Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Suspension reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
15
Latest Dec 11, 2009
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 328 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. 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. 15 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.
Owner reports naming suspension
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Body & structureDriver assistanceFuel system+1 more
Filed Dec 11, 2009
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. HE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULT STEERING, BECAUSE THE FRONT SWAY BAR LINKAGE HAD FRACTURED. SECONDLY HE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SMELL AN ODOR OF GASOLINE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIRDLY DURING BRAKE APPLICATION THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD ALSO STICK. THIS CONDITION WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO LURCH FORWARD. LASTLY THE MAIN BAR THAT HELD THE TWO BUMPERS TOGETHER HAD CORRODED. THE FAILURES WERE DESCRIBED IN RECALLS (98V060000, 00V422000, 00V402000). HOWEVER HE WAS ADVISED BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING THE RECALLS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 157,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 156,000.
NHTSA ID
10295389
Incident
Oct 21, 2009
Mileage
156,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Aug 10, 2005
DEALER STATES THAT MY VEHICLE [XXX] IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER SWAY BAR LINKS 00S47- RECALL ID#00V402000. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE EXCLUDED EVEN THOUGH IT IS A 1997 MOUNTAINEER. I WOULD LIKE SOME COMPENSATION FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ID
10132270
Incident
Aug 10, 2005
Suspension
Filed Mar 25, 2003
HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT STABILIZER BARS ON MY 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. I HAVE REPLACE THEM 4 TIMES AND WITHIN 6 TO 8 WEEKS THEY BREAK AGAIN. FORD HAD A RECALL AND FIXED THEM THE FIRST TIME AND EVER SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TROUBLE KEEPING THEM FROM BREAKING. WITHOUT THEM THE TRUCK BOUNCES ALOT AND HARD TO HOLD ON THE ROAD.
NHTSA ID
10011009
Incident
Jan 7, 2003
Mileage
133,000 mi
Suspension
Filed May 21, 2002
REAR END IS LEAKING FLUID, AND IS MAKING A ROARING SOUND.*AK
NHTSA ID
8010278
Incident
Apr 15, 2002
Suspension
Filed Feb 5, 2002
WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH A RATTLE / SHAKING WOULD START COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NHTSA ID
8003541
Incident
Jan 3, 2002
Suspension
Filed Jan 31, 2002
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THERE IS A LOUD THUMPING NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE.*AK
NHTSA ID
8003337
Incident
Nov 1, 2001
Suspension
Filed Aug 15, 2001
VEHICLE IS MAKING A NOISE IN FRONT END DUE TO DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NHTSA ID
894404
Incident
Sep 1, 2000
Suspension
Filed Jun 24, 2001
I WAS ONE OF THE FORTUNATE FORMER OWNERS OF FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES. ON JANUARY 28,2000 I VISITED A LOCAL TIRE KINGDOM INC TIRE DEALERSHIP IN CLEARWATER FLORIDA FOR A POSSIBLE FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND TIRE BALANCING BECAUSE I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT A VIBRATION IN MY FRONT END OF MY 97 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. I DO MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING @ 60-70MPH AT THE TIME I HAD 34K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. WHEN THE MECHANIC STARTED WORKING ON MY CAR HE BEGAN REMOVING THE TIRES FROM MY SUV TO ROTATE AND BALANCE MY TIRES. HE NOTICED THAT TWO OF MY TIRES HAD SIGNS OF BELT SEPARATION AND THE TIRES WERE NO LONGER USABLE. I ACTUALLY WITNESS THE CONDITION OF THESE TIRES . IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE TIRES BE REPLACED. WHICH I IMMEDIATELY APPROVED THEM TO DO. I ACTUALLY REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. AT A COST OF APPROX. $400.00. AS WE ALL KNOW FIRESTONE BEGAN THE RECALL OF WILDERNESS AT TIRES PRODUCED AT THE DECATUR PLANT EXPERIENCED AN INCREASED RATE OF TREAD SEPARATION CLAIMS.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2 TIRESIZE: P235X15)
NHTSA ID
747330
Incident
Jan 28, 2000
Suspension
Filed Apr 9, 2001
ENTIRE VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE WHEN IT REACHES SPEEDS ABOVE 35 MPH. CONSUMER STATED THAT A DETERMINATION COULD NOT BE MADE FOR REASON OF VIBRATION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
NHTSA ID
885385
Incident
Apr 1, 2000
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Mar 6, 2001
THE LOWER BALL JOINT AND UPPER CONTROL ARMS WERE WORN. NLM
NHTSA ID
560213
Suspension
Filed Jan 24, 2001
RECALL OO V 402 000/STABILIZER BAR LINK STUB: RIGHT SIDE STABILIZER BAR LINK STUB BROKE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND DID REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. *AK BECAUSE OF ONE MONTH DIFFERENCE IN AGE, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL EVENTHOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS THE SAME. *YH
NHTSA ID
878975
Incident
Nov 30, 2000
Suspension
Filed Feb 8, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
AFTER GETTING MY MOUNTAINEER BACK FROM ACCIDENT RELATED REPAIRS I NOTICED THAT WHILE BACKING &/OR TURNING THERE WAS A POPPING SOUND FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. ONE OF THE CONTROL ARMS WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE ACCIDENT, THE OTHER ONE WAS REPLACED IN 9/1999 & THE VEHICLE IS MAKING THE POPPING SOUND AGAIN.
NHTSA ID
718461
Incident
Oct 30, 1998
Suspension
Filed Nov 12, 1997
VEHICLE DRIFTS TO RIGHT, REPAIR ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES, INSTALL CAMBER CASTER AND TOE WERE OFF SPECS, REPLACE FRONT POWER STEERING PURGE.
NHTSA ID
524615
Incident
Apr 12, 1997
Suspension
Filed Sep 29, 1997
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT AND HAS BEEN SERVICED SIX SEPARATE TIMES SINCE MAY, 1997. *AK
NHTSA ID
523907
Suspension
Filed May 13, 1997
FRONT END MISALIGNED, CAUSING VEICLE TO PUL TO THE RIGHT.
NHTSA ID
517172
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own