Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 05612 | 04/01/2005 | 10017898 | Delayed or harsh reverse engagements - 5r55s transmission - vehicles built prior to 09/23/2004. *tt | 12/07/2005 | |
| 04268 | 12/31/2004 | 10014277 | Increased effort during low speed sharp turns on 4x4 vehicles. *tt | 04/29/2005 | |
| 18202 | 10/01/2004 | 10010726 | Unintended 4x4 engagement during low speed parking lot turns. various models including the 2005 explorer and mountaineer. *tt | 12/07/2004 | |
| 17555 | 02/01/2004 | 10008120 | Certified rear axle available. *mj | 07/22/2004 | |
| 17560 | 02/01/2004 | 10008124 | Rear axle noise. also includes lincoln aviator 2002. *mj | 07/22/2004 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 04B22 | 05/27/2005 | 04B22 | 10013306 | Improperly formulated transmission fluid that, over time, may cause delayed/harsh reverse engagements. customer satisfaction program 04b22. 5r55s/e & 5r44e transmission fluid additive. *tt supplement #1. *tt supplement #2. *tt supp | 04/14/2005 |
| 17883 | 06/01/2004 | 10008268 | Delayed/harsh reverse engagement. *tt | 07/23/2004 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 042107 | 12/13/2004 | 042414 | 10014086 | General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt | 04/28/2005 |
| 04217 | 11/01/2004 | 10013369 | General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt | 04/15/2005 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | |||||
| 042212 | 11/15/2004 | 10013398 | Gear selector lever - increased effort to shift from drive to park. *tt | 04/18/2005 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 05618 | 04/01/2005 | 10017892 | Rear axle noise repair. *tt | 12/06/2005 | |
| 06216 | 01/01/2006 | 0644 | 10014100 | Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers. *tt | 04/28/2005 |
| 041715 | 09/06/2004 | 10013121 | Front axle tube leak. *eh | 04/08/2005 | |
| 18221 | 10/01/2004 | 10010732 | Rear axle noise. oasis. various models including 2005 explorer, mountaineer and aviator. *tt | 12/07/2004 | |
| 17905 | 07/01/2004 | 10009332 | Multiple vehicles using fehp rear axle fluid. fluid usage change. *tt | 09/23/2004 | |
| 17736 | 04/01/2004 | 10008236 | Rear axle noise. *tt | 07/23/2004 | |
| 17717 | 04/01/2004 | 10008222 | Rear axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turns. *tt | 07/23/2004 | |
| 17641 | 03/01/2004 | 10007413 | Rear 3.55 axle noise. certified rear axle or improved gear set available. *tt | 06/22/2004 | |
| 04B15 | 05/01/2004 | 10007006 | Rear axle date code inspection and service. vehicles may have been built with an improper mix of rear axle lubricant and friction modifier additive. if so, the customer may experience noise and vibration while driving. *tt *mj | 05/21/2004 | |
| 03198 | 09/06/2004 | 04175 | 10004037 | Chatter, shudder, a binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turns on vehicles equipped with the 9.75 inch or 8.8 inch limited slip rear axle. *tt | 11/14/2003 |
| 17054 | 08/01/2003 | 10003164 | Axle whine at cruise or during acceleration/ deceleration. *tt | 10/09/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT | |||||
| TSB-08-19-3 | 05/01/2009 | 10028736 | Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. oil separation appears to be and is often misdiagnosed, as an axle lube leak. *pe | 05/20/2009 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL | |||||
| TSB-08-19-3 | 05/01/2009 | 10028736 | Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. oil separation appears to be and is often misdiagnosed, as an axle lube leak. *pe | 05/20/2009 | |
| 04105 | 06/07/2005 | 05155 | 10008994 | Axle seal leaks. leaks from rear halfshaft axle seal. service tips. *tt | 09/07/2004 |
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||||
| 0537 | 06/07/2005 | 05164 | 10012952 | Driveline 1st order vibration/boom/drone. *tt | 04/05/2005 |
| 17107 | 09/01/2003 | 10004046 | Driveline vibration on drone/boom at highway speeds. *tt | 11/17/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||||
| 17455 | 12/01/2003 | 10008303 | 4x4 inoperative and/or indicators blinking. *tt | 07/27/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 08/01/2012 | 140000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 08/01/2012 | 140000 | ||
| 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. kmj | |||
| 08/01/2012 | 140000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated the shifter would not shift into to park due to a defect shift cable. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic and the mechanic stated the shifter cable needed to be replaced. the contact did not have the shifter cable replaced. the failure mileage was 140,000. jo | |||
| 04/22/2008 | 45600 | 3 | |
| 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! *tr | |||
| 11/15/2008 | 64000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 11/15/2008 | 64000 | ||
| Being having problems with rear lift gate [ not staying close, opens anytime, it wants to by itself. my transmission problems errattic 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 carr that can't even make to 100,000 miles they should be out of act.,hope ford will take care of this cars. | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 84000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 83000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 84000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 83000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 84000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 83000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 84000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 83000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 84000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 83000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 02/09/2011 | 91000 | ||
| 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, | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 100000 | ||
| 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. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 100000 | ||
| 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. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 05/30/2011 | 114000 | ||
| Automatic transmission shifter completly broke off when changing from park to drive on a 2004 mercury mountsineer | |||
| 02/11/2011 | 108808 | ||
| 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, | |||
| 01/19/2004 | 1424 | 9 | 12/05/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 06/24/2011 | 82000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while parked with the rear hatch open the contact stated the vehicle began to roll backwards on its own. the contact attempted to enter the vehicle while the vehicle was in motion but was unable to and fell down sustaining a sprained ankle, bumps and bruises. the vehicle came to a stop when it crashed into a tree. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostics. the vehicle was not 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 vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 82,000. ds | |||
| 05/24/2010 | 70000 | ||
| 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 assemblys 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 gasked replaced-04/2011 | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 68000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the vehicle began to experience a very hard shift when changing gears while driving at any speed. the vehicle would also surge forward slightly during these hard shifts. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the contact also stated the gear shift lever felt very loose whenever it was operated. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 68,000 and the current mileage was 71,000. sm. | |||
| 12/25/2010 | 67848 | ||
| Have a little over 67,000 miles on vehicle. driving at highway speed tranmission indicator came on, o/d indicator flashes and service engine indicator came on. trnsmission 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. | |||
| 12/15/2010 | 47000 | ||
| 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). | |||
| 10/02/2010 | 130000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. whenever the vehicle was being driven the automatic transmission does not go into second and fifth gear. the vehicle was driven to the dealer who ran a diagnostic test and found that the automatic transmission needed to be replaced at a cost of $2,300. the manufacturer was contacted who informed her they will document the information and offered no other assistance. the failure mileage was 131,000.....mw | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 69469 | ||
| 2004 mercury mountaineer. transmission failing 69469 miles on vehicle. tailgate cracked also. not sure if worth repairing | |||
| 04/01/2010 | 100000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 01/22/2010 | 0 | 2 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 10/23/2008 | 64000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2009 | 100000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 09/14/2004 | 29225 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 04/18/2009 | 28000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 03/08/2009 | 59000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 03/04/2009 | 71000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 10/02/2008 | 85000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| Transmission slipping and recently within this month noticed a crack in the liftgate and the liftgate will not rise fully. *tr | |||
| 03/24/2008 | 42500 | 1 | |
| Transmission delay and then slamming into gear, sometimes causing the vehicle to lunge forward or backward. *tr | |||
| 09/10/2007 | 40000 | 1 | 08/14/2007 |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 08/15/2005 | 57700 | 1 | 06/12/2005 |
| Transmission - no overdrive. *jb | |||
| 06/11/2006 | 23325 | 1 | 01/05/2005 |
| 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 | |||
| 04/20/2004 | 10000 | 1 | 10/26/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| 04/14/2006 | 1 | 09/04/2004 | |
| 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 | |||
| 07/10/2005 | 10000 | 1 | 01/03/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| 11/20/2004 | 100 | 10/10/2003 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10/20/2005 | 10 | 08/11/2004 | |
| 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 | |||
| 09/21/2004 | 2 | 1 | 04/30/2004 |
| 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. | |||
| 02/28/2005 | 2 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 21000 | 1 | 08/16/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| 12/01/2004 | 9600 | 20 | 03/27/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| 12/08/2004 | 1 | ||
| The reverse gear tends to pop and switch to another gear, making the vehicle jump. taken to dealer, but the cause was undetermined.*ak | |||
| 08/30/2004 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 08/03/2004 | 5000 | 1 | 07/15/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 03/14/2006 | 48164 | 2 | 03/01/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 01/11/2005 | 985 | ||
| 2004 mercury mountaineer has hub bearing defects, transmission defects, drive train defects, rear axle and differential defects. there are thousands of complaints about these componets 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 yot there is no recall.. ford puts the wrong transmission fluid in cars, transmission fails...there is no reacall. rear axle seal fails and no recalls why!!! | |||
| 07/16/2009 | 35296 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 12/31/2006 | 42500 | 1 | 03/12/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 12/07/2008 | 66000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 02/13/2008 | 46500 | 1 | 02/04/2008 |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 04/20/2004 | 10000 | 1 | 10/26/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT | |||
| 04/20/2004 | 10000 | 1 | 10/26/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| 07/30/2004 | 5000 | 3 | 07/12/2004 |
| 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 | |||