contact's head. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician advised that the hinges from the lift gate needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000 and the current mileage was 120,000. updated 05/08/13*lj the consumer stated only the lift gate hinges were repaired. the hydraulic lift would not raise fully. the crack around the mercury medallion was not repaired. *js

Reported in: CITRUS HEIGHTS CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W84Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that she was opening the rear door when the rear lift gate window fractured and dropped on the contact's head. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician advised that the hinges from the lift gate needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000 and the current mileage was 120,000. updated 05/08/13*lj the consumer stated only the lift gate hinges were repaired. the hydraulic lift would not raise fully. the crack around the mercury medallion was not repaired. *js

Reported in: CITRUS HEIGHTS CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W84Z

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

engine stalls when activating cruise control which results in hazardous driving situation due to loss of power steering and brakes. have to pull over to side of road, put the vehicle in park and restart. starts every time. has repeated 3 times. this is a serious flaw in the ford electrical computer design to result a failure mode that stalls the vehicle engine while under speed.

Reported in: FREDERICK MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86E24Z

ENGINE

engine stalls when activating cruise control which results in hazardous driving situation due to loss of power steering and brakes. have to pull over to side of road, put the vehicle in park and restart. starts every time. has repeated 3 times. this is a serious flaw in the ford electrical computer design to result a failure mode that stalls the vehicle engine while under speed.

Reported in: FREDERICK MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86E24Z

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

engine stalls when activating cruise control which results in hazardous driving situation due to loss of power steering and brakes. have to pull over to side of road, put the vehicle in park and restart. starts every time. has repeated 3 times. this is a serious flaw in the ford electrical computer design to result a failure mode that stalls the vehicle engine while under speed.

Reported in: FREDERICK MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86E24Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the rear lift gate was fractured around the emblem up to the middle of the rear window. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the failure. the manufacturer was notified who stated there was no recall and to contact nhtsa. the failure mileage was 63,725. updated 03/01/13*lj

Reported in: WILLIAMSBURG PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the rear lift gate was fractured around the emblem up to the middle of the rear window. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the failure. the manufacturer was notified who stated there was no recall and to contact nhtsa. the failure mileage was 63,725. updated 03/01/13*lj

Reported in: WILLIAMSBURG PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K14U

STRUCTURE:BODY

the hinge pin on the rear lift gate window on my 2004 mercury mountaineer snapped. fortunately, the right side hinge held, preventing the entire window from falling to the ground. i did manage to get it closed despite the fact that the entire lift gate slipped downward from its proper position. this seems like a very dangerous defect, especially since the added stress could easily break the other hinge.

Reported in: MOKENA IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W44Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

rear lift gate is fractured from the window down around and through the emblem. there is no recall for this problem.

Reported in: CLIFTON CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K44Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

the left rear hinge pin on the glass lift gate failed.

Reported in: DES MOINES: IA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86K24Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

premature rusting and paint bubbling on rear quarter panel under fueling door (continues to get worse.) i have observed several other lincoln/mercury vehicles with same problem.

Reported in: DETROIT MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K94U

POWER TRAIN

i purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer first the rear liftgate plastic broke and there's a crack by the emblem on some occasions when put in reverse it makes a loud bang noise or when starting to accelerate but the biggest problem is that on the highway up to 50mph and over there seems to be a rattle under the engine and it gets louder when mph is higher im not sure what it is but im really worried that it maybe a transmission problem and if this problem isn't recalled me and my family plus others are in really big danger its a family car so im starting to worry for my family and there safety these vehicles need to go on inspection and soon so these doesn't lead to any accidents.

Reported in: BLUE ISLAND IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY

i purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer first the rear liftgate plastic broke and there's a crack by the emblem on some occasions when put in reverse it makes a loud bang noise or when starting to accelerate but the biggest problem is that on the highway up to 50mph and over there seems to be a rattle under the engine and it gets louder when mph is higher im not sure what it is but im really worried that it maybe a transmission problem and if this problem isn't recalled me and my family plus others are in really big danger its a family car so im starting to worry for my family and there safety these vehicles need to go on inspection and soon so these doesn't lead to any accidents.

Reported in: BLUE ISLAND IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

ENGINE

i purchased a 2004 mercury mountaineer first the rear liftgate plastic broke and there's a crack by the emblem on some occasions when put in reverse it makes a loud bang noise or when starting to accelerate but the biggest problem is that on the highway up to 50mph and over there seems to be a rattle under the engine and it gets louder when mph is higher im not sure what it is but im really worried that it maybe a transmission problem and if this problem isn't recalled me and my family plus others are in really big danger its a family car so im starting to worry for my family and there safety these vehicles need to go on inspection and soon so these doesn't lead to any accidents.

Reported in: BLUE ISLAND IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN

transmission seems to be failing or transfer case its really a big problem because when i drive onto the express way a rattling noise gets louder as i accelerate i feel concerned about my safety and my children plus other drivers they should recall for vehicle inspection i am very upset and scared.

Reported in: BLUE ISLAND IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN

2004 mercury mountaineer whole transmission is bad from reviews and blogs from alot of people recently read and read constant blogs about the same transmission problems that. i'm having its for sure a defect from mercury im putting risk on my family with this vehicle consult it with a mechanic and said mercury mountaineer explorers and aviator all had transmission problems there needs to be something done about this i really don't have the money to purchase a new vehicle.

Reported in: BLUE ISLAND IL || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

the passenger side hinge that holds the liftgate, cracked when opening it. the screws ar all still attached to the door and the glass, and the actual hinge fractured and splintered off. the glass liftgate is now inoperable and hanging by a single hinge.

Reported in: FALL RIVER MA || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled and there was a sudden loss of power steering. the contact mentioned that the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the failure was unable to be replicated. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 110,000.

Reported in: MADISON SD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W74Z

ENGINE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled and there was a sudden loss of power steering. the contact mentioned that the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the failure was unable to be replicated. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 110,000.

Reported in: MADISON SD || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W74Z

AIR BAGS

after reversing approximately 6 ft in my driveway i put the vehicle in drive and before taking my foot off of the brake the passenger side airbag deployed in the front seat where my 14 year old was sitting. no accident, no potholes, not even moving, no reason at all the airbag deployed.

Reported in: NAHUNTA GA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86E74U

POWER TRAIN

the transmission is slipping between gears, revving way higher than normal to shift and won't go into overdrive. my research of the problem shows this is a common issue on ford and mercury vehicles in this year range.

Reported in: KATY TX || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY

rear hatch panel cracked and large piece broke off and blew into traffic. luckily traffic behind me was far enough back that the piece did not hit the car following. i had this panel replaced on two prior occasions due to it cracking. i believe it must be due to a defective design in the rear hatch panel that caused it to happen 3 times.

Reported in: CLEARWATER FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU66K84U

STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

rear glass tail gate hatch hinge - the hinge pin was coming out through the pot metal casting. every time i opened it wore a bit more. hinge was twisted - glass hung down out of position. i was afraid it would fail on the road and injure a car behind me. i bought a new dealer hinge and installed it myself. parts and service people at dealer neglected to tell me to disconnect the gas cylinders. with tailgate closed gas cylinders are not visible. i removed the bad hinge in preparation to install new. it was a wrestling match as the cylinder was trying to force the glass out and down which twisted the other hinge. now that other hinges pin is breaking through the pot metal. it took two of us to wrestle the cylinder and get the new hinge in place. to be safe i'm just not going to use the hatch.

Reported in: MINNEAPOLIS MN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K54U

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

rear glass tail gate hatch hinge - the hinge pin was coming out through the pot metal casting. every time i opened it wore a bit more. hinge was twisted - glass hung down out of position. i was afraid it would fail on the road and injure a car behind me. i bought a new dealer hinge and installed it myself. parts and service people at dealer neglected to tell me to disconnect the gas cylinders. with tailgate closed gas cylinders are not visible. i removed the bad hinge in preparation to install new. it was a wrestling match as the cylinder was trying to force the glass out and down which twisted the other hinge. now that other hinges pin is breaking through the pot metal. it took two of us to wrestle the cylinder and get the new hinge in place. to be safe i'm just not going to use the hatch.

Reported in: MINNEAPOLIS MN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K54U

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

i actually missed two recall on my vehicle that i purchased in 2004. my dealer which is johnson brothers ford/mercury on ih 35 temple, texas 76501. my wife was unloading truck and the liftgate plunged down on her without any notice. she suffered minor injuries from incident. the year before our tailgate started cracking in 2006 . the dealer johnson brothers never notified me of the tailgate recall or the recall #rq8003 for the liftgate issue in 2008. this dealer has been the worst ive seen since buying my first new or used vehicle in america. i ,[xxx], have only received help concerning oil changes , and tire checks since 2004. poor service center for customers. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Reported in: TEMPLE TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K33U

STEERING

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while attempting to change the wheel drive, the vehicle failed to utilize the forward wheel drive. in addition, the vehicle began exhibiting several failures simultaneously. the power steering assist failed, the gear shifter failed, and the transmission was causing the vehicle to jerk abnormally. also, the power windows had become inoperable. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the contact was informed that the transfer case and transmission needed to be replaced. the additional failures were not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the incident. the approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

Reported in: MOBILE AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K84U

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while attempting to change the wheel drive, the vehicle failed to utilize the forward wheel drive. in addition, the vehicle began exhibiting several failures simultaneously. the power steering assist failed, the gear shifter failed, and the transmission was causing the vehicle to jerk abnormally. also, the power windows had become inoperable. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the contact was informed that the transfer case and transmission needed to be replaced. the additional failures were not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the incident. the approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

Reported in: MOBILE AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K84U

POWER TRAIN

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while attempting to change the wheel drive, the vehicle failed to utilize the forward wheel drive. in addition, the vehicle began exhibiting several failures simultaneously. the power steering assist failed, the gear shifter failed, and the transmission was causing the vehicle to jerk abnormally. also, the power windows had become inoperable. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the contact was informed that the transfer case and transmission needed to be replaced. the additional failures were not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the incident. the approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

Reported in: MOBILE AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86K84U

AIR BAGS

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the driver and passenger's side curtain air bags deployed erroneously. the contact sustained injuries to the back as a result. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where the technician diagnosed that the air bags needed to be replaced and reset. in addition, the liner around the windows and the safety control module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure was 107,000. ...updated 03/07/14 *bf

Reported in: ARVADA CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W54Z

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

04 mountaineer cluster gauge blacks out then meter gauge flickers. waited for 10 min i'm parking lot then it comes on. started to drive then about a mile into driving it shuts down. mind you my suv was still going but gauges shut down then my lights go off, then my windshield wipers go. by the grace of got i got home. while on road my engine was struggling. help before that incident i had just replace thermostat housing because it cracked and i was loosing coolant.

Reported in: SOUTHINGTON CT || Crash: N || VIN #:

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL

04 mountaineer cluster gauge blacks out then meter gauge flickers. waited for 10 min i'm parking lot then it comes on. started to drive then about a mile into driving it shuts down. mind you my suv was still going but gauges shut down then my lights go off, then my windshield wipers go. by the grace of got i got home. while on road my engine was struggling. help before that incident i had just replace thermostat housing because it cracked and i was loosing coolant.

Reported in: SOUTHINGTON CT || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the rear lift gate hinges were fractured and as a result, the lift gate fell onto the contacts right foot. the contact was not taken to the hospital. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for inspection of the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 96,000.

Reported in: LOS BANOS CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86K54Z

ENGINE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the vehicle suddenly stalled. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage and vin was not available.

Reported in: DEACON NY || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle exhibited a forward jerking motion. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the solenoid body was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the defect was not remedied. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 31,000. updated 5/15/14*cn..updated 05/21/14 *bf updated 06/2/2014 *js

Reported in: DETROIT MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W44Z

STRUCTURE:BODY

on the liftgate, cracked between bottom of glass and the edge of the window hatch. it cracked after a few years, and continues to deteriorate. now we have constant warning beeps, this is a real problem.

Reported in: ALBUQUERQUE NM || Crash: N || VIN #:

STRUCTURE:BODY

was looking at my vehicle when i noticed the crack from the top to bottom of lift gate, next to mercury emblem. no accident or collision, it was sitting in my driveway. after reading online there are numerous reports of the same exact occurrence on the lift gates of fords, mercury and lincolns. please issue a recall in fairness so that we may all have our vehicles repaired!

Reported in: PALACIOS TX || Crash: N || VIN #:

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while traveling 45 mph with the cruise control activated the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the cruise control switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted abut the failure. the failure and current mileage was 138,800. updated 06/17/14*lj

Reported in: BEACON NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2ZU86W54U

STRUCTURE:BODY

info copied from website is what happened to me while i was unloading my car in my garage. the best we can tell is that the right strut/arm seized and the hinge pins broke, causing the hatch to fall off. we don't have it in the shop yet. it will have to be towed. ********* nhtsa action number : rq08003nhtsa recall campaign number : n/a vehicle make / model: model year(s): mercury / mountaineer 2004 manufacturer(s) : ford motor company component(s) : structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:support device visibility:glass, side/rear summary: this investigation was opened on june 23, 2008, based on 34 complaints involving eight injuries in which the rear liftgate glass hatch on model year 2004 ford explorers or mercury mountaineers broke off and fell, usually while individuals were operating the glass hatch or loading or unloading items from the rear of the vehicle. ford conducted recall 04v-442 in 2004 to address similar problems on model year 2002 and certain model year 2003 ford explorers and mercury mountaineers. the information ford provided in response to odi's information request letter indicated that failures with 2004 vehicles were primarily liftgate glass hatch hinge failures related to corrosion at the hinge pin, whereas the failures that prompted the recall with the earlier models were primarily related to problems with the glass hatch's struts or fracture of a prior hinge design at the boss/bolt connection at the glass. odi's review of ford's warranty, complaint, and injury data for the 2004 vehicles indicates that these rates are significantly lower than those for the recalled population. a potential defect trend has not been identified at this time. odi will continue to monitor complaints and take appropriate action as necessary. this investigation is closed.

Reported in: BLAINE WA || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W54Z

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:SPINDLE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while traveling 50 mph, there was an abnormal noise and burning odor emitted from the rear end of the vehicle. the vehicle was restarted but the failure recurred. the failure occurred on two other occasions. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear differential and the axles needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 131,530 and the current mileage was 131,619.

Reported in: ORLANDO FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W54Z

SUSPENSION

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that while traveling 50 mph, there was an abnormal noise and burning odor emitted from the rear end of the vehicle. the vehicle was restarted but the failure recurred. the failure occurred on two other occasions. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear differential and the axles needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 131,530 and the current mileage was 131,619.

Reported in: ORLANDO FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W54Z

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE

tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the latch on the hatch back fractured. the contact opened the door and the door came down and struck her head. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 211,000.

Reported in: HOUSTON TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU66K84Z

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

this is not the first time this has happened! we were driving when my husband set the cruise control and it stalled our vehicle! he set it for 45 mph and it just shut the car down! this is not the first time this has happened we set it for 35 mph and it stalled the vehicle we notified the company we got the car from and they told us there was nothing wrong with it when they drove it and set the cruise control! we told them that it happened several times! and i refuse to pay for something now that my car is no longer under warranty when the place i got the suv from was aware of the issue, i seen that there were a lot of other complaints about this happening, what is mercury waiting for? someone to get killed!!

Reported in: BUSHKILL PA || Crash: N || VIN #:

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

using cruise control going down a slight grade the engine died. this has happened multiple times in the last few months, so now i know to put the vehicle in netural while still moving and re-start the engine, then pull back down into drive. this isn't easy to do, so be careful not to put in reverse or park while trying to re-start the engine.

Reported in: CLARKSVILLE TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W24Z

ENGINE

using cruise control going down a slight grade the engine died. this has happened multiple times in the last few months, so now i know to put the vehicle in netural while still moving and re-start the engine, then pull back down into drive. this isn't easy to do, so be careful not to put in reverse or park while trying to re-start the engine.

Reported in: CLARKSVILLE TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 4M2DU86W24Z