RoadVitals

1998 Mercury Mountaineer Tires & wheels Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the tire or wheel system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Tires & wheels 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.
95
Latest Aug 3, 2014
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.
40%
of 236 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.
7
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
8

What this page shows

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 95 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 tire or wheel

The 25 most recent of 95, in the owner's own words

BrakesHeating & air conditioningOther / unspecified+2 more
Filed Aug 3, 2014
Crash reported

HAD A WRECK COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. EMERGENCY BRAKE DIDN'T WORK RAN INTO A TREE AND DAMAGED A MAILBOX (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=1998, MAKE=MOUNTAINEER , MODEL=MERCURY ). *TR

NHTSA ID
10618525
Incident
Feb 4, 2012
Tires & wheels
Filed Feb 13, 2013
Crash reported

1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CONSUMER REQUESTS LIST OF VEHICLE TIRE TREAD PROBLEMS. *SMD

NHTSA ID
10498621
Incident
Jul 3, 2012
Body & structureEngineExterior lighting+1 more
Filed Apr 13, 2011
Fire reported

MOVED MY TRUCK TO LET ANOTHER CAR OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY. PULLED BACK IN TURNED THE TRUCK OFF CAME IN THE HOUSE AND HEARD A LOUD BOOM. LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND FIRE WAS SHOOTING UP BY THE WHEEL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10395782
Incident
Apr 13, 2011
Mileage
75,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 21, 2010
1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER EQUIPPED WITH TURBO TECH RADIAL A/SR TIRES, LINE SIZE P235/75R15, DOT NUMBER UT1TT2E4305. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN A LOUD POP SOUNDED FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER TWICE AND LANDED ONTO THE CENTER LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A MILD CONCUSSION AND INJURIES TO THE KNEE, BACK AND NECK. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODING. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 149,000.

NHTSA ID
10361605
Incident
Jul 15, 2010
Mileage
149,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 27, 2006

1998 MOUNTAINEER'S TIRES WERE APART OF A RECALL AND CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH WILDERNESS AT TIRES WHICH WERE RECALLED. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THESE TIRE IN 2004 AFTER THE CONSUMER WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AS RESULT OF THE FAULTY TIRES. *NM

NHTSA ID
10175374
Incident
Jan 7, 2004
Mileage
85,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed May 24, 2004

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING BACK TO WORK AT LUNCH, CLEAR DAY, UNLIMITED VISIBILITY, CLEAR ROAD CONDITIONS, WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS HURT. THE TIRE WAS PUT ON THE VECHICLE BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP DURING THE FIRESTONE RECALL. A PASSERBY HELPED MY WIFE CHANGE THE TIRE. THIS IS A GOODYEAR WRANGLER RTS, P235/75/15.*AK

NHTSA ID
10073076
Incident
May 24, 2004
Mileage
56,400 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 24, 2002

WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, RIGHT REAR TIRE BEGAN TO MAKE A FLAPPING NOISE, TREAD SEPARATED AND SIDEWALL BURSTED. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRES, NO OTHER TIRE INFORMATION GIVEN, *SLC

NHTSA ID
8014615
Incident
Jul 23, 2002
Body & structureTires & wheels
Filed Feb 2, 2002
2 injuries reported

MOUNTAINEER'S FRONT FLOOR BOARD AND SEAT MOUNTING BRAKETS, ESPECIALLY THE PASSENGER SIDE, GET HOT ENOUGH TO BLISTER THE SKIN. WHEN THE FLOOR BOARD IS HOT THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND IT IS HARD TO STEER. THE MOUNTAINEER ALSO HAS EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT WHICH HAD LEAD TO TWO SETS OF TIRES NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. IN 3000 MILES THE TIRES ARE WORN ENOUGH THAT THE MERCURY MAKES A WHOMPING SOUND MUCH LIKE A FLAT IS HARD TO TURN AND IS DIFFICULT TO STOP UNTIL I HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED. THE WHOLE PROCESS THEN HAS TO BE DONE AGAIN IN ANOTHER 3000 MILES WHICH ACCORDING TO FORD "SHOULD BE DONE EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE AND THIS IS NORMAL FOR AN SUV."*AK

NHTSA ID
757683
Incident
Jan 10, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 19, 2001

TIRE SEPARATED ON THE SIDEWALL AND WAS VIBRATING VERY BADLY. *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/75/R1)

NHTSA ID
748741
Incident
May 5, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 6, 2001

TRAVELLING SOUTHBOUND ON I-35 AT MILEMARKER 20 NEAR CLARKS GROVE MN WHEN LEFT REAR TIRE BLOWOUT OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING, COMPLETELY SEPARATING TREAD. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO A SAFE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER WHERE SPARE WAS INSTALLED.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: P235-75R15)

NHTSA ID
747954
Incident
Mar 11, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 19, 2001
1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT, CONSUMER THEN SWERVED, AND SIDESWIPED A SEMI TRUCK, CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.(FIRESTONE WILDERNESS ESS AT 15 W2HL P235/75R-15)*JB

NHTSA ID
562551
Incident
Sep 1, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed May 14, 2001

THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY 44 NEAR SULLIVAN MO. EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS INJURYED IT WAS CERTAINLY A SCARY EVENT.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2UU TIRESIZE: P225/70R15)

NHTSA ID
745301
Incident
May 13, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Apr 6, 2001

PE00 020; ALL FOUR FIRESTONE TIRES HAVE TREAD SEPARATION. FIRESTONE COMPANY HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS AT, P23575/15. *AK

NHTSA ID
885327
Incident
Apr 6, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Mar 14, 2001

CONSUMER NOTICED FIRESTONE (VNHL1PY108) TIRES SHOWING SIGNS OF CRACKING AROUND THE TREAD, ALL 4 TIRES WERE REPLACED AND FIRESTONE AGREED TO GIVE CONSUMER PARTIAL CREDIT FOR EACH TIRE, EVEN THOUGH TIRES WERE NOT APART OF RECALL, BUT THE TIRES WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. *JB

NHTSA ID
560512
Incident
Mar 10, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Mar 7, 2001

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES ON MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER 1998 ARE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. THREE OF TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE CRACKING. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID
882382
Incident
Dec 1, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Feb 8, 2001

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE P235/75R15 SIZE, DOT#: W2HL. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 65 MPH, LEFT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID
880067
Incident
Feb 7, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Jan 8, 2001
1 injury reported

BEFORE THE TIRE BLOWOUT I HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED AT THE LOCAL FIRESTONE STORE AND WAS TOLD I HAD NO TIRES THAT FELL UNDER THE TIRE RECALL. WHEN I WENT TO ANOTHER TIRE STORE TO HAVE THE BLOWOUT REPLACED I WAS INFORMED THAT TIRE WAS UNDER THE RECALL, THE VEHILCE WAS INSPECTED AGAIN AND TWO MORE TIRES WERE RECAL TIRES. I WENT BACK TO THE FIRESTONE STORE WERE THE TIRES WERE FIRST INSPECTED AND THE MANAGER TOLD ME I WAS WRONG ABOUT THE TIRES BEING RECALLED AFTER I TOLD ME ANOTHER TIRE STORE HAD REPLACED FOR FREE UNDER THE RECALL DOT NUMBER, I WAS THEN TOLD I COULD NOT PROVE THE TIRES WERE ON RECALL TO HIM SO LEGALLY HE DID NOTHING WRONG BY TELLING HE THE TIRES WERE SAFE SO NOW IT WAS MY WORD AGAINST HIS. I CALLED FIRESTONE CORPORATION AND TOLD THEM THE SAME STORY BUT GOT NO RESPONCE FROM THE COMPANY EATHER.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VDHL TIRESIZE: 235/75R15)

NHTSA ID
739014
Incident
Nov 30, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Jan 3, 2001

ALL FOUR TIRES ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION, TIRES HAVE CRACKS AROUND THE BASE OF THE TREAD, DEALER WILL NOT REPLACED TIRES BECAUSE TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 00T-OO5. *CJ

NHTSA ID
558752
Tires & wheels
Filed Dec 28, 2000

STEEL BELT SHOWING THROUGH TIRES, CONSUMER TOOK TIRES TO FIRESTONE DEALER BUT WAS TOLD THEY WERE NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER DOT CODE (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75R15 DOT W2HL). NLM

NHTSA ID
558354
Incident
Aug 9, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Dec 5, 2000

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE IS CRACKING AT THE TREAD LINE, THE OTHER THREE TIRES SHOW SAME SIGNS OF CRACKING, THESE TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235-75R-15). NLM

NHTSA ID
557888
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 29, 2000
Crash reported

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A POPPING NOISE. VEHICLE VEERED OFF INTO A BAR DITCH, AND IT TRAVELED DOWN BAR DITCH, AND HIT GUARDRAIL. THEN WENT SIDEWAYS INTO THE LANE OF TRAFFIC, AND THEN HIT ENBANKMENT. INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A TIRE BLOWOUT. *AK

NHTSA ID
875719
Incident
Oct 4, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 28, 2000

P23575R15; WHILE HAVING TIRES SERVICED NOTICED TREAD SEPARATION. *AK FIRESTONE PAID FOR PART OF THE TIRE EXPENSES. *YH

NHTSA ID
875604
Incident
Nov 28, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 24, 2000

WAS TRAVELING 40MPH WHEN RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW. REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE. TOWED TRUCK TO DRIVER, HE INDICATED ALL TIRES WERE BAD. CAN SEE THE STEEL BELTS COMING THROUGH RUBBER. CONTACTED FIRESTONE & INFORMED NO RECALL ON TIRES.*AK

NHTSA ID
875452
Incident
Sep 15, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 15, 2000

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES (P235 75 R15) CAUSED VEHICLE TO VIBRATE, CONSUMER REPLACED TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND AND HAS NO MORE PROBLEMS WITH VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE. *SLC

NHTSA ID
557345
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 14, 2000

THIS TIRE WAS NOT A RECALL WITH THE VD CODE. IT SUDDENLY FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED BY LOSING PART OF ITS TREAD. THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE PLY FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROX 18" ON ONE SIDE OF THE TIRE. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE. (DOT NUMBER: W2HLIPY2HL TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

NHTSA ID
736264
Incident
Nov 10, 2000

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

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .