Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WITH 120000 FAILURE MILEAGE AT 30 MPH ON A WINDY DAY THE HOOD LATCH FAILED AND THE HOOD OPENED. THE HOOD HINGES STOPPED THE HOOD FROM SLAMMING INTO THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120000.*AK
BOTH REAR DOOR LATCHES CAN NOT BE RELEASED FROM INSIDE VEHICLE. FIRST RIGHT REAR FAILED AND ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER LEFT REAR FAILED. NECESSARY TO ROLL DOWN WINDOWS TO REACH OUTSIDE FOR DOOR HANDLE OR HAVE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER GET OUT AND OPEN REAR DOOR. CHILD PROOF LOCKS CHECKED AND VERIFIED SELECTED TO NORMAL OPERATING POSITION. HAVE NEVER SELECTED CHILD LOCK OUT POSITION AS WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN. HAVE BEEN TOLD MANY FORD EXPLORER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A SERIOUS SITUATION IF REAR SET PASSENGERS ARE UNABLE OPEN THEIR DOORS WITHOUT THE AID OF OTHERS. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT WILL COST TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED AS I HAVEN'T BEEN TO A DEALER YET. *JB
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT LEVER THAT LETS THE SEAT BACK BROKE OFF, FORD DEALER HERE WON'T FIX IT. MY HUSBAND SAID HE REMENBERS A RECALL ON IT BUT FORGOT ABOUT IT. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT TO DO.*AK
I CURRENTLY OWN A 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. MY WIFE PURCHASED THIS MOUNTAINEER IN EARLY 1998, AND UP UNTIL NOW WE HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH ITS PERFORMANCE. *AK RECENTLY, I WAS CHARGING THE BATTERY OVERNIGHT. I LEFT FOR WORK AND INSTRUCTED MY WIFE ON DISCONNECTING THE CHARGER BEFORE SHE USED THE CAR. MY WIFE DISCONNECTED THE CHARGER AND CLOSED THE HOOD ON THE VEHICLE AND TOOK IT OUT TO RUN ERRANDS. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN SHE CLOSED THE HOOD, IT DID NOT LATCH COMPLETELY. HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE I WOULD EXPECT THE SECONDARY, SAFETY LATCH TO HOLD THE HOOD CLOSED UNTIL THE VIBRATING HOOD WAS NOTICED AND THE HOOD CLOSED PROPERLY. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. TURNING OUT OF OUR SUBDIVISION, AND AT A RELATIVELY LOW RATE OF SPEED (30 MPH), THE HOOD RELEASED AND JAMMED INTO THE UP POSITION. NOT ONLY DID THIS CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE THE HOOD, IN THE UP POSITION, OFFERS NO VISUAL GAP WITH WHICH THE DRIVER CAN MAINTAIN A REASONABLE VIEW OF THE ROADWAY IN ORDER TO PILOT THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE LOCATION, BUT IT ALSO BENT THE HINGES ON WHICH THE HOOD IS MOUNTED. WHEN I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, I FOUND THAT THE SPRING THAT HOLDS THE SAFETY LATCH IN ITS TEMPORARY LOCKED POSITION HAD BROKEN. GLADLY, THIS HAPPENED IN A LOW TRAFFIC VOLUME LOCAL ROADWAY AND MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE LOCATION, EVENTUALLY CREEPING BACK TO OUR HOUSE AFTER SHE HAD FORCED THE HOOD DOWN. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON A HIGH VOLUME STREET, CHANCES ARE THAT HER AND MY ONE-YEAR-OLD SON WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. WE HAVE DILIGENTLY FOLLOWED THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR THE VEHICLE, AND THE SECONDARY, SAFETY LATCH GAVE NO INDICATION OF BEING BROKEN UNTIL IT FAILED. IT APPEARS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE HOOD AND ITS MOUNTING HINGES REPLACED.
WHEN ATTEMPING TO MOVE CONSUMER'S SIDE SEAT FORWARD RECLINER COLLAPSED INTO THE REAR SEAT. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SEAT BOLT FAILED. *AK
DRIVER DOOR LOCK WILL ONLY UNLOCK, HAVE REPLACED AND STILL FAILS. REAR AND PASS. L/U BUTTON STILL CONTROL ENTIRE LOCK CIRCUIT. *AK
INSTRUMENTAL LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE PROPERLY CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY, NO ABLE TO BE RECTIFIED.
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BACK LEVER FAILED. *YC
I BOUGHT THIS MERCURY IN OCT 98 .IT IS NOW JAN OF 99 AND I HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW PROBLEMS .A WARRENTY CAME WITH THIS CAR, AND WE HAVE BEEN THERE TWICE ;ONE FOR THE TRANSFER CASE, AND SWITCH FOR THE POWER SEAT , LEAK ON REAR HATCH WINDOW. NOW IM RETURNING IT FOR THROTTLE MALFUNCTION. I ALMOST KILLED MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF .I MADE MY CHILDREN JUMP OUT OF THE CAR WHILE DOING APROX . 5 MILES AN HOUR. THE MORE I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES THE MORE THE ENGINE IDLED FASTER . I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS I AM A HOUSEWIFE. I JUST WISH I KNEW ABOUT THIS DEFECT IN THE CAR SO IT COULD BEEN CORRECTED BEFORE I WENT ON VACATION .IT IS A NICE CAR. I WISH MERCURY WOULD NOTIFY THEIRE CUSTOMERS OF ANY DEFECTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS QUESTIONAIR, IT HELPED MY FAMILY ALOT . THANK YOU. DAWN GAG LIANO. *AK
REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE. WHENEVER THE DOOR IS LOCKED OR UNLOCKED THIS WOULD HAPPEN. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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