RoadVitals

1999 Mercury Villager Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission 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.
8
Latest Jul 5, 2007
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.
4%
of 185 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.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Mercury Villager submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 transmission

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

Transmission
Filed Jul 5, 2007

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVE WHEN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AND REVERTED BACK TO FIRST GEAR. AFTER STOPPING, TURNING OFF ENGINE, AND RESTARTING, VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF FIRST GEAR WHEN BEING DRIVEN. VEHICLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO DEALERSHIP , CARMAN FORD IN NEW CASTLE DE), BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE. VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP BY OWNER AND BEGAN TO DRIVE IT HOME WHEN PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED. VEHICLE IS NOW AT COTTMAN TRANSMISSION IN WEST CHESTER PA WHO DIAGNOSE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION WELL (MINUTE FRAGMENTS) THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
10195389
Incident
Jun 21, 2007
Mileage
140,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 15, 2005

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEGAN TO STICK IN THE UP POSITION. WHEN HE TRIED TO GO SLOW FROM THE STOP POSITION IT WOULD NOT WORK, CAUSING HIM TO PLACE MORE PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEALER, AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT HE PLACE A FUEL INJECTION CLEANER IN THE AIR FILTER, WHICH HELPED, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *SC

NHTSA ID
10125646
Incident
Jun 16, 2004
Transmission
Filed Oct 21, 2001

TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING SHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR AFTER THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED BY SELLING DEALER. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO PLACED AND ADDITIVE IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH. TOOK BACK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID "THEY COULD NOT VERIFY CUSTOMERS CONCERN". VEHICLE IS BECOMING ALMOST SCARY TO DRIVE AT THIS POINT AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY. FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
753480
Incident
Aug 30, 2001
Transmission
Filed Jun 26, 2001
Crash reported

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND KEYS WERE IN A LOCKED POSITION CONSUMER'S CHILD WAS ABLE TO SWITCH GEAR SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE WITHOUT BRAKE PEDAL BEING APPLIED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTATCED.*AK DEALER STATED EVERYTHING WAS FUNCTIONING AS NORMAL. *SLC

NHTSA ID
891317
Incident
Jun 10, 2001
Transmission
Filed Jun 22, 2001

STEERING WHEEL WILL MOVE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT DURING SLOW SPEEDS ON SMOOTH ROADS. THE MOVMENT IS VISUAL AND CAN BE FELT WHEN HANDS ARE ON THE STEERING WHEEL. EXCESSIVE DELAY WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND NOISE CAN BE HEARD WHEN TRANS IS SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO THIRD.

NHTSA ID
747267
Incident
May 1, 2000
Transmission
Filed May 9, 2001

TRANSMISSION OPERATED ERRATICALLY. HAD TO TRY THREE OR FOUR TIMES TO PUT IT INTO GEAR, BUT IT DID NOT WORK. *AK

NHTSA ID
887809
Incident
Nov 1, 2000
Transmission
Filed Sep 5, 2000

I REPORTED TO THE DEALER THAT THE AUTO TRANS MAKES A "CHIRP" NOISE BETWTEEN 2ND & 3RD GEAR. THEY INITIALLY DENIED A PROBLEM. I RECENTLY CONFRONTED THE DEALER WITH SB613610 AND THEY CLAIM THAT OPERATION AND DURABILITY ARE UNAFFECTED BY THIS NOISE. YET THEIR OWN INTERNAL DOCUMENTS REVEAL THAT VEHICLES MADE AFTER 5/19/00 WILL NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WHAT DID THEY DO TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM IN NEWER VEHICLES? WHY ARE THEY UNWILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM IN EXISTING VEHICLES? YOUR ASSISTANCE IN INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ID
730303
Incident
Jan 1, 2000
Transmission
Filed Jan 21, 2000

MERCURY DEALER INFORMED US THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD, HOWEVER FORD IS NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. IN THE MEANTIME, THEY SAY THE VAN IS SAFE TO DRIVE...HOWEVER WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC THEIR IS A SIGNIFICANT RISK AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE VEHICLE WILL DECIDE TO GO INTO GEAR...CAUSING A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. CAN YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM? WE FEEL AS THOUGH THE MANUFACTURER IS GIVING US THE BRUSH OFF AND WE WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME RESULTS. THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ID
717687
Incident
Dec 22, 1999

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 .