RoadVitals

1998 Mercury Villager Suspension Problems

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.
9
Latest Mar 12, 2011
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.
11%
of 83 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.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

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 1998 Mercury Villager 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.

Owner reports naming suspension

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Other / unspecifiedSuspension
Filed Mar 12, 2011

I PARKED MY VAN, 1998 MERCURY VILLAGER ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOME. TWO DAYS LATER, I NOTICED THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE WAS FLAT. I HAD FOUR NEW TIRES SINCE JAN 2011. WHEN I LIFTED UP THE FRONT RIGHT AND TRIED TO REMOVE THE FR TIRE, IT WOULD NOT COME OFF. AFTER A WHILE, I NOTICED THE STRUT COIL SPRING GOT BROKE, AND THE SHAPE END OF BROKEN COIL SPRING PIERCED THRU. THE INSIDE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VAN,AND BOUGHT NEW. IT HAS `150,000 MILES ON IT. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN TURNED OUT BE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 70MPG. I DO A LOT OF HIGHWAY DRIVING. BOTH FRONT RIGHT AND LEFT COMPLETE STRUT ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED AND THE FLAT TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH NEW ONE. I TOOK SOME PICTURES AND HAVE THE SHARP END OF BROKEN COIL SPRING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10389919
Incident
Mar 6, 2011
Suspension
Filed Aug 17, 2006

1998 MERCURY VILLAGER PARKED. WHEN FAMILY RETURNED TO VAN AND GOT INTO IT, THE FRONT LEFT (DRIVERS) SIDE COIL SPRING SNAPPED. ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE VEHICLE TO GARAGE TO REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10165762
Incident
Aug 8, 2006
Suspension
Filed Jul 31, 2004

PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING RUSTED IN HALF AND BROKE. SPRING CAME DOWN ONTO TIRE. I HAD TO BUY NEW SPRING,COIL,AND STRUT.*AK

NHTSA ID
10083057
Incident
Jun 12, 2004
Mileage
83,650 mi
Suspension
Filed Aug 27, 2002

THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING. IT WAS FOUND OUT THAT THE RIGHT STRUT SPRING WAS BROKEN. *YH

NHTSA ID
567219
Incident
May 16, 2002
Suspension
Filed May 21, 2002

VEHICLE WAS GOING 40MPH WHEN RIGHT SIDE DROPPED TO THE GROUND. PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A BROKEN COIL SPRING, WHICH ALSO DUG A TREAD GROOVE IN TIRE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AREA REPRESENTATIVES WERE NOTIFIED. *AK MANUFACTUER TOOK PARTIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPLACING BROKEN SPRING. *TT

NHTSA ID
8010209
Incident
May 16, 2002
Suspension
Filed May 13, 2002

FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE WHILE DRIVING CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
8009717
Suspension
Filed Jun 20, 2001

FRONT WHEEL BEARING NUTS HAVE NO CASTLE WASHER BETWEEN THE NUT AND THE COTTER PIN. THERE IS A 3/16 GAP BETWEEN THE NUT AND THE COTTER PIN. NUT ON MY CAR LOOSENED ENOUGH TO ALLOW MORE THAN 1/4 INCH PLAY AT THE TOP OF THE TIRE. NOT YET CONFIRMED BY DEALER.

NHTSA ID
747092
Incident
Jun 19, 2001
SuspensionTransmission
Filed Sep 27, 2000

VEHICLE VIBRATES UNCONTROLLABLY AT SPEEDS OF 70MPH AND HIGHER. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK THE CAUSE FOR THE VEHICLE'S VIBRATION WAS FOUND TO BE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND SCREEN WAS REPLACED. *YH

NHTSA ID
871594
Incident
Sep 17, 2000
Suspension
Filed Sep 25, 2000

IN THE PAST YEAR MY VAN HAS HAD 3 ALIGNMENTS ALL ON THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE ROADS IN OKLA. ARE THE REASON . MY HUSBAND DRIVES 50 MILES EVERY DAY FOR WORK AND HIS CAR DOES NOT HAVE AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. MY THOUGHT IS IF THE ROADS ARE SO BAD HERE WHY AREN'T THERE MORE CARS GETTING ALIGNMENTS CHECKED EVERY DAY? I WONDERED IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM?*AK

NHTSA ID
732481
Incident
Sep 25, 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

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .