Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Mercury Mountaineer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A STOP SIGN AND STRUCK THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING A ROLLOVER. IN THE ACCIDENT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO ONE WAS INJURED, SEATBELTS WERE WORN AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.
OCTOBER 18, 2005 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION NVS-210, 400 7TH STREET SW WASHINGTON, DC 20590 DEAR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: I AM WRITING BECAUSE OF A SAFETY CONCERN WITH MERCURY 2000 MOUNTAINEER. MY MOUNTAINEER, VIN #[XXX], HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A DESIGN DEFICIENCY. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL FLASHES SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN COMES ON STEADY. I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AND THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE FORD DEALER TOLD ME THE WIRING HARNESS WAS BAD. THEY SAID THAT TESTS SHOWED THAT THE HARNESS WAS CORRODED. SINCE THE HARNESS RUNS UNDER THE CARPET ON THE FLOOR, WATER AND SALT HAD PROBABLY ENTERED THE HARNESS AND CORRODED IT. THEY SAID THAT MY AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS UNRELIABLE. I BELIEVE IT IS UNREASONABLE AND DANGEROUS TO INSTALL A CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEM COMPONENT IN A KNOWN LOCATION OF CORROSIVES AND MOISTURE, UNLESS THAT COMPONENT IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT AGAINST THOSE HAZARDS. IT APPEARS THAT THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS IS NOT SO DESIGNED. AS THESE VEHICLES AGE, THIS COULD BECOME MORE AND MORE OF A PROBLEM. THE REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE, I WAS QUOTED $970. THE TRADE IN VALUE OF MY VEHICLE IS ABOUT $8600. AS THESE VEHICLES AGE THEY WILL HAVE LESS AND LESS VALUE AND THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BECOME A LARGER AND LARGER PERCENTAGE OF VEHICLE VALUE. I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD QUERY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND FIND OUT HOW PREVALENT THIS PROBLEM IS AND SEE IF THE FREQUENCY OF THE PROBLEM IS INCREASING. IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED AS THESE VEHICLES AGE. PERHAPS MERCURY SHOULD ACT TO REPLACE THESE HARNESSES BEFORE THEY BECOME INOPERATIVE. [XXX] *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
INTERMITTENT AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON. WHEN I TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, IT WAS ALWAYS OUT, AND INSTEAD OF PAYING EXTRAVAGANT DIAGNOSTIC FEES THEY SAID MAY NOT SHOW PROBLEM, I DID NOT GET IT LOOKED AT. IT WAS REPAIRED TODAY....A HARNESS ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE WHICH I FEEL SHOULD NOT BE CHARGED TO THE CUSTOMER. THE SHORT IS FOR SOMETHING THAT ONLY A CERTIFIED TECH REPAIRS. AIRBAGS HARNESSES ON THIS VEHICLE PER THE REPAIR TECH GO OUT REGULARLY, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A DEFECT TO ME. THE REPAIR PASSED ON TO ME WAS MORE THAN $300! ALSO, IAC ATTACHED WITH TOO LITTLE SILICONE, WHICH CAUSES THE IAC TO BURN AND MALFUNCTION. IT WAS ALSO REPAIRED. I DO NOT HAVE PARTS.....DEALERSHIP KEPT THEM. *NM
DT: AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY GOING AT 35-40MPH.STATES HE DID HAVE AN ACCIDENT WHICH TOTALED HIS FRONT END, BUT NEITHER AIR BAG (L OR R) DEPLOYED.
WE WERE REAR ENDED AND BOTH SEATS BROKE, FLINGING US INTO THE BACK SEAT. WE THEN WENT INTO THE ONCOMING LANE (BECAUSE MY WIFE COULD NO LONGER REACH THE STEERING WHEEL OR THE BRAKES) AND WERE HIT HEAD ON. COMPLAINT #1 - THE SEATS SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN. COMPLAINT #2 - THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED.*AK
WITH BRAKES APPLIED ATTEMPTING TO PUT VEHICLE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND STRUCK A LIGHT POLE, WENT OVER CONCRETE BARRIER ONTO NEXT STREET, AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK CONSUMER ALSO COMPALINED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE BRAKES. *TT
WHILE LEAVING PARKING LOT, ACCELERATER PEDAL BECAME STUCK. DRIVER CAME TO A STOP BY HITTING OTHER CARS. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *TT
THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. YH
CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH AND WAS PROCEEDING INTO THE INTERSECTION WHILE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. VEHICLE FLIPPED TWICE ONTO THE ROAD, AND LANDED UPSIDE DOWN. DAUGHTER HAD TO CRAWL OUT OF DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *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
Data on this page last refreshed .